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Cliilclrert, Dear: - If I asked how inatiy of you love flowers I
am sure the chorus of "I do's" would completely drown me out. We all
love dainty hlossmns, but I am sure that they seem more beautiful during
the snowy daw of winter than in the summer. Probably many of you
have pots of bright posies standing in ,the windows of your homes; and
then, too, I am sure many of you have watched the dry, brown bulbs un
fold and a beautiful flower lifts its head to greet the sunshine. Totday I
have the story of a French flower for you. Perhaps you will all want to
try this plan "and have a really, truly garden long before the snows have
melted. Lovingly, ' MARGARET.
Marie Gold
By Ellen Eddy Shaw.
I wonder how many boys and girls would like to support and care
for a little French orphan this winter. I know one whose name is Marie
Gold. Some people call her Marigold. Yott can buy her for about 5
cents. She comes in a little paper package and when you look at the
seeds inside you will wonder how a nice little French baby is going to
eomt out of that. But if yon plant those seeds, six of them, in a little
three-inch pot, you will have anywhere from four to six French babies
poking up out of the soil.
Fill your flower pot to within an inch of the top with nice garden
soil. If Vou have none saved up you can buy a little from the florist;
then lay four or six seeds carefully on top, cover them with one-quartcr-inch
of toil and press this soil down carefully with your fingers. After
a week or 10 dayi you will see pushing up and out the first of your six
orphans. .
Little Marie Gold will grow to be about five inches tall, and then she
will have a bright, golden flower head. She is a little dwarf and never
grows any taller. Out in the garden in the summer grows her American
cousin, quite tall; but little French Marie Gold never reaches, even-outdoors,
more than eight inches in height. It will take about six weeks
from the time you plant the seeds to the time when she blossoms. I
know of no little flower child so hearty, so cheerful and so easy to raise
as she.
All the boys and girls who can get a box or a little pot of some soil
may have French marigolds blooming indoors in the winter. They are
no trouble to care for, because all they need is little sunlight and an
occasional drink of water. Wait until the soil around them gets very
dry and then give them plenty of water to drink. Flower children are
like real children: they need' kind treatment and good care. So look out
for little French Marie Gold and she will blossom and smile away at you.
To Mothers: I know of no little plant so easy to raise and so satis
factory in results as the French marigold. Do not make the mistake of
buying the seeds of the common American marigold, for it not do as
well as Its little French sister. Neither is it as dainty, nor as attractive
to children.
A Musical Glass
Tak a piece of stiff writing paper
arid tut out a cross with arms of
equal length that will lie on top of
a thin Cut-glass goblet. Turn down
the four ends of the cross so It will
not slip off the top of the glass. Now
having fitted the paper, remove ft
while you fill the glass with water
nearly full, it should be. Wipe the
rim carefully ao no moisture ran
touch the paper, then replace the
fitted cross,
Run your dampened fingers over
any part ot the exterior of the glass
and it will give forth a vibrating I
Santa Claus in Toyland
CHAPTER X.
Home Again.
The Gnomes, now fully convinced
that they had been very, very
naughty, went on their way toward
Toyland with lagging steps and
heavy heart. They didn't know for
sura that Santa had been able to
tak his trip and as they drew near
the castle they became more and
more afraid to face him. It was final
ly decided that the? would all wait
oft the outside While one of them
should loeak In and see if the rein
deer were still in the stable. If the
raindeera were not there it would
mean that Santa had left, and they
would have time to carry out some
plan for getting back into his good
grates. Taffytoe was chosen, and he
soon returned to say that the way
was clear.
Once in the castle, they immedi
ately set to work, and Such a busy
lot they were. The old place had
never known such a cleaning as it
now received.' While aeveral of
them went back with a sleigh to
fetch Dinah, the rest were working
in the kitchen, polishing pans and
kettles or gathering up the sugar
plums they had strewn around. In
iact, they swept, scrubbed, dusted
and polished everything in all Toy
land. Even the shops were not for
gotten, and thy were put in readi
ness to repair and exchange the tovs
that always came back after Chris't
mas to be fixed up.
When at last everything was as
bright and shiny as a new dollar,
they went out into the Christmas
tree forest and cut down ihe biggest
tree they could find and brought it
back. It was set up in the dining
room near Santa's chair and trim
med with all the most beautiful
ornaments to be found, until it shone
and Sparkled like millions of bright
ly colored stars.
