i
7T3
THE ADVERTISER.
o. w. rAiKiimrriiKH .v. :o
fuUithm n4 VmprMf.
THE OLD Ull OWN SCHOOL-HOUSE.
In memory's hull hangs tho picture.
And years or mid euro are between;
It lialigs with a beautiful gliding,
Ami well ilo Novo It, I wcon
It stood on a bleak eoutilry enruer,
Ilia boyhood's young heart tnii'lo It warm;
It glowed In tho sunshine of summer;
"l'wiis cheerful In wlutornnd Hionn.
O. Kay were thn sports of tho noontide,
When winter wlmlH Irollrkcd with snow
Wo iaugncd at tln freaks or thu Morm-kliig
Ami Nlioutod him on. all aglow.
We duelled at his beautiful sculpture,
Hogiirdless or all Its array:
Wo plunged In tho feathery snow-drifts
Ami sported tho winter away.
Wo xiit on th(iold-fashloiiod benches,
Ilegullod with our pencil and slate;
Wo thought of thn opening future,
And dreamed or our manhood's nstnto.
O, days or my boyhood, I blca-yu.
whilo looking riom llro'n busy prime;
Thn t renin re aro lingering with mu
I gathered In life's rally time.
O, stilt to that bleak country comer
Turns my heart, In weariness yet,
Whoro, leading my gentle young sisters,
With yiiutlifiil companions I mot.
I caxt a rood gluuun o'ur thu meadow;
Tho hills titHt liuhiml It I rco;
Away In the charm ot tho distance,
Old school-house! a blessing on theul
Itrv. Dwiuht I rll hum.
THE IIOODLK (3 AMI.
Itrvlvul of tin Old Nwlntllt- In i Srw Oiirli
Ko-4'ullcil Iloni-at (li-orliluii'li Vlilltnlr.cil
liy Nliitrper, Wliu Ait Oitrndliln Ilnilrro
In I'ouiiU-i-l'clt Mont-y.
For hoiiio Utiio past ti number of on
torprising Bhnrpors in Now, York, havo
l)oon working modification of wlwit is
known us tlio "boodle ruokot," und
with groat success among greenhorns in
Illinois. MisHourl, Iown und thu West
generally. Tlio old game luul become
ho thoroughly exposed timt it wns
thought tins swindlers hud given tip tlio
game. It appotirn now, howovor, froin
investigations made by tho Socrot-Sorv-ico
ollicors, that tho greenhorns uro bo'
ing Hoooed liberally. Tho only now do
vioo is tlio ruthor bold plun of insisting
on mooting tho oitHtomor faco to faoo in
Now York. Tho swindio is now opor
ntod only for largo amounts. Tho vio
tim is lirst solcotod by a responsible
agent, who posts him on tlio addross of
Ills confederate in Now York. Whon
tlio greenhorn writes a lottor of inquiry
lto rocolvos a reply in tho form of tho
following, which was roeoivod by a
would-bo "shover of tho queer" u short
timo ago:
"Nkw Vokk Citv.
"MvDkak Sm Yours roooivod. I
havo tho goods you want. Tlioy aro far
bettor than any of its kind ovor before
circulated, ami in workmanship and
nnpearanco entirely oqual to tho real.
'lliuBo ViUh iu-h prlnlml trmn Hkoloton.
plates, a now invention, Hy means of
those plates exact duplicates of tho orig
inals aro obtained. There is no danger
in handling these bills, if in prudent
hands. Therefore, I am very careful
with whom I deal. My dosire is to
havo theso bills exchanged far away
from whoro tlioy aro made. 1 ofl'or
them to those only who aro recom
mended to mo by my customers. I can
soil all L make, in this city, but monoy
oxohaugod hero goes too often into
banks, and through thn hands of ex
ports. In this way a hundred-dollar
noto was detected. Theso bills I oiler
aro ones, twos, lives, tons and twenties,
regular greenbacks. Tlioy havo never
boon detected yet, although a groat
many aro in circulation. It you are
willing to go into tlio exchange business,
I shall be ploasod to moot you at any
time you can como on hero, as I only
deal face to face with all my customers.
