Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 36, Number 206, 3 June 1911 — Page 2

InndafW fromiReDani.Uv

A. leixeira de naffoe-:

TTt wii at the end or March. Tn skates II had been put away till next year, tor tne lea was all gone. The mow had U melted, too. and ran In the dltchea. ao that they all overflowed their edges. Only a remnant lay. Just .under the bushes; but it was ao little and ao black that nobody cared a Jot about It. And the grata began to be ashamed of being ao yellow, and tent word down Into the earth ta aak l( the new grasa wouldn't be ready soon. The vloleta opened their blue yea cautloualy, and the buda on the treea were working day and night at their Sum mar clothea. They grew fatter every morning with all tbo bright green dreaaes which they wera hiding, and one fine day the gooseberry bush lost patience, burst forth and atood fanning herself with tiny little leaves, as though ahe could not bear the heat. But the sun peeped down every moment through the drifting clouds, and called out to the earth: . "Now I'm coming! Now I'm comlngt Just pull yourself together and all will go well!" So thought the atarltng, too, who sat on the adg of tbo ditch In the wood and longed for the Sprleg to coma. It waa cold enough, especially at night, and there waa only Just sufficient food to support existence. But the atarltng would rather coma a month too early than a day too lata. She preened and plumed herself, tuck her beak atralght up In the air and whistled to keep up her spirits. When aha was tired of her own music, she put her black head on one aide, ahut her ayea and listened to the water In the ditch, which rlpplad and sang and murmured. "Ming, ditch 1" she said. "Sing away! You'll sing tut Summer comes. By that time you will ba dry and dumb; but then wa thera will turn to In earnest, for then the day will bo full of sunshine and the field full Of worms, and I myself shall have Boat full of dear little young ones." An. walir said a volco beside Mr. "Who reeds children, breeds aorrowr The atarllng looked round and aaw a great brown frog; who stared at her with doleful aye 1 ' "Hullo. Is that your she said." "A pleasant Spring to you! But yoc mustn't talk liko that. Of course. It makes work to have a nest full of young. They ara hungry and they cry. and It takes one all day to fill their maws. But then It's ao nlc to It beatds the nest la the evening and alcg. .What do you sayt 1 say quack r said the frog snsppliy. The starling protended not to hear, and continued, calmly: "And It's still nicer to sea the children grow up and get their eyes and wings and a tall and to teach then to fly and to catch worms." "Quack! Quack! Quack t" screamed th frog, and took three enormous Jumps. "1 don't know what you mean with your quack,' " said tho atarllng. "but It aour.ds rude." DEfORB the starling had done speaking, the frog had leaped head over heels Into the ditch. She put her front lega against her chest and struck out lustily with her felnd legs. She awam three or four tlmea to and fro. and then Jumped out of the water gain, aat down In bar old Ptec beatda the starling, and gased moodily Into the air. The starling whistled a soft little tune and then said: "Arc you feeling better? Tou'ra Inclined to be a bit quick-tempered, but that'a allly. It's no uso taking life ao solemnly. Tell me what's troubling you. It's a good thing, sometimes, to unburden one's heart, and I'm feeling bored." "You wouldn't understand If X told you.' aid tbo frog. "What doea a fine bird like you know about that? You have your good, warm nest, and can bring up your children to ba respectable people. Others ara not o well oft. 1 -have no nest at all. and must lea re my children to take care of themselves." . "Have you no nestr asked the atarllng, ta surprise. "Then where do you lay your eggs?" -Down there." replied the frog, pointing to tne dltcn. "In the water?" "Yss, of course," said tho frog. "There'a nothing very wonderful In that. My egga have not such a hard shell as yours, and If 1 wars to Isy them on the earth, they would at once dry up and die." "Can yovr children swim, then right away?" atked the atarllng. yeathank goodnesa! that they can." teplttd tha frog. "It's In our family's blood. But. apart from that, they ara ao degenerate that they ara almost the death of me." -Why, what ara they like?" asked the starling. Coma and aea for yourself." said the frog. fhe Jumped along the side of the ditch and the starling walked behind her. for she waa Inquisitive by nature, and had no business to neglect at this time of year. When they came to a place where the ditch widened out into quite a little pond, and whr" It looked as If tne water atood quite at;, the fro stopp-. The water waa filled with a multitude of tlnr llttlo antmalj awtn-mlng up and do-i and to and fro, and snapping at the water plants. They had no lega, but huge, tat atomache and a long tU with a fir- to It. They looked Ilka bullets with fishes' tUa and on each aide of their heads they had a sort of little bush, with which they wriggled In the water. The frog looked piteous!? at the atarllng. but aald nothing. -I aayr aaid the atarllng, licking bar mouth. "They really look quite nice. I wonder what they taata Ilka? They're fish, aren't they?