By this time Dinah had returned,
and being told of their su prise for
Santa, she at once entered heartily
into their plans, and with the
Gnomes to help her, she soon had
a most wonderful dinner cooking on
the stove. Taffytoe too was busvfor
Christmas wouldn't .be complete
without sugar plums, and he was
putting his whole heart into making
his very best
It was now ptdtty nearly time
for Santa to return and they hur
ried to their rooms to put on their
best clothes while Dinah added the
finishing touches to dinner and ta
ble, v
The Gnomes had hardly seated
themselves at the table to await
Santa, before there was a clatter of
hoofs and a jingling of sleighbclls
sound similar to a note or chord in
music." But you can enjoy another
experiment with it. If you rub the
glass with your moist finger directly
under one of the cross-arms the
paper will not move, then rub th
glass between two of the arms and
the cross will begin to turn slowly
as if on a pivot. It will revolve un
til the arm reaches a spot over the
place on the glass where you are
rubbing, then it will stop. If you
keep'moving your finger round the
glass the cross -will revolve and fol
low the attraction you create in rub
bing the glas
outside the door, and in bounded
Santa, whistling a merry tune.
"Merry Christmas! Merry Christ
mas!" shouted the Gnomes.
Santa stopped short in amaze
ment, too surprised for words. In
stead of coming into -a deserted
house as he had expected, here were
the Gnomes, back in their same old
places, a wonderful Christmas tree
decorated in his honor, and if he
could trust his sense of smell, a
sure enough Christmas dinner alt
ready for him to start in on. This
was indeed a welcome to make any
one even less forgiving than Santa,
forget the worry and trouble that
was now a thing of the past.
"Merry Christmas yourselves, you
rogues," greeted Santa, a happy
smile on his face. "This is a nice way
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Doea Ted Sherdman like base ball? Indeed he does, for he would like to play from early until late,
but School interferes. Ted loves his school too, for. while he is but 9 years of age, he will soon be In the
fifth grade and he attends the beautiful new Park school. TJais bright little chap plays the piano, but
music doesn't make liim as happy as when out on the diamond.
to surprise an old man badly in need
of rest."
It was a treat to the Gnomes. to
see how like his old self Santa was
again. He was fairly bubbling over
with good humor and insisted on
shaking hands with each one before
he sat down.
"But wait!" he cried, pretending
he had -forgotten something. "Our
Christmas party isn't complete 1"
And he left the room mysteriously
The Gnomes couldn't imagine
who else there was to eat dinner
with them and wailed impatiently,
soon they heard him comin. talking
merrily to someone, and when he
appeared, whom should he have with
him, in his arms, but Mrs. Santa.
Not Mrs. Santa of the sugar plums,
but just at they had known her and
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Busy Bee "Ty Cobb
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loved her befur her illness. She was
very weak, it is true, but otherwise
she was her old self: and she smiled
sweetly and wished them all a merry
Christinas.
The Gnomes jumped Joyfully to
their feet and cheered and cheered
until the rafters fairly shook. Will
ing hands quickly brought an easy
chair and placfd it beside Santa's.
Mrs. Santa was then carefully placed
in it and pillows banked all around
her to make her comfortable.
As Santa started to sit down, he
noticed for the first time, a large
box near him with a card on it
whioh read: "FOR SANTA, FROM
THE! GNOMES." Without waiting
to ask any questions he jumped up
and removed the lid and asie did
SO out popped TaffySoe. Santa Was
so startled that he dropped the lid
and almost fell back in a heap,
which caused the Gnomes to roar
with laughter
For a moment, Taffytoe stood
there, still in the box, an expression
on his face which showed plainly he
wasn't quite sure how Santa was go
inging to receive him as a gift. But
tie didn't have long to wait to find
out. for Santa, with a loud "Ho-hol
What a find!" grabbed Taffytoe by
the waist and lifted him out of the
box and seated him In the chair op
posite Mrs. Santa, telling the
Gnomes that they couldn't have
given him anything he would have
rather had. Taffytoe was so puffed
up at this that he strutted around
for days after.
At this moment, Dinah appeared
at the door and announced that if
they didn't want a burnt dinner it
had better be served at once. The
Gnomes had been casting glances
toward the kitchen for some time,
their morning's work having given
them mighty keen app-tites, and
Santa, seeing their longing glances,
told her to bring on the dinner at
once.
And such a dinner at it was!
Everything the heart could desire,
commencing with turkey and run
ning right straight through to the
plum pudding. Long before all the
good thing were served, belts were
let out notch after notch. At last, as
even the best of things must end, the
dinner was over and they sat around
the table and smoked and talked as
of old, feeling a little uncomfortable
it is true, with So many good things
under their belts, but every face was
fairly shining with contentment and
good cheer.
