The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 6, 1898, Page 26

26 THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, MARCH 6, 189S. EDITED BY DAVID A. POLLY MYN OLLY MYNX was a live, wide awake girl. Fear? dia not know what it was. her a tomboy. horse bareback, climb a tree as well as the t daring boy. Her first venture in riding on horse- ame about in the funniest wa jence would have been dl ageous )n Polly ine and e vy dozing, close She could ride a or ng through a t stood qu de the fence. hout a moment of hesitation she up and dropped down astride e horse, unaccustomed to so start- an introduction, threw b its and’ leaped the fence eaving lying flat upon the ground. Her ar was , and she was kept in bed for but this never daunted Polly A spice to her en Near tk lived was the river, many built for the p. but Polly found wer sweet as those which grew over at the other end. of danger seemed a necessity She not only crossed the dizzy ties herself, but went back and forth, lead- ing her trembling schoolmates, step by step, until the Meddling Tomn never did like to fun, told her parent delightful amusement was ended. as safely over. away off in angled wood. No way to reach it ve ovar a brook whose waters were both deep and rapid. >h, come on, girls,” she urged. “There’s not one bit of danger. “You go then,” suggested her companions. v id Polly, so she undressed waded in. Bhe reached the opposite shore and called for them to follow, but they hesitated still “What silly girls, to be afraid,” said Polly. “I can ca every one of you over on my back.” “Ha, ha, what fun! cried. Witn a girl perched upon her shoul- ders she had nearly reached the op- osite ban but they were so full of aughter that s tripped and fell and both went sprawling into the water. It was a wonder they wer not drowned, and, then, such a pair of frights as went hurrying through the streets! The boys laughed at them, and their mothers scolded, but what did Polly care for that? One day Polly was seen in consulta- tion with a crowd of girls upon the street. “Look out for some new mischief,” remarked one neighbor to another. Both ran to the door. “Rebecka and Matilda Jenkins, come into the house this minute, and don’t let me see you on the street again to-day!" cried one. “Mary Jane and Hannah Keeler, you co! in lik se,” called the other. When these mothers looked into their daughters’ rooms that night they found no daughters there. Investigation disclosed the fact that in the town a dozen beds were About half a mile out of town, cling round one side of & kigh hill, a small brancy Try it,” they ran of the river. There were wide, sand ores and shallow waters on either side, but the center was dan- gerously deep. It was a warm night and the katy- aids were sawing out their rasping mausic in the woods. Romping in the sand and splashing in the water, thelr merry voices drowning the katydids’ song, were the missing calprits. Polly was In her element, “Come on,” she said; “just one at a time, and I'll teach you how te swi “Pehaw! 1 don’t suppose you knew how vourself,” answered or “You don’t?" sald Polly. shall see. “Oh! Polly! Polly! Come back. You'll “Well, you BY MRS. W. F. PERRY. surely drown!"” to the middle of the stream. She swam, and dived and floated, to tion and wonder of them all. came plunging for the the admira Suddenly she shore. ‘Hush! “‘Oh Hush!"” she exclaimed. ! what is it? the girls, in affright. i The toward the st the s did it A troop of hurrying women, whose outlined against the sky, and in one of each of the motherly hands figure: long 1 irab ok! Look!” she cried. shado ky, and above it, reveal ? s looked mammoth, was ithe weapon. your ~ clothes, girls, hind the rocks!" The threatening column came sweep- ing dc “I thought I heard their voices,” sald one. “I know I did,” as “My here,” “I expect every livin' one of ’em {s own the hill rted another. Tommy said, said Mrs. Treadwell. DIS: GRATE * AKT- Wy 2. INVEUTED 8Y-0& - & LI, UMBK(NZ: AN-MUCH KED - 5 Y DE-GR/ But Polly went boldly What is it?” asked side of the hill, sloping am, stood black against shedding its warm, mellow light over the top of the hill, was the great full moon. What grasped a quick!” whispered Polly, “and let us hide be- ‘pon honor,’ that he overheard them planning to come X, THE TOMBOY. drowned!” wailed Mrs. Worryworry. “More likely they have gone further down the river,” said Mrs. Mynx; “but just let me get my hands on Polly and ——" Here the voices died away in the distance. “Now is our time!"” exclaimed Polly. “Get your clothes on quicker, girls! Hurry home and be in bed fast asleep when they get back.” ‘When the bevy of frightened mothers returned, after