Til

"I don't know what they are," tinea ma irog. oui tney come Out or my eggs, and I don't believe there have ever been any Can In our family " "Stop a bit!" aald the atarllng. think. Ing. "I once heard something about mat, Dut i am aorry to say I can't remember exactly what It was. I only know this this much, that they will turn Into regular froga tone time or other. You'll be pleased with them yet, once they have got rid of their horna." vu, vucjr it iibvo xo erei ria or a great deal before they turn Into frogs!" rrpucu in xrog. ucn a tall as they've got! Who ever saw a frog with a tall? And such a stomach! Why, one can see all their Inside i through their skins. And then those bobs hanging from tbetr necks and J where are their legs? Look at them running about In the water and eating'graa and such rubbish, while the most delicious ln-

I

"The Starling Looked Around and Saw a Great Brown Frog, Who Stared At Her with Doleful Eyes."

sects are swimming right In front of their noses! Heaven knowa what 1 have dona for my children to be such monsters!" The frog began to cry plteously, and the starling thought of flying away, for ahe disliked melancholy things. But at that moment the frog Jumped Into tho ditch, awam out to a stono that stood Just above the surface of the water, and crept on to it. "Here's that funny old one!" cried the little animal. "Now wa shall have soma sport." They all laughed together, till their fat stomachs shook and their tails' wriggled with delight. Then they swam round tho stone and sang at the top of their voice: On dry land, grown old and craxy. r'rog goes limping by. Our new times, less dull and laxy. Let who can defy I Wa will neSrer limp so sadly , While our talis, careening madly. Through the bright poola fly. Twice they sang this rude ditty, and the teara ran down the old frog's cheeks. '"So you can see for yourself." ahe said to the starling. "That's bow they speak of their own mother." "Ye-as." said the atarllng. thoughtfully. "That doesn't look at all well" Now the little animals swam farther away In the ditch. When the frog had dried hr eyes and recovered herself a little, she saw that all had gone except one, who remained In the water Just under the stone flapping her tall. "Klc, for shame!" cried the frog "There she stands making fun of her old mother. A nice lot of baggages you are!" "I'm net a baggage said the young one. "I'm a tadpole." "Ah, you Just wait until I get hold of you, you hussy!" said the frog. "Even your ancestors honored name Isn't good enough for you." The tadpole swam to and fro once or twice and nibbled at the water plant. Thex she stopped again by the stone, and said: "You're always whining and scolding as If the. world were out of gear. 1 don't understand how you can care to make all that fuss," old Mother frog. Can't you remember that you were young yourself once? "Can't IT" said the frog, angrily. "In my youth we were different and well-behaved. Miss Pert. When I waa a young girl. I didn't go running about in the water with all that finery on my head which you have." "I don't know anything about that." said the tadpole, waving the bushes contentedly. "Aren't they pretty? Besides, that'a my skills. If X hadn't got them. X simply couldn't breathe." The old frog shook with anger.

