Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 140, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 June 1910 — For The Children [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

For The Children

Three Little Pussies. There were three pussies, all downy gray, * Sleeping so soundly, one April day. “Dear little pussies, why don't you run Over the green grass? That would be fun.” i But the gray pussies said not a word, No pussy stretched a paw, no pussy purred; Still their heads rested on their brown pillows, They were not pussy cats —but pussy willows. Wise Men of Gotham. A "wise man of Gotham” Is a fool, but the phrase arose through the real wisdom of the people that lived in the English town of Gotham. The story goes that King John of England once’visited the town with the Intention of seeing a castle that he thought of taking for himself. But the Gothamites did not care for the nearness of royalty and the expense they would be put to If the king have a house there, and so they cooked up a scheme to drive him away. When the king arrived with his company of followers and rode through the town, he saw all the Inhabitants of Gotham going about the most foolish of tasks, each person with a silly smile on his face. The king was disgusted with them. He would not live among crazy people, and so he rode on through the town and did not stop for the castle. Then the wise men of'Gotham, still smiling but not in a silly fashion, told One another that there were more fools that passed through Gotham than remain In it. Another Expedition to tbe Pole.

Keeping' His Promise. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon In spring. Harry was playing In the yard with his new express wagon when mamma called him. “I want you to take this parcel to Aunt Kate,” she said. “I’ll put It in my wagon and take it?* answered Harry, and started off. On his way down the road he passed the house where Jamie Lane lived. And there was Jamie sitting on the front steps with his gray kitten In his arms. He was a very small, thin boy, and lame. “Oh, Harry,” he called out, “have you a new wagon?” “Yes. Isn’t it a beauty?” said Harry, coming up to Jamie’s gate. “I wish you would stay and play with me,” and Jamie looked wistfully at the new wagon. “Why yes; I will. I have to take this parcel to Aunt Kate; then I’ll hurry back.” Harry soon reached his aunt's house. He gave her the note, and was going away when she said: "Your uncle Is getting the carriage ready to drive me to town. Don’t you want to go with us?” “Oh, I guess I do,” exclaimed Harry, eagerly. “Well, then run home and tell your mother, because we won’t be back until late.” "I’ll go as quickly as I can, so you won’t have to wait for me,” and Harry was off like a flash. He was quite excited, for going to town with Uncle and Aunt meant Ice cream, and cake, and lots of nice things. He was so busy thinking of them that he would have gone past Jamie on the steps, if the little fellow had not called out, “Oh, I’m so glad you are back.” narry suddenly stood still. He had forgotten all about Jamie. But, of course, he couldn’t play with- him now! Jamie had gently put down his kitten and was hobbling out to the gate. “My, that’s a splendid wagon,” he said. “Say—l—” began Harry,, but the words he wanted to say wouldn’t come. As he looked at Jamie’s poor little thin face, he felt suddenly ashamed. How could he have been so mean as to forget his promise to play with him. He swallowed hard. It wasn’t easy to give up that trip to town. “Say, Jamie, I’ve got to go back and toll Aunt Kate something I ought to

have told her when I was there. I’ll not be long, and I'll leave my Wagon here till I come back." “Of course,” said Aunt Kate, “you must keep your promise to play with him. I would take him with us, too, but he Is not strong enough to stand such a long drive.” Harry tried not to mind very much when, a half hour later, he saw his uncle and aunt drive down the road. His aunt waved her hand to them. But he did not think of them very long, for he got so Interested in making his little friend have a good time. And when It was time for him to go home, he was very happy when Jamie’s mamma said: “My! you must be a good play-fellow. I haven’t seen Jamjp look so bright for a long time.” i "I’m coming to play with him often. Ton see, I can easily wheel him about In this wagon.” "When mamma asked him where he been all afternoon, he told her that he had been playing with Jamie, but he did not say anything about -Aunt Kate having invited him to drive to town.—-Western Christian Advocate. A Little More Patience. There was once a miser who begrudged his poor horse the grain It ate. To economize he stopped feeding it. Of course the poor beast could not stand this treatment very long and died. The man’s wife reproached him bitterly, saying, "I told you so." The miser only said: "It is all Its own fault. If It had a little patience It would not have happened. It was just getting used to it when it gave up and died.” Barefoot. Every field is full of spring; Maple trees are budded; Sunshine drenches everything; All the world Is flooded Withm Its heat The lightest tasks Cause unending woe. Then the country laddie asks; “Ma, why can’t I go Barefoot?”

FOUND AT LAST.