Santa ,vas now called upon to tell
them about finding the cure for Mrs.
Santa, so settling back in his chair,
he began:
3
-By-Chester
H. Lawrence
"Well, to start with, we have Din
ah to thank for it," and he smiled
toward the kitchen door where he
saw her peeking through. "She was
telling me one day, shortly after
she came to live with us, about an
old darky herb doctor who had made
some wonderful cures down in her
old home town in Georgia. 'Yes, sar,'
she said, 'Massa Santa, he sure am
able to Cure 'bout anyt'ng, from chil
blains to ammonia,' (she meatit
pneumonia) 'an' Ah never heard tell
of nothin' what he couldn't "cure.
Ah really believes he mus' get the
spirits to help him, for dere sure am
some mighty queer goin's on round
that ol' hut o' his On dark night.
"Well, sirs, I made tip my mind
that if that old doctor, his name, by
the way, was Uncle Mose, was still
alive, I'd find him or not come back
until 1 did. As 1 passed through
Georgia ort my rounds, I kept my
eyes open for him but met with no
luck, so I hurried through with my
"v7ork and weht back. I searched and
searched, high and low, and had
about decided that there was no such
person, when I happened to spy a
little hut covered with vines, on the
edge of a dismal swamp. Quickly
driving up to the door 1 jumped out
of the sleigh and knocked. An old.
bent negro, with huge glasses on hi
nose, opened the door and at once
I knew he must be Uncle Mose. I
told him who I was but he just
laughed at me and said, 'Huh, I don'
believe in no Sandy Clans. Why, de
las' Ah heard o' him Ah was jus, a
wee chile.'
"I had to show him the reindeers
before he would believe me and
when he was sure that I was really
very much alive, and Santa Clans
himself, he was too tickled for
words. I then told him what 1 had
come for and how I had tried every
kind of medicine I had ever heard
of. 'Huh,' he grunted in disgust, as
if nothing wa too hard for hint,
'yo' ain't never pulled her sweet
tooth, now, have yo'? Yo' jus go
home an' do dat an' she'll be all
right in no time. She don' need no
medicine.'
"The minute he told me. 1 knew
that was just the thing to do. and
1 felt so thankful to him that 1
wanted to fill his hous with pres
ents, but he refused them all and
said, 'Yo jus' give me some o' them
there sugah plums an' we'll call it
square. Ah got a sweet tooth mah
self Ah would like to pamper." So
giving him all I had left and prom
ising to call on him again, I rode
back here in record time." -
"Now would yotl believe it? When
Stories by Our Little Folks
(Prize.)
A Token of Kindness.
By Zoe Tull. ASP 14, Columbus, Nub.
Dear Busy Bees: This is my first
tetter to you. I wish to tell you a
story. There lives, close to a hos
pital, a little girl and her mother
who raises the largest, loveliest
sweet peas. The little girl's name is
Ruth. One day she was cutting
sweetpeas with her little scissors to
take to the sick people in the hos
pital who had no flowers. She had
gathered a large bouquet and start
ed to take them in the house, she
slipped and fell and the scissors
stuck fast in her eyelid. She
screamed and her mother came
running out to her. For a while the
neighbors thought ' Ruth would he
blind in spite f all they could do.
But she is well today and is proud
of the scar she has because she got
it through being kind to the sick.
This is a true Story and I hope Mr.
Wastebasket is out.
(Honorable Mention.)
My Fright.
By Haae! Olbfton, Aned 19, Columbus, .
Dear Editor: This is the first let
ter I have written ton you. I ant 10
years old and in the sixth grade,
I have been reading the letters
and stories in the children's page
and I am going to write a story.
One day my sister was going to
go away and I was going to take
her to the train. It was about 6
o'clock in the morning. When I
was coming from the depot there
were three men standing on the cor
ner. They asked me where I was
going. I said I was going home.
When thev asked me that 1 was so
frightened I ran all the rest of the
Way home.
A Wise Cat.
B5- IWse Agot 11, Ohtnwa, Nub.
Dear Busy Bees: Harris, my dear
old cat, she Was 12 years old, and
she was a very good cat. She would
sit by gopher holes and watch for
them to come out and when they
came out she caught them and gave
them to her kittens. One day my
brother Ed sel a trap in a straw pile
and she got her foot caught in it
and it cut it off and she would
catch them anyway. Sometimes she
Would catch a rabbit and she would
give it to her kittnes. When they
would quit eating she would put it
away until she was hungry again.