"Ah! so you keep gills, do you. you puppy?" she said. "Ana you've got a nica long tall to swagger about with. But you don't aee your way to getting a set of decent legs, eh 7" "What use would they be to mer aske.l the tadpole. Indifferently. "You may want them, perhaps, to hobble about on land with. I swim; that's what 1 have a tall for. That's what we use nowadays. The old alow methods are quite out of date. Education 1 making progress, and we must keep up with the times." "Lord have mercy upon us!" said the frog. She crossed her forelegs over her breas; and turned her eyes up to tho sky. "However, It's no use talking sense to an old stupid like you," said the tadpole. "You don't understand anything; your time is past. I will only remind you that you brought me into the world yourself, so you must take me as 1 am." With that she awam away. The old frog went back to the edge of the ditch, and sat down beside the starling, who did not know what to do to comfort her. Then she whistled and said: "Spring la coming now, and then all will be well, you'll see. Where did you spend the Winter?" "I stayed in a hole down at the bottom of the mtllpond." "Ah, that's enough to make any one melancholy," said the starling. "You ought to travel a bit That's cheery and raises ne'a spirits." "Goodness me! What are you talking about T" aald the frog. "Fancy me, with my figure! 1 am cut out tor a quiet Ufa. My hind legs acho If I merely hop across the meadow." Then the starling flew away. The frog flicked her tongue a long way out of h-r mouth and caught a fly who was sitting on a leaf thinking of nothing. She ate him and then relapsed into her sorrowful tnought. THE starling had worked hard at tightening and lining her nest, which was in tne starling box in the elm tree Just in front of the keeper' cottage. She could see that she would soon have to lay her eggs, she bad a queer heaviness ir. her head and had occasional fits of crying Then she came to think of the poor frog, whom she had not seen for some time. She flew over to the edge of the ditch and called to her. "Here I am. here I am. Mrs. Starling!" said the frog, close beside her. "What's this?" said the starling. "Are you here still? How are you getting on with your children? My turn will coma soon, and that made me think of you." "It was nice of you to come and look a poor woman up." aaid the frog. "Thanks. I think things are taking a turn tor the .better with me." "How is that?" asked the starling. The frog beckoned to her and -Jumped right out to the water. "Look for yourself," she said. The starling peeped down Into the ditch, which was full of tadpoles. They were swimming about merrily as before, but they had grown much bigger. And torn of them had Just the dearest little frogs bind legs that one could sea. ay, and a couple of tba largest even had little fore legs. "What do you say to that?" said the old frog. "They are beginning to turn out better. They still have those hldeoua tails and that abomination banging from their heads. But you can see now there's some sense In them. And so I control myself more and have stopped scolding them. I think It's better to let nature take Its course. And they're very touchy on that subject, too. Tho other day, when X waa praising one of

them because she was beginning to come to her senses, she only grinned at me, and said i musn't flatter myself that she would ever become such an old nondescript as I was. Ah. yes! Children, children l God give you better luck with yours"' "Thank you," replied the starling. "Now 1 must fly home and make a start." many days passed, during which the starling sat on her eggs In tho box in the elm tree and gave never a thought to the frog. But, when she saw that the hour wag on hand when the Httl birds might come out at any moment, she told her husband, while there was yet time to fly across to the ditch with her kind regards. "The frog woman has had a family, too,' she said. "The poor soul has come off badly with her children. We must show her a little sympathy." She told her husband all that she had seen and heard at the ditch-side and he flew off. But, look Into the water as he might, he could see no tadpoles. The ditch was already half dried up; down in the mud at the bottom crept only an old, fat toad. Then he heard a mighty din in the meadow over on the other side of the ditch: "Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack!" It was a whole multitude of frogs, all croaking together. In their midst sat the old frog, and her children were hopping around In the grasa. They now all had legs and the bushy gills had disappeared from their heads. Taken - all around, they looked regular fine . little brown frogs; their wet skins gllstin the sun; and the way they said "Quack!" was terrible. But they all had a bit of tall left over from their childhood. "Lord, children" said the old frog, "do be sensible. I am so glad, so glad about you. You shall see, you'll lose that horrid stump of a tall, too, and then everything will be right." Now some of the young frogs were sitting so that their tails could not be seen. They put their heads on one side and looked affectionately at the old one: "We have no tails left! We are regular frogs, mummy, dear! We never meant anything at all with that tadpole nonsense." But there were others who stuck their tails out as far as they could and laughed at the old one as they had done In their early youth: "Stuff! Stuff! Stuff! You old mother frog!" they yelled. "We are Just as we always were can't you see our talis? Don't Imagine that we shall ever become 'sensible,' as you call It- We shall never be that. We shall always be free and merry tadpoles." The old frog scolded and begged and entreated and the young ones yelled, and it

How to Treat Your Husband in Public.