their fruitless search, what was their amazement to find their daughters sleeping safely in their bed “It's all that Polly Mynx!” said they. It's enough to break up all the en- joyment in girls’ lives to be forever spied on by a boy,” said Polly, indig- nantly, to her companions, and the girls answered, “Indeed it is!" One day they were out fishing. Tom- my Treadwell followed them and stood teetering on the bough of a tree that reached out over the water. n “Oh, Polly is a tomboy! Polly is a tombo; I'm in a tree! Just see me!” Cra: Down came the limb, and Tommy with it, into the water. The current was very swift, but the branch caught upon a projecting root, and Tommy clung to it for dear life. He screamed lustily for help and would have been drowned had not Pol- ly swam in and helped him out. “T'Il never spy on you nor call you names again,” said Tommy, as he stood dripping on the bank. ‘““When a fair and square boy finds he has treat- ed a girl wrong he’s bound to make it right. Polly, you're not a tomboy— you're a brick! And if any boy dares to say you're not I'll take it up!” - THE CAMP UPON THE SEA BEACH. BY JENNIE SWAYNE. Mrs. Lawton is a school teacher. She has two little girls, Margie and Katie. Every summer Mrs. Lawton takes her girls away to pass the long vacation. She teaches in a city in the San Joa- quin Valley. Last summer she came to San Francisco, bringing a tent to camp upon the beach. She selected a spot about two miles south of the CIliff House. No one objected to her stand- ing her tent there. Her cooking out- fit came down by boat from- Stockton, and some dishes. She brought very little baggage, for she came for rest and change. Her little girls had little tin pails and shovels to dig in the sand and make sand houses. They wore flannel dresses of blue. They had stout shoes and stout stockings, but nothing that they could spoil, so there was nothing to prevent them from having a good time. They went out to the beach by way of Ingleside. When thney left the cars they had to walk some distange, hut the road was good, the weather fine, and they were so much in haste to gaze upon the great ocean that they were at the beach almost before they were aware of it, although they had heard the billows beating upon the shore long before. They took their lunches out in bas- kets, each carrying her own, for Mrs. Lawton taught her girls to help them- selves as much as possible, and not to depend upon others. An express wagon arrived with the tent in it soon after. The expressman helped to put up the tent, driving the pegs and stretching the canvas. Mrs. Lawton soon had stakes driven in the sand and the camp kettle mounted upon them. ‘Then the children were sent along the beach in search of firewood. They collected a large pile of drift wood, enough for cooking purposes and also for a great camp fire to keep them warm. A great hillock of stakes and sand was piled up in front of the tent to shield the tent in case of a hard blow. The first night on the beach all the campers were tired enough to sleep. Mrs. Lawton's big dog, Rover, was the sentinel when the others slept. They were all safe when Rover was on guard. The next day the children had a great time playing upon the beach. They helped to find wood for the camp fire and took turns washing and wiping dishes. A friend in San Francisco added to their pleasure by sending a donkey out to the beach for the little girls to ride. On the animal's back, while their mother rode or walked by them, they explored Gol Gate Park from one end to the other. They saw the buffaloes, fed the deer, admired the beautiful birds in the avia visited and rowed upon Stow amused themselves with the queer things in the museum, mamma always going with them and having as much pleasure out of all the sights and experiences as the little girls had. Many delightful days they all had at the beach. The little girls waded when the water was calm, in the little waves that ran over the sand. When it was necessary to go to San Francisco to get fruit or meat or fish mamma took the girls along and so they became familiar with ma of the sights of the great city. hey went ) the museum of the Academy of Sciences and saw the mastodon and many other curios. They called upon the Mayor and the Chief of Police and were taken all over the City Hall. They climbed to the top of Telegraph Hill and rode to all parts of the city on the cable cars. When they were from the camp Rover kept every one away. One day Margie, the younger of the two girls, found a pocketbook on the shore. It was full of money and pa- pers. “See, Katie,” said Margle In trtumph, ere is the gold we need to make mamma a present of a new dress for