LITTLE FOLKS' COLUMN.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 217, 15 September 1886, Page 4

LITTLE FOLKS' COLUMN.

THE SHALL BOY.

One day I sat in a railway carriage on the London and North-Westprn Railway beside a pale careworn lady who wan taking a little boy from Liverpool to Manchester. Aβ the little boy was of a very inquiring mind, and everything seemed to attract his attention, I could Hot help listening to aouio of his questions. " What ia that, auntie'/" the little boy commenced, pointing to a stack of hay in a field. " Oh,that's hay, dear," answered tho careworn lady. " What is hay, auntie?" " Why. hay is hay, dear." " But what ia hay made of ?" " Why, bay is made of dirt and water and air." "Who makes it?" " God makes it, dear." "Does ho make it in the daytime or in tho night ?" " In both, dear." "And Sundays?" " Yes, all tho timo " " Ain't it wicked to make bay on Sundays, auntie?" "Oh ! I don't know. Do keep still, Willie, that's a dear. Auntie is tired."

Aft.;r remaining quiet a moment little Willie broke out: " Where do stars come from, auntie J" " I don't know ; nobody knows." " Did tho moon lay 'om ?" "Yea, I think 50, ,, replied the wicked lady. " Can the moon lay oggs, too ?" " I suppose so. Don't bothor me I" Another short silence, when Willie broke out : " Benny says oxins is an owl, auntie ; is they ?" " Oh I perhaps so." " I think a whale could lay eggs—don't you.auntio?" " Oh ! yes—l think su," said the shameless woman. " Did you ever 3ee a whale on its nest ?" "Oh ! Ibelieveeo." "Whore?" " I mean no Willie, you must bo quiet; I'm getting crazy," ■' What makes you crazy, auntie?" " Oh, dear ! you ask so many questions ?" " Did you ever see a little fly eat eugar 1" " Yee, dear." "Where?" "Willie, sit down on the seat ani be still, or I'll shake you. Mow, not another word I" And tho lady pointed her finger eharply to the little boy, aa if she wera going to stick it through him. If she had been a wicked woman she would have sworn. There are four million little boys like Willie in England. Why is the letter "r"like the face of Hamlet's father?— Because he is more in sorrow than in anger. While all the letters of the Englieh alphabet are regularly employed, twenty-two of them are alway3 out of " work." " I say, Jim, which would you rather— that a lion tore you to pieces or a tiger ?" " Why, you goose, of course I'd rather a lion tore a tiger to pieces."

pockets and tound therein £22 13a 3d, also a silver watch and chain with a locket attached. I likewise found a email purse and a ecrap of paper containing some pencil writing. This being all the evidence, the Coroner said thatit seemed quite clear that deceased died by hig own hand, so that the only question was aa to his atateof mind at the time. All present but the jury then withdrew, and the latter, aftor 15 minutos' deliberation, found that tho deceased committed suicide whilo in a doranged state of mind resulting from despondency.