GREAT many women may be excel lent wives when In the seclusion of their own homes, but yet fail in that most important detail of knowing how to treat their husbands in public. "Well, my way of treating my husband In public is to leave him severely alor.jl There's nothing a man dislikes more than for his wife to put on sort of intimate airs of possession - when other people are present." replied a handsome, some-v it go-ahead professional friend, when asked her views upon the subject. And, up to a point, this woman Is right. A man certainly does not enjoy those arrogant little affectations of the wife who introduces "my husband" Into every other sentence, and who makes the poor man feel that he is nothing more than a good and chattel a prized one it's true; but still, for all that, a good and chattel? But, against this, the air of Impersonal aloofness adopted by the aforementioned type of wife is almost equally faulty, for the simple reason that, while aiming at a social condition of separate Independence, she is tending to do away with that spirit of "togetherness" which Mr. G. B. Shaw so strongly urges all mar:--J couples to cultivate. She makes her husband vaguely feel that he does not belong to her that he Is an entirely free agent, in fact, which is a very bad thing for a married man to Not for one second would one urge the theory that a husband should be perpetually conscious of his marital tie, but for ail that, be should not be imbued with the same spirit of heedless, careless freedom which was one of the attributes of his bachelor days. Never allow a married man even momentarily to regard himself as a bachelor and this he Is quite liable to do it the over-easy-going wife refrains from ever drawing public attention to their domestic tie. because when this state of things one begins it is apt to grow until quite serious proportions are assumed. But. again, what a social outrage is the

TOM'

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"The Old Frog Scolded and Begged ard Yelled, and It Was

was a terrible din. The starling shook his black head and flew home to tell his wife what he had seen: "It's an unruly family," he said. "It's an unhappy family." said Mrs. Starling. "As soon as i am able to gi out for a walk with the babies. I will pay them a visit- Our children will be all the better for seeing a little of the world. Then they will value their own good home the more." ND when the little starlings had got their eyes and their feathers and had learnt to fly a little, their mother went out into the meadow with them to say how-do-you-do to the old frog. They went a long way and looked and called out. until at last they found her under a big lump of rock. "Well." said the starling. "I've got so far. The .Cost of the COUNTING noses In Alaska for the 1910 census will be begun at the end of this month, although the general enumeration of the United States will not be commenced until April 15th next The reason for this difference Is that taking the census In Alaska Is a very difficult proceeding, and to secure satisfactory results it Is necessary to begin months ahead of the regular census work. Thus. In taking the 1900 census, the Government found it necessary to send enumerators into some parta of Alaska as early as the middle of July, 1899, and even then it was not until nearly the end of October, 1900, that their work was completed. The census of Alaska In 1900 cost. In round numbers, $72,000, and showed a total population of only 63.692. That means that It cost Uncle Sam Just about $1.13 per head to count Alaska'a population! This time the population Is not expected to be so large and the total cost will be correspondingly smaller, but the chances are the Government will have to pay Just as much, man for man. It It cost Uncle Sam as much to count the rest of his population, the 1910 census would require an appropriation of something like (100.000,000. As It Is, however, conditions In the United Stares proper are so much less formidable than those prevailing in Alaska, that the total cost of the next census has been estimated at only (14,000,000, or about 14 cents a head. Some idea of the difficulties to be encountered by the census taker In Alaska may be gathered from the fact that the Government has had to call upon the Secretary of the Treasury for the loan of a revenue cutter, and gasoline boats will be chartered, dog sleds will be pressed into service, and regular hunting parties will have to be organized to round up the Indians in the woods. Of the 63.000-odd noses counted In 1900, about 30,000 were those of native Indians, and it is ir enumerating these old warriors that the Government officials find their principal embarrassment. Thus Chief Special Agent Andrew X. Thompson has just reported to the Government that the only way to obtain a ?roper estimate of the Indian population s to take the census in the Winter months. "A typical Indian village of three hun over-devoted wife who will persist In public displays of tenderness and affection. The Dowers!" ejaculated a young man in response to a query as to whether he Intended accepting an Invitation given by mutual friends. "No, Indeed, I shan't go! I can't stand the way Mrs. D slobbers over poor Dower and calls him by private pet names tn public It makes a fellow feel so Jolly uncomfortable to have to keep looking away all the time!" Another marital habit to be avoided even more assiduously than sickly public displays of affection Is the "snapping habit." which comes as easily to some wives as to some breeds of turtles. It isn't that they feel In the least Irritable or resentful, or that there Is any lack of real appreciation for the patient, tired man who has been taken . "for better, for worse;" but it Is that by quelling his jokes, stifling his anecdotes, and combatting bis opinions, a certain position of feminine superiority Is evidenced. It is tantamount to saying: "Now, this . is the man I have married. Just see how I can do what I like with him. I

A Singing School For Birds.