Every morning and night when we
would milk She would sit by the
door and wait for her meal. When
we gave tier milk and bread she
would walk about our feet and purr.
In winter we Would give her some
Straw and she would make her a
nest and her kittens would lie about
tier. She was 13 years old and died.
Now we got two more cats from
my Uncle Henry. My dear Busy
Bees, goodby.
First Letter.
By Mur!l Vlckera. And Tean, Alvo.
Ntb.
This is my first letter to you. I
am in the fourth grade. My teach
er's name is Miss Dickerson. We
haven't had any school for seven
week's on account of the flu. 1 have
$5 worth of thrift stamps. One day
I went to one of the neighbors and
tney gave me a kitty and now it's a
big cat and its name is Wayne.
Our Picture Puzzle
, 77
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8
H' I
HjrS5 47 . If
Eighty-si will bring a '
Complete the picture by drawing a line through the dots beginning
at Figure 1 and taking thenl numerically.
I came to pull that tooth, it had
grow n so big that I couldn't see any.
thing else in Mrs. Santa's mouth,
and I had to pull and pull, before I
could budge it. Rut finally out it
came and here we have her with us
again to make us all happy and
thankful," and as Santa finished he
bent over and kissed Mrs. Santa.
"Now," he cried, "let us hear of
RULES FOR YOUNG
. WRITERS.
1. Write plainly and number
pages.
2. Use pen and ink, not pencil.
3. Short and' pointed articles
will be given preference. Do not
use over 250 words.
4. Original stories or letters
only will be used.
5. Write your name, age and
address at the top of the first
page.
6. A prize book will be given
each week for the best contribu
tion. Address all communications to
Children's Department, Omaha
Bee, Omaha, Neb.
I'apa has two sheep; Hilly is the
name of one and lie is tame. I
have two sisters, and their nanus
are Meryl and Bernice. Meryl is
7 and Bernice is S.
My Gold Fish.
Jlniel Siott.' Ai?rtl 12 Yvari, Wolbi-h,
By
Sub.
Dear' Busy Bees: May I join
your happy hive? 1 am 12 years
old and in the sixth grade. Once
when mamma was away on a visit
slit brought me home, some little
goldfish, d had them for some. time,
then one of them died and they
kept on dying until there was but
one left. We arc going to get an
other to go with it.
Goodby, Busy Bees.
Another Member.
By Sylvia llioniiifon, Aged I Years, Har
lan, la.
Dear Busy Bees: This is my first
letter. I am in the fourth grade
and fifth , grade. I've got five
brothers and two" sisters. Our school
is closed on account of the flu. Our
district had a Red Cross social. The
children Spoke pieces and sang
songs. We sold boxes of candy,
gi.in, peanuts, cl 'ckens, cake, flow
ers and many other thiagi. V.'e
made 135.
x A Pet Cat.
By Helen Covpr, Aped .Tfaft, tforih
P!Ub. Nt-b.
Dear Busy Bees: I will be 7 years
old the , 2Jd of January. I am in
the second grade at school amd sure
ly like my teacher. I have a little
pet cat and three dolls. Their names
are Yvonne, Baby and Buster.
A New Member.
By Dlxl JlcOolli m. Airl 11 Yeara, Gra
ham, Neb.
Dear Editor: 1 would like to
knew if I could join the children's
t.cl.lve? We take the paper a '
if 1 can, please send me all the
rales.
Owns a Liberty Bond.
By Katherine Ellla, Aprd U Year Wep.
lng Wkut. Sab.
Dear Busy Bees: I have a
Liberty bond and two war savings
stamps. I once belonged to a club
named Busy Bee and for the badge
we had a bee. on each wing was
printed the letter, B. B. I am going
to try to write a story lometime. 1
have five cousins in the war. I have
a kitten named Snookums and he
can do some tricks. I would like
to have some of the Busy Bees
write to me. I will close, as my
letter is getting long.
75
74
'73
To
72
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6o
63
4
84-
5b
2
50 :
84
"49 52
. ffl
'Ik
the adventures of Taffytoe. and his--- K
safe return." ' A
But we have heard all about the -S
trials and triumph of Taffytoe, so f
we will leave them, sitting there jj
around the table, all their cares and
troubles forgotten, and once more h ,
a big, happy, loving family, over- JjJ
Hotting with good will and Christ-
mas cheer. THE END.
V
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