giving us such a fine vacation outing.” But the little girls ‘new that they must try to find the owner of the purse for it would not be honest to keep the money without trying to restore it to the rightful owner. ay the owner appeared. a gray-haired man, along the sand. d asked him if he something. He de- Margie saw him as he was walk Margie ran out a was looking for SINBAD AND THE ROC A queer little boat, having on board & very queer captain and as queer a cargo, entered the Bay of San Fran- cisco through the Golden Gate one sun- ny forenocon, and came to an anchor off Meiggs wharf. The customs officers and the guarantine authorities, when they went on board to ask questions, were told that the master of the ves- sel was Sinbad the Sailor; that he came straight from Bagdad; that his cargo consisted of one large egg from b: dad, and that he came with his cargo all the way from Bagdad to find Si Kavanagh on Telegraph Hill, San Francisco, His boat, which was no larger than the lateen sailed fishing boats that are S0 common in San Francisco, was The Good Haroun Alraschid, and her home port was Bagdad. An Arab had to be found to interpret what was said. He came with a turban upon his head and to him Sinbad talked freely. Sinbad’s story was so queer that the Mayor thought that he should be sent up to the asylum at Napa, because he was insane. But the Arab who interpreted said that Sinbad was all right. So he was allowed to go about as he wished. He found Si Kavanagh on Telegraph Hill without much search, for all the boys and girls upon the hill knew Si. There was no boy who was more likely than was Si to receive a visit from Sin- bad, for Si was always reading or talk- ing about “The Arabian Nights,” and believed that many of the stories were true that he read. He did not seem a bit surprised when Sinbad found him. He shook hands, and gnen, recollecting who Sinbad really was, and wishing to do the proper thing, made a salaam, until his forehead nearly touched the dust of the Filbert-street hill. At this Sinbad seemed much pleased. Sinbad and Si had many confidential talks, during three dajy The upshot of this was that, working together, they managed to push the large egg to Si's father's barn on the hill. The next day Sinbad disappeared as suddenly as he had first appeared. Si and all of his friends were watch- ing as Sinbad hoisted his sails. The old marinér waved his right hand to Si, then suddenly seemed to remember something that, up to that time, he had forgotten. hed into a sack that lay in a locker-and drew therefrom a can- dlestick of rusty brass and threw it ashore. Then Sinbad and Sinbad's boat seemed to melt into the air. One glance at him was all that any of the Telegraph- Hill boys and girls had. He did not sail away—he just vanished— all at once. Si did not appear to be astonished. In fact he was not. He had read of just such happenings a hundred times, and he was glad that his boy and girl friends, who had always laughed at him, should see a real disappearance that was like magic. He noticed that they did not laugh at him on this occasion. He lost no time In going to the shore of the bay to get the candlestick that Sinbad had thrown ashore. He did not see it at first, but he sald some words and then he found it. The words sounded some- thing like this: 04@6@@@@@@@@@@@@@2 Zunk-a-pan, Zink-a-pan, zank-a-pan- zad son of seventh son—good old & ate—'rah! ‘rah! al., rahi *Ninety @ ; © 659600600006 0600066¢ Si's egg took up a large space in Si's barn. Si and Sinbad had put it on the side that abuts against Tom Kee- gan’s big steam boiler. The heat from the boiler kept the egg warm. The people on the hill asked Si when he was going to invite all the town to have an omelet with him, but Si only smiled and kept his own counsel as to what he expected to do with the ege. I suspect that he told his mother, for she let him stay at home from school several weeks. His father did not know anything about this, only he in from the barn, in a condition of great excitement, to find his mother and tell her some newe. His mother, who was a great believer in Si, in- stantly shared, in his excijement. Throwing a shawl over her ad she ran out to the barn in such haste that the neighbors wondered what was happening and came over to see. But they found that the barn door had been locked on the inside, and >» they went away without learning any news. As they performed their daily tasks they heard strange sounds which pro- ceeded from the barn. There were a series of sharp cracks, as if some mighty power was ripping sheets of boiler iron apart by main strength. Then there were other sounds. “Sure,” said Mys. Brannigan. “T'd think that