Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 June 1894 — FOR THE YOUNG FOLKS. [ARTICLE]

FOR THE YOUNG FOLKS.

WATER PROOF VOLK. I looked from my window, And, dancing together, I spied three queer people Who love the wet weather. The turtle, the frog, and the duck alt joined hands To caper so gaily upon the wet sands. The turtle was coated In shell, to defy The pattering rain-drops, And keep him quite dry. The frog in green jacket was gay as could be, “My coat will shed water—just see it!” said he. The duck shook his web-feet And ruffled his feathers; Cried he, “Rain won’t hurt me! I’m dressed for all weathers. And when I can see the clouds frown in the sky I oil my gray feathers and keep very dry!” —[A. L. M., in St. Nicholas. SWIMS ONLY IN SALT WATER. Take a piece of light pine wood, about six inches long, and cut it to the shape of a fish. Paint two of the Bides black and the third white, to give it the appearance of a fish. You can prove to your friends that thia fish lives only in seawater by the following device. Place it in a basin of water, into which you have thrown several spoonfuls of salt, and it will float with its back out of the water like a real fish. Now put it in a basin of ordinary fresh water and it will instantly turn on its back and show the white under surface, like a dead fish. This trick is extremely puzzling to people who do not know that the water in one basin is strongly impregnated with salt. The phenomenon is merely due to a difference in the density of the liquids.—(New York Recorder. a policeman’s pet. “Hello, boy; shake hands!’’ is the very cordial greeting of the Tenth Precinct parrot to Captain Early every morning. The remark is rather too familiar to be made to a police captain in hiß own station house, but then Poll, you see, is a privileged, person. Poll is a green purrot, which has lived at the station two years, and has made herself such a favorite with the officers that, as one of them Bald, the house wouldn't seein "all there” without her. The blue-coats irreverently speak of her as “Tom.” Poll and the captain are great friends, and when the latter is alone she. will sing to him by the hour. She is vain though, for the burden of her song is always: “Polly, pretty Polly. Polly’s a good bird.” Sometimes when a drunken prisoner is brought in Poll calls out: “Lock him up, doorman, lock him up!” Then, too, at roll-call she sometimes gets her innings by calling out something. Polly 1b quite an accomplished actress, and can lie on her back and play dead as well as the best ’possum that ever lived. She will always respond to a friend's invitation to shake hands, but she is rather shy with strangers. The children of the neighborhood are fond of Poll and visit her every afternoon. They stand outside the captain's window—for Poll never invites them in. If she feels in a good humor she answers pleasantly, but if not she says curtly: “Shut up!” and walks away.—[New York Recorder.

BOBINS. Who does not know the roblnsj bright, merry little birds, always busy, hopping or flying here and there in search of food for themselves or the little birds in the home nest, safely hidden away in the bough of a tree. The parent birds are always anxious and watchful for the safety of their families, and If an enemy is seen near the nest, the older birds show the greatest anxiety and distress, and fly back and forth in a most excited manner, uttering at the same time a little cry of fear, and if one of the young birds, by accident, falls from the nest, which is sometimes the case, the distress of the mother knows no bounds. Robins are very sociable birds, and will often build their nests In the lower branches of trees or bushes near a house, where they live fearlessly, seeming to know that they are favorites, and that no one will harm them. The nests are made of twigs for the outside and lined with hair, and in this soft, cozy little home from five to seven small eggs are laid. These are watched carefully until one day the little ones may be seen in the nest. Queer looking little things they are, too, for they seem all necks and mouths, and one would think it impossible for them ever to become like the pretty, sprightly redbreasts. They are cared for by the parent birds and fed with worms, small beetles and other insects until they are large enough to take care of themselves. Though the robin cannot be considered a song bird, yet his note is full and clear, and in the spring, especially, it is heard with pleasure. The birds are sometimes taken when young, placed in a cage and kept as pets. A full grown bird is about five inches long, the body plump, and legs exceedingly slender for the size of the body. The head is black, the body of a brown shade, the upper part of the breast red and the under parts white. The wings are broad, and the tall very slightly forked. They are found in many parts of the world, and in some places are such favorites that laws are made to prevent their being killed at any time. They belong to a species of bird called Sylvidae, which includes the thrush, a bird celebrated for its peculiarly sweet, musical song, a clear, mellow whistle of several notes. There is the bluebird, which is alsocalled the robin. These are generally birds of passage, although they will often remain in sheltered places quite far north, bu|t when they do leave the colder for a warmer clime, they always»*return in early spring, and the brighf little visitors are greeted with a hearty welcome.-—[Detroit-Free Press..

made it was found that the electric current would not pass from one end of the line to the other. There was a leakage somewhere which could not be found, and Professor Morse was forced to abandon that plan. He then adopted that of elevating the wires on poles, and completed the two wires from Baltimore to Washington by May 24, 1844. Professor Morse had an office in the Supreme Court rooms in the Capitol. On the eventful morning the connection was completed, and after testing the current of electricity was found to be perfect and stiong. Morse and then Miss Ellsworth were at the instrument4b the office at the Capitol. Alfred Vail was at the Mount Clare depot in Baltimore. And uow Professor Morse called upon Miss Ellsworth to send the first message, which had been suggested to her by her mother: “Whit God hath wrought” —a genuine inspiration. This was flashed across the wire from Washington to Baltimore and .the first message had been sent , • V How the Earth’s Help Whs Discovered. As first put into operation the telegraph employed two to form the circuit, Professor Morse not knowing that the earth woffld compete the circuit. Amos *Keodall, then Postmaster General, is authority for