In fact it 18 absolutely necessary for
mo to bo acquainted personally with
uvory ono I deal. It establishes tho
rouuirod coulidenoo between us. I
sell my goods at wholesale only, and
want but one man in a county to
whom 1 soil. Most all my customers
take tho agency for ono county, which
1 givo them if tlioy buy $5,000 in my
goods, price i?!J00. If tlioy buv$ 10,000.
price 500, tlioy can select, their coun
ties to operate 'in providing they are
not taken. If a person takes the
agency for a county no ono else in that
county can have my goods. Tho lowest
amount L sell under any circumstances
is $1,000, prico $100 cash; of courso, it
would hardly pay any ono to como a
long distance for such a small amount.
For traveling expenses I allow $.100 in
my goods on $5,000, $1,000 on $10,000,
una .?iuu on i,uuu. for tnstauco, you
pay .rouu you got .?;,ouu lor it- m my
goods. If you chose to deal lot mo
know at onco, ami 1 will write to no
ono olso in your county. Besides I
will send you tho noees'snry instruc
tions you need. Without them you
cannot (1ml mo, and also tho name of
a good hotel if you wish it. Do not
call at my address, as I only got my
mail there through a friend who knows
nothing about my business. Don't
send any postal cards, and destroy all
my lottors, as I do yours.
"Now, my dear Bir, don't let mo
porsimdo you to go into this without
you aro satisfied in your own mind that
you can handlo my goods, but if you
deal you will lind them as roprosontod
by mo.
"C.UT.UN At.l'.X. FlSIIKlt,
"fiW West strout, .Now York.
Greenhorns who have been duped by
an oiler to send tho '"goods" by ex
press, readily bito at this apparently
straightforward proposition of a dealer,
who only soils to his customers face to
faco.
In tho caso roferrod to tho victim bit
at tho bait, and was still further im
pressed by tlio recolpt of tlio following
elaborate instructions.
"Write to mo at least three- days bo
foro you leave homo, and say whon you
will ho hero, mention name of hotel you
will stop at, also send a telegraph 'dis
7T
--
patch tho day you tnko tho train, or
whilo you aro on your way; just say in
it, 'I am coming.1- Name tho hotol
where to meet you, and sign your namo
to it do not fall in sending tho dis
patch, as your lottor may bo delayed
and I would not know you aro coming.
On your arrival in this city, go at onco
to your hotol, rogistcr your namo on
tlio hotol book, take a room, and go
right to it; tell tho clerk if a gentleman
should ask for you, to send him to your
room, also ask if there is a letter for
you. If vougo out, toll the clerk when
you will ho back, so I may know whon
to call again. When I call on you at
tlio hotel (in your room only). I will
hIiow you your own letters, and besides
I now give you a number as password,
which is .'18. When I seovoul will toll you
what your number is "before wo men
tion tho nature of our business, then
you will know I am tho person you want
to 800.
' Now lot mo caution you against a lot
of swindlers who lay around tho railroad
depots and ferry-houses of this city,
simply to lead slrangora away for tho
purpose of robbing thoni; they aro
generally under tho disguise of liotel
rttuiiers. Recollect, donU go with them,
no matter what they say; they may toll
you that the' expect to moot a man
thoro whom tlioy don't know personal
ly, on confidential business, or tlioy
may ask what hotol you want to go to,
and if you loll them, tlioy will try ami
persuade you to go to some other, or
they may even tell you that tho party
you havo como to 'sco has sent them
thoro to meet you. and to take you to
some other hotel besides tho ono you
aro going to. Of course, ifyou go with
thorn they will take you to some plnco
and try ami got your monoy. So look
out. have nothing to do wilii any one,
and recollect this: That any person whom
you moot at tho depot, ferry-boat, or in
tho streots in this city, that professes ho
knows our business, or says ho was sent
to moot you, is tlio very person you
don't want to havo any thing to do with,
as I will send no ono io meet you at
the depot, on tho boat, or in tho streets,
but only in your room at tlio hotol. ami
you will know mo then when I mention
tho number to you, boforo I mention
the nature of our business. Recollect,
say nothing whatever until tlio
number is mentioned to you first. Follow
these instruction sharp, and you will
never bo disappointed. My ollico hours
nro from nine a. m. until throe p. m.
