Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 206, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 August 1913 — OUR BOYS and GIRLS [ARTICLE]

OUR BOYS and GIRLS

Unde Ned’s Magic. Patter, patter, drip, drip, sang the rain on the roof. Tearfully Teddy glanced from the window^ “Oh dear!'* he sighed. “O dear!” echoed Frank and Betty. “Guess daddy make a fire on the rocks- to-day,” said Frankie, with pictures of the intended corn roast vividly before him. This was very evident by the sudden downpour which followed his remarks. Even sight of the lake was shut out from him. It Isn’t such‘an easy thing to amuse two eager little boys and a little girl on a rainy day. Sailing boats in the bathtub was fast becoming tiresome. A sudden gust of wind rattled, the windows, and the children did not i know that somebody Jiad opened the door and was standing right behind them, and they did not know, either, that that somebody was Uncle Ned. The children had not seen Uncle Ned for a long time, so of course they were very glad to see him, and just at the right time, too. Somehow uncles always happen to come at Just the right time, so it was not any wonder that he was besieged with kisses, and coaxed to tell a story.. Thoughtfully Uncle Ned gazed at the logs in fireplace. ' “I’ll tell ybu, chum*,” he said, prompted by a sudden idea, “let’s have another magic trick, and this shall be called the ‘Russian Mountains.’ And now I’ll get the things necessary.” While the children were gathering round the table, uncle returned with a small kerosene lamp, a strip of paper about four Inches wide and about three long, a glass of water, a teaspoon and a small plate. These he placed on the table, while from the long bookcase he selected four bookß, decreasing in size from a very large to a tiny book. He lighted the lamp and held the strip of paper over the top near enough so that it soon became covered with thick, greasy lampblack. Then on the backs of the books, which he had stood upright and about four Inches apart, he pinned the paper, the greasy side toward him, allowing the end nearest the tiny book to rest in the plate. “Now, then,” said Uncle Ned, “we are ready,” and taking a little water in the teaspoon, he let it fall drop by drop upon the paper. “Gracious!’’ said Frankie. “Just see how it rolls!” and sure enough, one after another the tiny drops rolled down the inclined plane of one book, gaining speed enough each time to mount the next, and so on into the plate. The children each in turn dropped •some water on the paper, and watched with delight the tiny drops striving to see which could gain the plate in the quickest time. It was near sup-per-time when thejJ thought to look out of the window —and what a surprise greeted them! The rain had ceased, the dark, threatening clouds had gone, and the sun was shining bright and clear. The next day they could have their picnic, and a much better time because they would have Uncle Ned with them.