T 'HE possibility of training th voices of birds much as human voices are trained In the making of ten or Carusoa and soprano Tetraxxinls has just been demonstrated to thousands of visitors to the London Cage Bird Association's exhibition. Canaries of all breeds dominated the exhibition, in connection with which the members of the Roller Canary Club held their own display in a quiet upper room, where tho soft, rolling music of these birds could be beard and Judged under the bist conditions. There were 142 roll- " ers entered, all British bred, though of German ancestry. Train .id to sing by being kept In a room where a, small pipe organ, played by running water a German patent sets

WAGE

Entreated, and the Young Ones a Terrible Din." as you see. How are things going wit you? Where are your children?" - "They're gone, long ago," said the frog. "They have spread ail over the meadow, and are shifting for themselves." "That's splendid." said the starling. "And what are they like to iook at?" "Lord!" said the frog. "They're the sweetest frogs that ever you saw. They Jump about and say 'Quack! Quack!" t could never have hoped tor better children." "All's well that ends well." said the starling. ."Well," said the frog, at last, "they had to give way in the end, and that la the great thing. Next Winter, we shall all sit In our holes at the bottom of the mill pond and then no one can tell, to look at them, how naughty they were when they wars young." , Census in Alaska. dred people," he aays, "Is scattered 1. fifty different places during the 8umr;.)f months, and It would be a hard task and an expensive one to locate the Indians in the woods, on the waters and tn the temporary camps, especially In a country like Southeastern Alaska. By using tha services of school teachers during tha Christmas vacation, however, the cost of enumerating the native population will be very nominal and about a fifth of what It would cost In the Summer, and, at the aame time. It will be more nearly correct. '. ' : "These conditions apply, to a less pronounced extent, to the white population also, and tha enumeration In tha midwinter will be comparatively simple. There Is one objection to a census tn January, however, and that Is that a number of regular residents go out to the States for the Christmas holidays and do not return again until toward Spring, and this year, too, a tew who are outside, because of the extra attraction of - the Exposition, will remain out- ; side until Spring. This objection, however, can be obviated by making careful Inquiry for all such bona-fide residents who are 'outside and securing their namea and addresses In the States, and thus getting them enumerated here, where tbey belong. It should be said that the work here wilt be done largely by such men. who know practically everybody tn their districts, and also as to where they are." The waters in Mr Thompson's district are open the year round, and such of his enumerators as might be required to travel would, he says, charter gasoline boats, at about $20 per day, the average price. The most difficult portion of Alaska to enumerate, however, consists of what is known as the outlying territory, which Includes the Alaska peninsula, the Aleutian and Prlbllof Islands, and other inaccessible points along tho southwest coast, where an enumeration in the Winter months Is practically impossible. Even in the Summer the question of visiting these points is ' a most serious one, and would Involve the hiring of a steamer, If one could be obtained, which Is doubtful. Knowing, however, that the Revenue Service annually sends a vessel to cruise in Alaskan waters, the Secretary of the Treasury was appealed to, and he has given his consent to the detail of a cutter to convey the special representative of the Census Bureau to such points in this district as may be necessary for the purpose of enumeration. It is estimated that the trip will take about a month and a half, starting from Seward about the middle of June. can treat him just as I please, and he IS so devoted that he puts up with It without a murmur. He is my property; I am boss!" Now. having given a list of "don l'. It may be well to suggest some course of .' action which It Is advisable to adopt, . and nothing is better than for a wife to let all society see that she appreciates, her husband, that It is always a pleasure to speak with and b spoken to by him. and that, while she is quite willing for all the masculine and feminine world to enjoy his society, she demands her right to be first with him on any and every occasion. ' An occasional word of appeal for his opinion, a frequent swift smile of sympathy and understanding, and sometimes a little light gesture to call him momentarily to her side there Is nothing exigent or obtrusive about these small publie tokens of affection; but while not la any way being suggestive of honeymoondevotion, they serve' to evidence and maintain that sweet spirit of "togetherness" which should never, never ba. abandoned. the tune for them, they gathered at Westminster full of sweet music. They wera the first birds to arrive, and four fudges spent twelvs iiours sitting In front of their little cages, listening and awarding marks for the respective notes delivered. Some of these notes are deep bass, others tigh trsble. and all are wonderfully liquid and sweat. Tha eye wa charmed In not a lesser degree than th ear. and tha feathered jewels In the foreign section never lacked a crowd of admirer. A specimen of Hunsteln'a magnificent Bird of Paradise, shown by Mr. O. Milisum, vied in splendor of plumage with Mr. C T. Maxwell's king Bird of Paradise. The former, - which won a first prize, wa priced at $7,500, and the latter at SS.CKNtr

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