Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 December 1892 — LITTLE BOYS AND GIRLS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

LITTLE BOYS AND GIRLS.

this is their department of THE PAPER. Quaint Saying* and Doing* «f Little One* Gathered and Printed Here for Other Uttle Folks to Read. A Children's Surprise Par^y. Little Girl—“Mamma, we must get everything ready for a surprise party. They’re cornin’ to-night.” Mamma—“What makes you think it's coming here?” Little Girl—“ ’Cause every little girl I know has been invited 'cept me.”—Street & Smith's Good Mews. mowing Soap Bubble*. There are many ingenious and pleasing tricks to be played witlrsoai bubbles, of which one is illustrated here. Take a wire ring and hang a large soap bubble from it. This may sound hard, but it is easy to do. Be careful to remove with your finger the drop of water which will hang at the bottom of the bubble and which will weaken it. Put your blowing tube through the bladder gently and blow a small bubble. It will fall to the bottom of the other and stay there without breaking it. You must be careful to blow the smaller bubble lighter than the larger. In order to do this shake out the water from your tube before blowing the smaller bubble. Here are some hints for getting a good mixture front which to blow

bubbles. Dissolve about an ounce of the strongest washing soap in a pint of distilled water, or, in the absence of that, rain water. Cork it well and keep in a cool place. After eight days it will be in good condition for use. Only pour out as much at one time as you need for your experiments. It may thus be made to last a very long time. , John Liked Fun. John was tricky. Those who thought h : m a “beauty,” smart, and obedient, knew that he was mischievous and full of his “jokes.” John certainly did have a love of fun in his “make-up,” which made him a jolly companion for four boys, who in turn did like to “plague the poor old chap,” the family horse. John waS black-coated, strong, and intelligent. His tricks were not vicious ones. He never kicked, balked, nor ran away, bying sober and well conducted when driven or ridden by the senior mc.-über of the family. * He had a soundness for his master, who petted him a great deal. The women could drive him. He brought them home in just the same condition they started out. It was only with the boys of the family that John ventured to “joke.” OThere were four of them, Ernest, >Valter, Henry, and Albert, bright young fellows, who delighted to tickle John's nose with a fragrant-smelling apple, snatching it away when he prepared to enjoy it. John was a pig in his love for mellow, rips apples. The boys thought it fun to tease him a little, and make him anxious to get it before giving it up to him. They really did teach him to play “hide and seek” with them. One of his tricks was to sigh and swell up his body when being saddled if one of the little boys was about to ride him.

Of course the saddle was invariably turned after they had ridden a little distance. Another trick was snatching a cap from their heads and galloping away with it to the farthest corner, whinnying defiance to the capless youngster. , One May afternoon, as I sat beside a window, some boyish voices called: “We are going to ride out to Muddy Fork. John is lazy; don’t have enough to do.” John looked at me, and I plainly saw fun in his eyes. He made a nip at an apple geranium, and then went along as sober as judges are said to be. His expression plainly said to me: ‘•These four boys seated upon my back are hunting for fun. I’ll help find it.” Ernest and Albert whistled gayly. Harry and Walter urged “lazy bones” along “Such a good horse as lie is. It isn’t every one that would carry such a load of restless boys,” was my thought, as John slowly crept along, head down, apparently meditating deeply. In an hour four boys, wet and muddy, walked in at the gate, angry and ready to “have it out with the sly old horse. ”

“What has 1 e done?” I inquired. “Done?” chorused an indignant quartette of boyish voices. “He poked all along, as if he was almost asleep, until we got into the water. All at once he laid down, spilled us off his back, and ji st galloped back heme.” “He did it on purpose, of course he did. He thinks he can play tricks on us little boys. He don't dare try ’em wiffTTnen.” “I'd like to pound his back,” said one. We wont to the back gate, and saw him standing there, looking meek ”tfd subdued, only—l detected a twinkle in his eyes. He leceived a scolding, which he did not heed. A few minutes afterward I saw him in the stable-yard with four boys perched upon his back. —Prairie Farmer.