daily except Sundays. Should you
arrivo at tho hotel after four p. m. you
will have to wait until tho next morn
ing." Tho recipient of these communica
tions went to New York, whoro, after
some formalities, ho mot tho swindle
Ho was taken to a furnished room,
whoro he was shown $2,000 in bills. On
examination tlio dupe could percoivo no
lnUutaiot4 t lUutr bulng countorlelt,
and It was not to bo wondered at, for
they were all genuine. Ho hastily
planted down $200, and the monoy was
placed in a cigar-box boforo his oyes. A
boy was sent out for a sacliol in which
the box was placud. In company with
tho dealer ho wont to tho express oflico,
whore ho siw tho valise shipped to his
home. Whuu ho himself had nearly
arrived at tho placo ho jo v fully tclo
graphed to his partner that ho "had
got thorn,1 ' and whon tho train arrived
at tho depot the two wont into a seclud
ed spot where tlio valiso was unlocked
and the precious cigar-box opened. Of
courso It was tho old game. For $200
and tho oxpousos of tho trip tlio groen
horn had secured a small package of
cloan sawdust. Exactly how tho trans
fer was made ho could not toll, but he
nono tho less duly informed tho Secret
Sorvico agents that ho had boon swin
dled. But little sympathy can bo
shown to such viotims who were swin
dled in an attempt to swindle; and in
addition to this tho only way of punish
ing thoso frauds is a nrosocution for a
violation of tlio postal laws.
This faco-to-faco modification of tho
"boodlo game" has boon; played very
oxtonsivoly of late, and tho sharpers
havo reaped an abundant harvest with
in tho past six months. Thero are sev
eral modifications in tlio circulars, but
all aro clovorly wordod. Ono man ad
vertises that he wouldn't for tho world
sell any counterfeit monoy. Ho has,
however, some samples of the "Green
back" and " Canadian" cigars which
ho will dispose of face to faco for a con
sideration. Another advortiscs cigars
outright, but tacks on a clipping from
a newspaper in which an account is
given of tho capture of counterfeit
notes on tho person of a cigar dealer.
Thoro seems to bo a nest of theso
swindlers who havo rovived tlio old
gamo with a cunning and address
which has succeeded in swindling sev
eral old heads who had already been
taken in. Tho chief workor seems to
bo this Captain Fisher, whoso favorite
fields are tho Astor House and the
Vandorbilt Hotol in Now York. In
spito of repeated exposures ho has been
doing a thriving business, and com
plaints of his operations are of almost
daily occurence. Whilo tho crop of
greenhorns holds out in tlio country dis
tricts, ho ami his brethren will live on
tlio fat of tho land. Chicago Tribune.
Mr. Spoflbrd, tho Librarian of Con
gross, is a man of noto in Washington.
Ills ago is about lifty-live, and ho is
very modest and retiring. Ilo is never
tired talking about tlio library, which
has grown during his incumbency from
25,000 volumes to noarly 100,000. Ho
thinks of nothing but books from morn
ing till night, and thoro is not a volume
in this vast collodion with whoso con
tents ho is not measurably familiar.
Ho knows whoro to turn for any book
that may bo wanted, and ho fairly do
lights in unearthing forgotten facts and
startling statistics from old volumes
that nobody else knows anything
about.
Jiinmj'g P.g.
I don't say that 1 didn't do wrong,
but what I do say is that I meant to do
right. Hut that don't mako any differ
ence. It never does. I try (io do my
very best and then somothi-ug happens,
and 1 am blamed for it When I think
what a disappointing world this is, full
of bamboo canes and all sorts of switch
es. I fool ready todeavo it.
It was Sue's fault in tho beginning;
that is, if it hadn't been for her it
wouldn't havo happened. Ono Sunday
sho and I wore sitting in the front par
lor, and bIio was looking out of tlio
window and watching for Mr. Travers;
only sho said she wasn't, and that sho
was just looking to sco if it was going
too rain, and solemnizing her thoughts.
