Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 August 1895 — FOR THE YOUNG FOLKS. [ARTICLE]

FOR THE YOUNG FOLKS.

TH* OTHER WAY ABOUT. There was a big wax dolly onoa Who owned a little girl - With lovely eyes that opened wid< And golden hair in curl. At first by her delightful toy The dolly set great store, But presently she let her drop Head downward on the floor. And shortly after that—they say Dolls are a 'houghtless race— The empty-headed thing forgot To wash her plaything’s face. She left her sitting all alone. Neglected and forlorn; Her hair had not been combed fo’days. Her pretty frock was torn. The dolly’s mother said, “If that Is how you treat poor Pearl, It’s very clear you don’t deserve To have a little girl!’’ Felix Ijeigh. A PUNNING CRITICISM. Every boy and girl has doubtless heard of the great composer Handel. Here is a little story told of him and of Dr. Maurice Green, a musician whose compositions were never remarkably fine. It seems he had sent a solo anthem to Handel for his opinion, and Handel invited him to take breakfast, and he would say what he thought of it. After coffee, Green’s patience became exhausted, and he said, "Well, sir, what did you think of it?” "Oh, your anthem! Ah, I did t’ink dat it wanted air." "Air!” cried Green. "Yes, air; and so I did hang it out of de vindow,” replied Handel. APPLE-SMELLERS. Apple smellers, or merry-go-rounds, are very interesting insects. They are of an intense shining black in color, and generally school together, moving in circles, with great rapidity, on the surface of the water. They are called apple-smellers on account of the strong odor they possess, resembling that of apples or quinces, and merry-go-rounds on account of their merry circling motions around one another. Young apple-smellers live on the bottoms of ponds, and look like centipedes. When the time comes for them to change into real apple-smellers, they climb up a plant, and make small bags of gray paper, into which they fasten themselves till they get their swimming legs and shining black new clothes, after which thoy burst open the paper bags and swim off to join their friends gliding so merrily on the surface of the pond. When an apple-smeller dives to the bottom of a pond to take a rest or to feed, he attaches a globule of air to his tail: this he breathes while under water.

SPARROWS THRASH A CAT. A young sparrow fell out of its mother’s nest in Madison Square Park yesterday morning and fluttered about on the grass below, flying about in little jumps, while the ma ternal parent anxiously hopped about coaching the young athlete. George Francis Train and his bevy of youngsters sat on a bench nearby, under a big maple tree, watching the lesson, and a dozen more or less interested feathered tribesmen flocked nearby, approving spectators. Suddenly there was a flash of something gray and white, and a big cat bounded into the circle. Its claws just missed the fledgling, which fluttered to one side. The mother bird attacked the cat's face, and the fighting tribesmen followed her example as a little boy caught the helpless little flyer in his straw hat. The cat, thoroughly enraged at the loss of its breakfast and the vigorous pecks of the fighting sparrows’ sharp beaks, struck viciously at its assailants. They kept just out of reach, however, circling about, and every now and then making sallies at the cat’s ears and eyes. Pussy finally fled, the pupil resumed his lesson and the feathered tribesmen adjusted their uniforms.

HUMMER BOARDERS. Belle and Josie had a little garden underneath the bay window. Every day they weeded and watered it, pulled off the dead leaves, and picked the blossoms. They were very proud of their garden, and worked very diligently to make it look beautiful. One day Belle made a discovery. Away over In the corner there was a hole, and in that hole lived— what do you think? A whole family of toads I

There was papa, mamma and four children, and they all hopped out of their front door right into Belle’s bed of pansies. “Ohl” exclaimed Belle, as Papa Toad hopped out. “Oh! oh! oh! oh ! o-ohl” she said, as Mamma Toad and all the little Toads followed. i Into the pansy-bed, around the sweet peas, over the forget-me-nots and under the tall castor bean they went. Then Papa Toad sat down, Mamma Toad sat down, and the four little Toads did the same. And what do you think they did then? - Papa blinked his round eyes and caught a bug for his breakfast, Mamma Toad blinked her round eyes and caught a for her breakfast, and all the little toads tried to do the same. Then they hopped home again. “We must wait till they go out to dinner,” said Belle, “and then we’ll fill up their house with stones. I’d be 'most scared to weed, for we might put our hands right on them !” “Wouldn’t that be dreadful!” exclaimed Josie. . But what do you think John told them? These are the very words: “You'd better be a-leaving them toads in your garden, because t hey eat all the bugs and worms les, as will eat your posies, unless Mr. Toad eats the?a 1 ” So’Belle and Josie left the hole and called the toads their summer boarders. It is computed by a statistician of the curious | that Queen Victoria’s hand, which is said to be a handsome one, has signed more important State papers and been kissed by more important men than the hand of apy othag queen that ever lived.