there were forty ostriches in the barn—and that all of them were peeping at once.” Out from the barn came Si and his mother, carafully locking the door af- ter them and looking very proud. Si mounted guard and would not so much as let a child peep through the cracks of the barn. This made all the hill S5 EGG. the barn rock upon . its foundations. Then the big bird got a full play for its wings and flew away with the frame of the barn around its meck, spilling out the horse and cow into the bay as it flew out toward the Golden Gate. Si was the only one who did not lose his head. He ran into the house and found the rusty old brass candiestick that Sinbad had cast ashore as he sailed away. Si rubbed this and pointed it at the bird, which was really a roc, such as you have read about in the “Arabian Nights.” The roc uttered a loud scream and flew back to shore and landed at the Presidio. The sol- diers fired at the roc, but when they saw the bullets, after striking the. roc, come bounding back at them, and at the same speed with which the bullets had left their rifles, they all ran away. Si once more rubbed his candles and wished, and he and his father and mother were at the Presidio as quick as thought, and there they were in- stanter. “What does this mean, Si?" asked St's father, in a dazed way, as Si brought him from the officers’ quarters “ My castle, papa, quick, come see!”’ Thus said my little boy one day; A house of blocks as tall as he He’d fashioned in his pretty play. The tiny man through castle door Peeped out, and—augury of renown— A sunbeam, dancing o’er the floor, Laid on his curls its golden crown. Flushed was his face with joy and pride, As dreamed he of dreat thinds to be. But I? .1, selfish, inly cried— His castle might be far from me!l Oh, dentle lad with winsome eyes, Time’s magdic touch will mar my joy, Thowgh it may bid your towers arise When—youw're no more my little boy ! boil with curlosity. Si would not an- swer a question. Neither would his mother. His. father was taken into the secret as soon as he came home. He looked as happy as a king and slapped Si on his back. Then he re- collected how he had dosed Si with castor oil, and he laughed until the tears chased down his good-natured face. The secret leaked out, as all neigh- borhood secrets will. A bad boy named Smith cut a hole through the side of the barn, when no one was looking, and took a long peep at the interior. ———— THE ROC CARRYING S| KAVANAGH AND HIS PARENTS OFF TO BAGDAD FROM SAN FRANCISCO. scribed the purse and then Margie ran to her little bed and brought it to the gentleman. The owner of the purse found out from Margie what she gvould have done with the money if she had not found the owner. He smiled and went his way, but, on the day following, mam- ma’s new dress was sent to the tent on the beach and with it were two smaller dress patterns, one for each of the girls. Mamma was surprised and so were Margie and Katie. They still have the dresses that were won by their hon- esty. - HER DIZZY FEET. A little girl who lives out in the Mis- sion, so writes lLier mother, electrified the family not long ago by a quaint and un- expected answer. The little girl had been sitting upon her feet and the biood stop- ped circulating. ¥ “What {s the matter, May,” asked the mother, “are your feet asleep?” “No, mamma,” said the child, “I specs that they ara dizzv."” . found Si in the barn one day, locking intently at the egg, and questioned him. I do not believe that any boy ever was taken sick so suddenly and so violently as Si then was. His father looked a little incredulous and made Si take a stiff dose of castor oil on the spot. The funniest part of it was that Si, who usually gave a war whoon like an Apache Indiai. when he was asked to take any kind of medicine, took the castor oil meekty, and rzther Jooked as if he really would like a lot more of the same medicine. This con- vinced Si's pa at once, and he thought that Si must really be sick enough to stay at home from school It was wonderful~how Si brightened up after his father had gone away. “Castor ofl is the thing,” SI's pa said at noon.