Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 April 1908 — FOR THE CHILDREN [ARTICLE]

FOR THE CHILDREN

Game of Initial Letter*. This game is played mnch in the same way as proverbs. A word only Is thought of by the company, the guesser being out of the room. When he comes in he walks up to the first player and stands opposite to blm or her until a word is pronounced which must begin with the first letter of the word agreed upon. The next player says a word beginning with the second letter, and so around the circle until the word Is completed. We will suppose the word omnibus baa been chosen. No. 1 says original. No. 2 says military. No. 8 says nobody. No. 4 says Individual. No. 5 says buckwheat No. G says uniform. No. 7 says sauerkraut The guesser puts the Initials together to his mind and exclaims, “It is omnibus!” If there la much hesitation on the part of either player or guesser a forfeit may be exacted. BeeMe and Besides. Have your teachers ever called your attention to the difference between the two words “beside” and “besides?” They are unfortunately used synonymously even by good writers, but to use them so is an error against which the boys and girls should guard. “Bestdff* is a preposition, meaning “by the side of’ or “out of,” and “besides” should be used to the sense of “moreover” or “in addition to.” The best way to illustrate their correct use is by a specimen sentence: “He sat beside the door. “He was Reside himself with Joy,” are sentences lp which “beside” is correctly used, and it Is, as you see, a preposition. And these sentences will show how “besides” should be used: “Besides the button, the club has a ribbon.” “Four boys were present besides John.” The mistake commonly made is to use “beside” instead of “besides” in sentences like the last two.—Chicago News.

Guesting the Meekers. ' To play this very amusing game large fools’ caps must be made, so large that they will entirely cover the heads of the persons wearing them. Eyeholes should be cut, and the person inside each cap must look through these boles. The players wearing the caps sit in a row. The rest endeavor to guess who they are. When the clothing of the person is hidden as well as the head and only the eyes are visible, this becomes very difficult indeed. Yon will be surprised to learn that perhaps you have never noticed the exact color of the eyes of those with whom you have always lived. Indian Honesty. One of the Indian boys at Hampton, Va., did not like to take his medicine, and his nurse agreed to pay him s# much every time he took it. Atjknt he was pleased with this arrangement, but one evening the nurse found that be had made no marks on the where he kept record of the number of times he bad taken medicine. She asked what It meant and received an explanation from which many a white boy might learn a lesson and spare his mother much trouble and annoyance: “Me lay here all day doing nothing; you pay me for it—not right. Me take medicine; me not take money,”

Conundrums. What does every artist like to draw best? His salary. When is last year’s frock like a secret? When it Is let out. When Is a candle In a temper? When It flares up. Why may a beggar wear a short coat? Because it will be long enough before he gets another. What is the difference between a fixed star and a meteor? One is a sun (son), the other is a darter (daughter). Why is it w ise to tell an oyster a secret? Because it knows how to keep its mouth shut. \ A Cat Tale. The little old woman to town would go To buy her a Sunday gown. But a storm came up, and the wind did blow. And the rain came pouring down. And the little old woman, oh, sad to see. In a terrible fidget and fret was skein a terrible fret was she! The little old man was cross and cold. For the chimney smoked that day. And never a thing would he do but scold In the most unmannerly way. When the little old woman said, "Listen to me!" He answered her nothing but “fiddle-dee- _ dee"No, nothing but “flddle-dec-dce!” Then she whacked the puggy wug dog, she did, As asleep on the mat he lay. For a puggy waa he of spirit and pride And howled In a dismal way— For a puggy was he of spirit and pride. And a slight like that he couldn’t abide— He couldn’t, of course, abide. Then Muffin, the kitten, said: “Deary ma! What a state of affairs is this! I must pur my very best pur, I see. Since everything goes amiss!" So Muffin, the kitten, she purred- and purred TUI at last the little old woman she heard— The little old woman she heard. And she smiled a smile at the Uttle bid man, And hack he smiled again. And they both agreed on a charming plan For a walk In the wind and .rain. Then, hand In hand, to the market town They went to look for the Sunday gown— For the coveted Sunday gown. Then the chimney drew, and the room grew hot. And the puggy wug dog and the cat Their old time quarrels they quite forgot And snuggled up close on the mat. While Muffin, the kitten, she purred and purred. And there never was trouble again, Tva 'hurt- / Wo, never again, I’ve heard! : —St. Nloheiaa.