Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 May 1893 — FOR YOUNG FOLKS. [ARTICLE]

FOR YOUNG FOLKS.

WHAT A FOTTKD PLANT CAN DO. A little ]>otte(l plant was given to a sick boy bv a kind-hearted neighbor. The boy’s family was poor, and their manner of living was not as neat as it might have been. Every member of it prized the pretty plant, however, and sought the best means of caring for it. First, they cleaned the window glass so that the plant might get more light. Then, when it was not too cold ti they would raise the window for the plant to have fresh air, hoping thus to make it grow better. When they saw how clean the window was they suddenly found the rest of the room untidy. So they washed the floor, cleaned and rearranged tho furniture and “put things to rights” generally. Gradually it dawned upon tho father that several chairs needed mending, as their dilapidated condition did uot suit the changed appearance of the room. To mend them he stayed at home several evenings, and tho habitues of tho “loaf - ing place” missed him. After awhile they missed him altogether, for ho had found that it was a pretty good idea, after all, to stay at home in the evening. He saved money by the change, besides being tho better for it in other respects, The wholo family waa tho better for it too. Can you profit by tho moral of this little story and give your neighbor a potted plant, too? Try it.—[New Orleans Picayune.

THE SOM TAIt Y (HKSS PI.AYKtI. Iu the early half of the century lived a kind, venerable Turk. His charitable impulses unfortunately being limited by not overabundant means, he had adopted the method of assessing privately the rich of the land a percentage of their incomes, trusting to his persuasion and the noble purpose to collect the bounty wherewith to relieve his suffering fellowmen. So systematically did he proceed that he kept himself informed of the revenues of the different indiviuals, and had Hen Ali lost severely at the card table since his preceding visit, or otherwise met with linuucial reverses, his contribution was lowered, aud that of those enriched thereby correspondingly increased. Once, when starting on one of his regular semi-annual tours of collection, and riding through ur dense forest, he came upon a Turk deeply engaged in a solitary game of chess. Prompted by curiosity he reined in his mule, and after a while opened conversation by asking who was the winner. Tho player apparently was too deeply interested to notice him for a sow moments, then arising with evident disgust, he replied, “1 lost.” “Who won?" “Allah." “Allah? How much did you lose?” asked the venerable Turk, in surprise. “Twenty piasters." “And how do you pay Allah?” he continued. Thereupon the Turk explained that it was his daily habit to play a game of chess on that secluded spot with Allah as opponent, he alone being worthy to takcliis losings, and that Allah at regular intervals sent an emissary in the form of some traveller to collect the bounty duo him. In this instance it was undoubtedly tho person before him, and accordingly he handed over his purse containing 100 piasters, the losings of live games. Much pleused at this unexpected contribution to his fund, and mentally resolving to come by the same way on his return trip and collect Allah’s further dues, the venerable man rode on. Returning after an interval of five days, lie again fell in with the eccentric player. “Who won to day?” he asked, as the other rose. “I won to day,” was the reply. “How much did you win?” “You see,’’ was the explanation, “Allah is a much better player than I. When I lose, it costs me 20 piasters; when I win, I get 1003 piasters, and Allah always sends an emissary to pay his debts. Pay up, old man.” With these words, and levelling a pair of cocked pistols at the stupefied traveler, the brigand captured his purse containing nearly twice the amount that be claimed as his due from Allah.—[ Harper’s Young People.

“THE LARGEST KITE IX THE WORLD.” Dudley Hill, Massachusetts, is just the place for kite-flying; and it was here, August 31, 1891, that “The Uncle Sara” was planned and built. It was the result of much studying and calculation by a certain Uncle Sain and his nephew, and its great size, together with its beauty, makes it deserving of more than local reputation. The frame was made of six ash sticks, split back about four feet from the center and bolted to a hub six inches thick and eight inches in diameter. The sticks were about two and a half by two inches, tapering to one inch by three quarters. The whole frame weighed thirty-four pounds, was twenty-two feet high, sixteen feet wide, and about seventy feet in circumference. With its wire and coarse twine to keep the covei from bagging and to strengthen it, it looked like an immense spider-web. When not in use it was strapped under the eaves of a large barn, as no barn door was big enough to admit the hugh frame.

The cover was made of unbleached cotton cloth, strengthened in the six corners with canvas; and it took forty yards of material. A quarter-inch manila rope was bound into the edge, and the corners were piovided with small snaps which fastened into rings on the ends of the sticks. The cover alone, when completed, weighed thirteen pounds. Coarse burlap from cotton bales made the tail, which was one hundred feet long and weighed eleven pounds. The burlap was cut in strips twelve inches wide, sewn together end to end, then \knotted with streamers four'feet apart. The flying-rigging was constructed upon certain platis of Uncle Sam’s, and was similar to those described in previous numbers of St. Nicholas, with the exoejs tion that the upper part of the kite was strengthened by two additional stayingcords. These cords were hooked into rings on the frame half-way from the top to the hub; then the flying-cords of proper length were fixed, like the cover,. | with snaps and rings, and were snapped together in a common iron ring about

one and one half inches in diameter, to which the flying-cord was attached. The flying-cord and flying-rigging were of one quarter inch luanila rope, stout enough to boar a strain of five hundred pounds. On Monday morning, August 31, we found a strong, steady wind blowing, and, amid much excitement, the cover was laid face downward in one of the largest of Dudley pastures, the frame put upon it and sunpped into place. The excitemeut increased as the six men who handled it took their place to launch the great air-ship; for had there not been plenty of scoffers, who doubted the ability of the wind to raise a fifty-eight pound kite? “The Uncle Sain" was lifted from its face by two men at the top walking down by its edge and seizing the two lower corners; a third man about fifteen feet from the face of the kite held the flyingline. Three other men were at the reel. When the word was given, “The Uncle Sain" rose steadily of its own accord, and after hovering on the wind for a few seconds, as if in doubt, finally took the line as it was paid out and rose to a height of one thousand feet, followed by cheers from tho enthusiastic spectators, old and young. Some idea of its pulling power may be gained from the fact that four men were just able to hold it. A large pair of icescales were attached to the line, and it was estimated that the pulling capacity varied from one hundred and soventyfivo to two hundred and fifty pounds.— [St. Nicholas.