~ “I believe that I will give Si another dose.”” Before he could carry out this threat Si managed to hide in the barn—and tne castor-oil bottle was not emptied for his bene- fit. It was on a bright Saturday morn- ing, when all the children on the hill were home from school, that Si rushed He then told all the poys that thers was a bird in the barn that was pok- ing its head up into the barn loft and pulling down hay by the bale and grain by the sack to eat, and it was so big a bird that it had to stoop to keep, its head from striking the roof. Of course none of the hoys believed this astonishing story, not until they had all stolen peeks. Then they knew that it was so S1 made a hatfui of money the next day selling peeks at his strange bird—through the barn. He tried % go into the barn once, but the bird made a lunge for him, and he ran out frightened. His father also went into the barn, but had to run to save his life. The next day there was too much ex- citement. There was a sound of break- ing glass, and the next minute that big bird poked his head out through the barn roof and gave out a threatening cry. Then terrific blows were dealt agalnst the sides of the barn from the inside, and the boards flew off in splinters in every direction. The people were now chained with horror to the _place. As they gazed eagerly they saw a major-general’s uniform to put on, with a lot of gilt lace on it and a sword to wear and a major-general’s hat. “It means,” said Si, “‘that we are go- ing to Bagdad to live, and I want you to have some style about you.” Si put on a brigadier-general’s uni- form, that he might appear with credft before the Caliph of Bagdad. One more rub of the candlestick and a car, such as might be used for a fly- ing machine, appeared. “Wait a minute,” said Si, “until I get a cannon, for we might see pirates on the way.” The roc now seized the car, into which Si and his parents had stepped, and flew away with it, Si having given the signal to stwrt, and having driven away the Smith boy. who was trying to steal a ride. One of the largest of the cannens from the Presidio was poking out- of the side of the car to scare pi- rates off. Si was triumphantly waving a major-general’s sword in the direc- tion of Bagdad, with his back turned to Telegraph Hill. Si and his parents are now living in an enchanted palace in Bagdad, as a reward for trusting in the stories in the “Arabian Nights.” Si and his father can wear major- generals’ uniforms every day, and Si’'s mother sometimes appears on swell oc- casions wearing a sword. D. H. W. YOUNG WRITERSIN LINE Several stories intended for the competition between the boy and girl writers of the Pacific Coast have beenreceived during the past week. Some send excellent suggestions, and sugges- tions have been numerous. It is evi- dent that the rivalry will be sharp. The work produced by the writers ought to be correspondingly good. Story-tellers have written the ma- jority of the commuuications concern- ing the competition, to date. The pref- erence for stories is so marked that it may be considered as settled that the boys’ page and the girls’ page will be filled with stories. A few poems are in. It is possibly still too early to- finally- fix the date for the close of the compe- tition. Perhaps by the end of one month from this date the boys andgirls will have their work #1 done. Is one month sufficient time? The Judges of our courts must be popular among the children. Fully half of our correspondents think that they would like to have Superior Court Judges decide whether the boys or the girls are the winners.. Some writers mention the names of the Judges pre- ferred by them. Others desire that educators shall decide, but the race be- tween journalists and wearers of the judicial ermine for the favor of our young people is about even. To each one who intends to write stories or essays the warning must again be given—do not make your pro- ductions over 600 words long. Write only upon one side of the paper. Sign your name plainly, and - give your. postoffice address. Send only original matter. Whether your stories shall be pure fiction or based upon fact must be decided by you. All boy and girl writers will have in mind that the page that excites the most interest will win, other things being about equal. In- terest will be the real test. The first story received in competi- tion for a place upon the boys’ page was written by Frank Harrold, 3481 Nineteenth street, San Francisco. He is entitled to praise for promptness, be fair It would not to. enter upon many particulars, but. it is due to the young author to say that he has selected a live topic and has treated it vivaciously and in an in- teresting manner. The first girl to compete is Myra Haines, who has neg- le¢ted to furnish her postoffice address. Promptness in sending in suggestions and stories for the page will be appre- clated, for there -will be much ‘labor connected with the reading and judg- ing of the mail sacks full of matter submitted. But every child is request- ed to write to fhe end that the hoys’ page and the giris’ page may both be representative. —_— The newest bicycle is made entirely of glass, even the Ball-bearings being" of this material, which is exceedingly