1 had just asked her how old sho was,
and couldn't Mr. Travers havo been
her father if ho had married mother,
when she said, " Dear me, how tire
some that boy is: do take a book and
road, for gracious sako!" 1 said,
"What book?" So sho gets up and
gives mo tho Observer, and says,
"Thoro's a beautiful story about a good
boy and a pig; do read it and koon still
if you know how, and I hope it will do
you some good."
Well, I road tho story. It told all
about a good boy, whoso namo was
James, and his father was poor, and so
ho kept a pig that cost him twonty-fivo
cents, and when it grow up ho sold it
for thirty dollars, and ho brought tho
monoy to his father and said: "Hero,
father; take this. Oh, how happy I
am to help you when 3 oil1 re old and not
good for much!" And his father burs
into tears, but I don't know what for
I wouldn't burst into tears much if 11113
body gave mo thirty dollars and said,
" Hlcss 3011, my noble boy; you ami
your sweet pip have savod 1110 from a
watery garvo," or something like that.
It was a real good stoiy, and it made
mo feel like being likewise. So I re
solved that I would got a little now pig
for twent3-fivo cents, anil keep it till it
grow up, and then surprise father with
twenty-nino dollars, and keep one for
myself as a reward lor 1113' good conduct.
Onl3 I made up my mind not to lot any
body know about it till after tho pig
should bo grown up, and then how tho
family would bo delighted with my
"thoughtful and gonernus act!" for
that's what tho papersaid James' act was.
Tlio noxt da3' I wont to Farmer Smith,
and got him to give mo a little pig for
nothing, only I agreed to help him
weed his garden all Mimmor. It was a
beautiful pig, about as big as our baby,
only it was a deal prettier, and its tail
was elegant. I wrapped it up in an old
shawl, and watched my chance and got
it up into my room, which is on tho
third stoiy. Tlion I took my trunk and
emptied it, and bored somo holes in it
for air, and nut tho pig in it.
t luid tjio host fun that over was, all
that dayunvH-hd noMt diiy, uuclng euro
of that d'oar little pig. 1 gave him ono
of my coats for a bed, and fed him on
milk, and took him out of tlio trunk
over3' littlo whilo foroxorcise. Nobod'
goes into my room very often, oxcop't
tho girl to make tho bed, and whon she
canio 1 shut up the trunk, and sho
never suspected anything. I got a
whole coal-scuttloful of tho very best
mud, and put it in tho cornor of the
room for him to play in, and whon I
heard Bridget coming I meant to throw
the bod-quilt ovor it, so sho wouldn't
suspect anything.
After I had him two days' I hoard
mother say, "Seems to mo'I hear very
quoor noises ovor' now and then up
stairs." 1 knew what tlio matter was,
but T never said anything, and I felt so
happy when 1 thought what a? good boy
I was to raiso a pig for my dear father.
Hridgot wont up to my room about
oiglit o clock ono evening, just boforo I
was going to bed, to take up my cleau
clothes. Wo wore all sittiiiir in tlio din
ing-room, whon we hoard her holier as
if sho was boing murdered. Wo all ran
out to see what was tho matter, ami
wore half way up the stairs, when tho
pig came down, and upset the whole
family, and piled them up on tho top of
himself at tho foot of tlio stairs, and bo
foro wo got up Hridgot canio down and
foil overus, and said she had justoponod
tho young maslher's thrunk and out
jumps the ould Satan himself and she
must see tho priest or sho would bo a
dead woman.
You wouldn't believe that, though I
told tlioin that I was raising tlio pig to
sell it and givo the monoy to father;
tlioy all said that tlioy had never hoard
of such an abandoned and peremptory
boy, and father said, "Como up-stairs
with 1110 and I'll see if I can't toacli you
that this liouso isn't a pig-pen.' I
don't know what became of tho pig, for
ho broke tlio parlor window and ran
away, and nobody ovor heard of him
again.
I'd like to see that boy James. 1
don't care how big ho is. I'd show him
that ho can't go 011 setting good exam
ples to innocent boys without sulloriiig
as lie deserves to sutler. "Jimmy
Brown,'1'' in Harper's Young People.
