Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 March 1894 — FOR THE YOUNG FOLKS. [ARTICLE]

FOR THE YOUNG FOLKS.

HUSH-A-BY, LITTLE ONE, BLEEP. CY WARMAN. Nature is sinking to peaceful repose, Hush-a-by, little one, sleep; Sweetly the dewdrop’s asleep on the rose, Hush-a-by, little one, sleep. Heaven shield father wherever he be, Whether on land or the billowy sea, And bring him back to his baby and me— ■ Hush-a-by, little one, sleep. Lightly ripples play over the rill, Hush-a-by, little one, sleep; Singing the roses to sleep on the hill, Hush-a-by, little one, sleep. Softly the katydid sings in the vines, Up from the lowlands the murmuring winds Steal through the stillness to play with the pines— Hush-a-by, little one, sleep. —[Daughters of America. OUT OF THE COCOANUT-TREE. The cocoanut-tree furnishes the South Sea Islanders with almost everything they want. They eat the meat and drink the oil. From the shells they make all their bowls and dishes and drinking cups. Its leaves are used for thatching the roofs of the houses and for umbrellas to shelter them from the sun and rain. The wood of the tree makes very strong beams and logs for burning, and the milk of the cocoanut is given to young children to quench their thirst. The cocoanut-tree can not well be grown in latitudes as far north as this, but if it could be cultivated here it would be the most valuable tree of our gardens and commerce. The odor from a cocoanut grove is very delightful, and the cocoanuts when eaten from the shell with a teaspoon are the sweetest things you can imagine.—[New York Ledger. THE PEANUT. The peanut is the fruit of a plant common in warm countries. It is sometimes called the ground-pea and ground or earth nut. Still another name for it is pindal or pindar, and in western Africa It is called mandubl. The plant is a trailing vine with small yellow flowers. After the flowers fall, the flower stem grows longer, bends downward, and the pod on the end forces itself into the ground where it ripens. Peanuts are raised in immense quantities on the west coast of Africa, in South America, and in the Southern United States. The vines are dug with pronged hoes or forks, dried for a few days and then stacked for two weeks to cure. The pods are picked by hand from the vines, cleaned in a fanning mill, and sometimes bleached with sulphur, and packed in bags for market. Peanuts are sometimes eaten raw, but usually roasted or baked. In Africa and South America they form one of the chief articles of food. Large quantities of them are made into an oil much like olive oil, and which is used in the same way. It is also used in the manufacture of soap. A bushel of peanuts, when pressed cold, will make a gallon of oil. If heat is used, more oil is made, but it is not so good. In Spain, peanuts are ground and mixed with chocolate. Peanut vines make good food for cattle. The peanut gets its name from the shape of its pod, which is like that of the pea.—[Detroit Free Press.

LU’S BANANA. I was sauntering along Broad street, the other day, when I saw a pleasant little street scene worthy of being recorded. Two ragged newsboys were trying to sell the earlier editions of the afternoon papers, while a bootblack, with his box slung over his back, was keeping a keen lookout for possible customers. Meanwhile, the three boys kept up a running fire of street chaff, such as these Arabs delight in. Presently a man, carrying a large bunch of fine bananas on his shoulder, passed close by. The motion of his body loosened one of the biggest and ripest, and it fell to the sidewalk. The man kept on,'not noticing or caring for his loss. The banana lay on the pavement for about half a minute. Then the bootblack spied it, and, with a cry of delight, ran over and picked it up. The two newsboys saw him in the act, and in a moment were by his side, eyeing the prize greedily. I drew closer and watched the little comedy with interest. At first, I expected to see the boothlack eat the banana himself, and triumph over his less fortunate companions, and I was agreeably surprised to see him produce a pocket-knife and proceed to cut it into three pieces. “Very generous,” I said to myself. But then I noticed that one piece was considerably larger than either of the other two, and my admiration was somewhat dampened. The others also noticed it, and one of them said:— “Huh! Jerry’s got the best of this dealt” Jerry heard the remark, but he grinned good-naturedly, and when the others had cone away with their share, he uiralung his box, sat down on it, and looked slyly around him. I followed the direction of his eyes, and presently saw a little girl, who looked to be about eight years of age, with a little faded shawl drawn around her thin form, and a most distressed look in her pinched face. She had three or four boxes of matches in her hand, but appeared to lack courage to sell them. “Say, Lu,” said the bootblack, in a low voice. The girl approached slowly and timidly. “D’ye like bananas?” The girl nodded her head vigorously. “Then here’s something for yon.” “For me?” she asked, amazedly. “Yes; I saved it for you.” The girl took it in her hand eagerly, and then paused with a sudden thought. “Where’s yours?” she asked. “I don’t care for bananas,” said Jerry, springing up suddenly, “ ’Deed and double I don’t. And I’ve had an apple, and a pear, and a

peach, to-day. Black your boots, sir? Shine?” He was off like a shot, leaving Lu with the piece of banana.—[Our Dumb Animals.