Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 June 1894 — OUR BOYS AND GIRLS. [ARTICLE]

OUR BOYS AND GIRLS.

THIS IS THEIR DEPARTMENT OF THE PAPER. Quaint Sayings and Cnte Doings of the Little Folks Everywhere, Gathered and Printed Here for All Other Little Ones to Read.

Something Needed, Sure. “Mamma, I want some water In a bowl. I am going to christen my doll.” “No, little dear; that would be trifling with a sacred subject. “Then give me some wax to waxinate her with. She’s old enough now to have something done to her.” The Man in the Mo >n. “There’s the home of the man in Man in the Moon,” said her guide. As they came near, she saw in front of a large hole in the side of the mountain, shaped like a door, an enormous man. Elfle thought he must be at least fifty feet high. He was dressed in a long, brown coat, which reached to his knees; on his legs were long blue stockings, and purple trunks; his shoes were ornamented with buckles, his cap was blue and cut to a point in front, while a long amber-colored feather which floated up from it showed that he was a little bit vain of his personal appearance. His head was very, very large, forming at least onethird of his whole height. The face was round and full and very jollylooking, a slight droop to the left eyelid giving his eyes snch a quaint, shy look that nobody who looked at him could possibly help laughing. He was sitting down on a great head of cheese, having bis dinner; and (to show you what a very extraordinary man he was) he was eating the front of his own house!

“Hullo!” he shouted, when he saw our little traveler, “hullo! What brings you here? It isn’t often that I have pleasure of speaking to any Earth-children. Come here and let me shake hands with you.” He stooped down and took Elfle’s hand in his mighty flst and shook it warmly. “Sit down, sit down, little one; here is a nice seat. Of course you wish to ask questions. I never knew an Earth-child who did not. Go right on, and I will tell you all you wish to know. ”

Elfle settled herself comfortably on the soft cheese seat, ready to enjoy herself. “In the first place,” she said, “I’d like to know about some of the things you have seen from here, and why do you look so jolly, please? I should have thought that you would feel more like crying all the time, for you have to work so hard making the new moons. Then I have read and heard so much of the misery that there is in the world, and which you must see every night. I can’t understand it how you manage to look so happy about it.” While Elfle spoke, the Man in the Moon looked very serious, and as she finished he buried his face in his hands. When he uncovered it the smiling, happy look had gone. “My little girl,” he said, “you have asked me questions which would take me a lifetime to answer. This, though, 1 can say—that I have seen a great deal of trouble, misery, and wretchedness down upon the earth, but I have seen also a great number jof things to rejoice at, and to make be glad. Long, long ago, I found (that to sit down and make myself miserable about things that I could not help, did me no possible good; and that one who does so only cripples his powers for usefulness. By being bright and cheerful I have made many people happy, and kept my own heart young. STou—andothers —might remember this. “As for my working so hard making me cry, I can tell you that the very best help toward making a contented mind is to work—work—work. Not, certainly, to toil on forever with no rests for play or pleasure, but to do something every day. I have always found that when I sit down to rest with the knowledge that I have accomplished something. I am always the happier for it and enjoy myself much better. “And as for the things I have seen, I could, as you may well believe, tell you more stories about the things that have happened under my light, than you could get into the biggest story-hook that was ever written.”— 6L, Nicholas.