On a postcard on viow at an ex
hibition in Germany thero had been
written in a German system of short
hand tho largo number of .'18,000 words.
Subsequently Mr. Hurst, of Sholllold in
England, tho publisher of tlio i'iojo
graph, a shorthand magazine, oflbrctl
prizes for mmiaturo shorthand. Tho
s3stoni was to bo I'itinau's, tho writing
to bo legible to tho naked oye, and to
bo on 0110 sido of an English postcard,
which is considoradly smaller than a
Gorman card; 25,000 words on tho
former boing reckoned equivalent to
88,000 on tlio latter. Tho first prize in
this competition was awardod to G. II.
Davidson, whoso postcard contained
8::11!.; words, including the whole ot
GohUiniih's "Shu Stoops to Conquer,"
an essay on John Morloy, and half of
llulcroii's "Road to Rum."
Our Young, Readers.
TOO MUCH OF A OdOD TllfNO.
Fiild Sweet-tooth: "If I were, a grnnrtoo
I'd own a confectioner's fdiop;
And (), with the miKiir no handy
A house full from bottom to top
I'd Htny thoyear round cntliur candy,
And never would stop."
Master Sweet-tooth had goodies in plenty;
With ilnlntlus his pockets ran o'er:
And never n holiday spent ho
Hut suunr-plums cnine from tho storo
Ho would stuff down a docn or twenty,
And whimper tor more.
Thern were lozenges, crumpets and kisses,
Sweet-paste, In tho lump and tho card,
Jaw-breakers, anil clove-buds, und mosses
Of butter-scotch greasy us lard,
And sticks or long saccharine bllssos
Devoured by tho yard:
Thero were coinllts and cukes big and little,
And JuukotM that melt at a bite,
Sort caramels, peppermints brittle,
Hod candy, brown cunily and white:
Ills Btomaeh kept full as a kettle
All day and all night.
Not a morsel, If Sweet-tooth eamo nigh It,
Hut (iiifkly prepared to bo crunched;
It was tld-blt and lolllpot diet
When ho break fasted, slippered, or lunched;
With Jaws that would never bo unlet
Ho munched and ho munched.
O. tho snaps and tho pellets ho swallowedl
The chocolate, barleys and creams!
And the gum-drops and tuiry that followed.
And honey and troaclo In streams!
Ho went to sleep viitlnv und halloed
For more In hla dreamsl
Like nn ant every sugar deposit
lle'il smell, and climb to It, and cram,
Was It bon-bons or cookies, or was It
A tumbler or Jelly or Jam;
Jfo'd Und every ounce In tho closet,
And Icnvo not 11 dram.
'Twas the same thing to-day and to-morrow
o gorging could surfeit his greed;
Must ho buy them, or beg, steal, or borrow,
On sweets tho young gourmand would feed,
Till, alius 1 for the warnings of sorrow
Caino sorrow Indeed!
Thero woro stomach-aches, tooth-aches and
rover,
And torments with doctor-book tei-uH,
Lumbago, and pains In his liven
And snakes, and dyspeptical smtlriiis:
Old folks saw him sicken and shiver,
And suld it was " worms."
And now, palo and peaked and pining,
The poor littlo plum-eater goes.
With eyes, that havo lost all thoir shining,
I.lko his wits, o or hair In 11 doze, .
And a babv-voioo peevish and whining
That talks through his nose.
And he learns, as he scowls o'er his gruel.
Or the medicines brought by his nurse,
IT the want of a good thing bo cruel,
Too much of a good thing is worse,
And the loss of health's beautiful Jewel
Leaves nought but 11 curse.
Itcv. Thenm ltnnim, in Wtdfi-AwaUe.
THE SLIDING DUTCHMAN.
"Sail on tho starboard bow!"
"What is sho?" askod Captain Mar
tin Piotorszoon, looking anxiously in
that direction; for in the Eastern seas,
two hundred years ago, every strango
sail was a terror to' tlio Captain, of a
well-laden Dutch merchantman.
"Can't quite make her outj'ot," an
swered tho look-out ut tho mast-head;
"looks like a brigautino very rakish
cut altogothcr."
Tho Captain's faco darkened, and his
lips tightened. They tightened still
more a few minutes later, whon tho
look-out Imileil nii'm, "SUo'.sau armed
brigantine, bearing right dowa upon
us." ?
Every faco among tho crow seomed
to harden suddenly, but no ono spoke.
Indeed, what need was thero of words?
All ou board understood in a moment
what was boforo thorn. Tlioy were
about to bo attacked by pirates, and
thero was not a single caimou noto von
an old musket aboard tho vessel.
It was a torriblo moment for them all
moro terrible still for tho poor Cap
tain. For years ho had boon toiling
and saving," bearing ovory kind of hard
ship, and facing ovory kind of danger,
until ho made enough monoy to become
part owner of the ship that ho com
manded. Ho had made three success
ful trips in her, and was now going
homo for good, to sottlo himself in a
snug littlo house on tho great canal at
Amsterdam, with ros'-ohcokod Grodol
Voort, his old neighbor's only daughter,
for his wife. And now, all in u mo
ment, he found himself faco to faco with
a hideous pnril, which threatened him
with tho los of all ho had in tho world,
and his life to boot.
Tho crew stood looking moodily at
tho approaching vessel, which came
swooping ove- tho bright blue sea with
its huge white sails outspread like tlit
wings of a swan a perfect picture of
beauty, though it brought death along
with it. Some of tlio bolder spirits
were begining to mutter to each other
that it would bo hotter to set fire to
tlioir own ship, and die like men, than
bo Hung into tlio sea liko dogs, when
tho Captain's gloomy faco suddenly
lighted up as nobody had over seen it
light up yet, and ho burst into such a
loud, hearty laugh that tho doomed
men stood amazed to hear him.
"Cheor up, lads," he cried, still
laughing; "nil's not over with us yet.
Como, knock tlio head out ot that cask
of buttor, and smear tho deck witli it
sharp, now!"
The men only stared blankly at him,
thinking ho had gone mad, and oven
the stolid mate oponed his heavy mo atli
in amazement.
" Do you hear?" shouted tho Captain.
" Look sharp, will you? thoro is no
t'nio to loose! Grease tlio wholo deck
foro and aft, and tho rigging, too, as
high as you can reach. Wo' 11 givo tho
rascals a slippery job of it, anyhow.
Then tho sailors began to undorstand,
and tho shout of laughter that broke
forth would have mightily astonished
tho piratos had they boon within hear
ing. In n twinkling tlio deck was
greased u..il it fairly shono, bulwarks
and all.
"Now, boys," cried tho captain, "on
with your sea boots, and put sand on
tho solos to koop you from slipping-,
and then oaeh of you take a handspike,
and bo ready."
Tlio pirate was now so near that tlioy
could see quite plainly tho rabblo of
gaunt, sinewy .Malays, woolly-headed
negroes, and sallow, black-haired Portu
guese that crowded her docks. A fow
minutes more, and sho ran along-side,
and almost before tho two vessels had
touched, three wild ligures leaped from
the pirate1 s'riciring upon tho merchant- V
nians .deck. ...
Urit it was a very unlucky jump for
all three. Tho lirst man spun aeross
the slippery deck as if it had been a
skating rink, and went right out into
tho sea. on tho other sido. Tho iocond
tumbled head-foremost down the hatch
way into the cook's galley, whoro the
black cook considerately piled a heap
of iron pans on him to keep him quiet.
"Aha, Massa Finite," said ho, grin
ning, "disshipno do 'Flying Dutch
man,1 him de 'Sliding Dutchman!'"
Tho third pirate had leaped on board
as liercely as if ho meant to kill tho
whole crow at one blow; but the only
man ho hurt was himself, for ho hit his
head such a whack against the mast
that ho almost knocked his brains out,
and foil down roaring with pain. All
this so frightened the other piratos that
they thought tho ship must bo bo
witched, and rushing buck to their own
vessel with a howl of disnviy, made off
as fast as possible.
For many years after, ono of the
familiar sights Of Amsterdam was a
tim-tlv old irntitlnman with a iollv red
lace, at sight of whom the boys used to
begin singing,
" Captain Martin rieterszoon
Made his ship a buttered bun,"
and liis wife was never tired of showing
tho lingo silver butter-dish prosontdd to
him in honor of his repulse of tho pirate
with a cask of butter. David Kcr, it
Harper's Young People.
The Foolish Chicken.
I am rather young;, to be sure, but I
expect to outgrow that, and ought not
to be blamed for it.
My mother seems to think I am too
young to know anything. Sho is al
ways telling me what to do, and what
not to do, as if I, seven weeks old, were
not able to take care of myself.
She is a very excellent parson, in
deed, but she is only a hen. Hens, 3011
know, never can crow.
All tho big roosters in tho jard crow.
I suppose it is because they oaf. corn. I
told in' mother I was going to cat corn
so I could crow. Hut sho said L must
keep on eating curds and meal and wa
ter, just liko any hen chicken, and tho
crowing would come all right in time.
1 thought she couldn't be expected to
know anything about crowing, so I
made up my mind Pd try the corn.
I tried it but I didn't crow.
I choked.
I turned over on my back with my
claws in tlio air, and didn't care fo'r
awhile whether I ever crowed or not.
Hut I got over it
Then I thought I'd try roosting with
tho big roosters, and see if that would
help mo. My mother said Pd bettor
not, but of courso she'd say that.
It was very hard work to climb y
beside them. It wasn't so nice there as
I thought it would be. It was cold,
unil I was nn tho timo of,.n id oCAivllinjr.
Hut I shoved up close to the rooster that
has the biggest red comb, and hold ou
as well as i could.
Very early in tlio morning thoy all
ilappod thoir wings and crowed.
Then I Happed u wings but I didn't
crow.
I toppled over.
I thought my neck was broken, but
at last 1 managed to crawl under mv
mother's wing and get warm. 1 begin
to think sho knows something, if sho is
a lion. Sho can't help being ono, and I
never shall bo so mean as to throw it up
to her.
Hut there is 0110 thing I'm bound to
do. I shall not toll her, for she'd bo
suro to mako a fuss. Tlioy always make
a fuss.
I am going to swim. My mother sa.ys
I can't, but of courso that is because she
can't.
Look at thoso waggle-tail, waddling
ducklings, and tlio?o great squatty gos
lings! If tlioy can swim so wol'l with
their flabby feot, why can't 1?
Look at my blender, nicely turned
claws, and my genteel figure. Do vou
sco what a high-bied air I havo when I
turn my head, and how well my wings
are hung? When I walk through tho
3 aril, thoy all turn to 3ook al me, and
my cousin, young Rrown Leghorn,
stiffens up his little snip of a comb, and
says, " 'W hat a vain young popinjay!'1
That's all envy, 3'ou seo; my comb is
an eighth of nh. inch higher than his.
Hut just wait till I hiiow them all
what swimming is. 1 shall walk quiet
ly down to the water (not with 11 scram
ble ami a sputter liko tho ducklings),
and
mo out wun a graceful sweep,
while thoy all stare at me and wish thoy
could do it so.
Well, I havo had a dreadful time.
Whon I got in the water, it was very
cold, but I wasn't going to stop for
that. I began to swim, Out somehow
it didn't work well. My legs didn't
seem to amount to anything, so I tried
my win its. and thov
went Han. linn
splash, splash! and
I wished 1 was
somewhere else.
The ducks cried, "wa wa wa wa
wack, wack, wack," and Mother
Goose said, "Garrr arr," and 1 was
just going down, down, down down
111 the cold water, when Hiddy came by
with a dish of curds. Sho 'fished mo
out with a stick, and Hung mo on the
bank to dry in tlio sunshine.
1 might have been drowned, and then
I novor should have learned to crow.
I suppose I had bettor take my moth
er's advice 3 ot for awhile. She really
knows a great deal (tor a hen).
What a pity sho was not a roostor!
Sydney l)airc, in Youth's Compunion.
Guatemala, tho most populous of
tho Central American States, has put 210
miles of railroad undm cnnti-Mi.t t i,
I uoet tho capital with tho Atlantic port
I of Santo Towas, with which New Or
I loans expects a largo trade.
