The Young Folk.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 698, 24 December 1909, Page 13

The Young Folk.

° M ;.j ■ r I'ADVENTURE OF TWO LITTLE BLACK : | BOYS. Tho. sun shono ,brightly ovor the islands of, , IJermuda, and a largo field thickly growii with tall palms, oleanders, and wild flowers, seemed - to liavo the special favour,of its warmth. On .-.v* a platform of soft, cool grass 'loy,,strctchcd at :; full length tAvo young negro lads, natives of the islands. The older was about iourtcen years uf 1 - ;' age, and his companion was perhaps two years inyounger.". , ' ' Not far below lay the broad expanse of ocean, ' ! and away to tho left 1 lay tho .little ' foot-hills'.' j It was :during the spring^month,' when' ..fjislands wear ..their' most , joyous ■ colouting. liverj-" little flower, plant, and vegetable :•: seemed to be. stretching its leaves up. into th# >f.; sunshine,', v,. s Cari, tho older of tho two boys, rolled over ;: and seemingly buried his faco in tlio sou earth, in which position he lay perfectly quiet % • lor-a full ; minuto. , : "There is a cold air blowing. up into my face!"; ho exclaimed, springing to' his .i'cfcfo-j//s Edgar saw a small opomng in tho ground/ .; that-might, to tho casual observer, have passeil •> . ; for a rabbit-holoj but as the children pressed a;:, their. faccsinto - it, a. cold draught; telutne'in that it came-from many lect below, - ; •'!.',,,'•-' "There must bo a cavo down there," said . Carl, "and 1 am going to make tho hol» ; bigger." ■ ■ 1, , ■■-,•, .• "• Tfio two boys ran'.home, soon returning armed; with a spade -and pickaxe; ..and-: alter; «.- le\r. % • minutes of hard -work- there-appeared to theirj: gazo the entrance to a'.holo 'irtoiclt''looked- to, bottomless, and • when they dropped in larga stones-the noise of, the descent was. lost: .ill v.silence, many Vi'oot below. , i- : Carl hastily pulled oil his coat and hat. "I'm: i-going 'down," no said,;^"and when 1 call, you follow; me,"; whereupon >ho made: ; his -.way^'ff. downward, half-climljing,- half-falling, and dis- : ' if; appeared in - tho darkness.. ■ '■Aftfr-'seeming ages of.'-suspense,' Edga- heard/ him 'calling; buti tlit> dark cave was too 'lnUch -tfS> for the; lad's courage, and he shouted to his friend to como up Again ■ tho sound. of,,crumbling.■ rocki :and ;'-,'i. Can;,stood beside him. ' ■" V::'. "Now, ; wO -must-!'get a ropo.'.and>candles''to' take; down," lie said, ' for it s black as night,' , fi and-all 'the stones -I broko off fcll;mto water."-. ;. ( - "The cluldrc'n : wore very-mysterious and's«x-%| -cited on their return .homo that; night, lor they had decided not to mention the dlsw 01) until further explorations had. been made, I v;* ■ Morning found; tho. two littlo; workmen.agaihvl ''.; on the scene. 1 On the ground lav rope, boards, ;■ uailsi i and lanterns. ; First . tho iope lowered; and. Cmi slid down, lnilid oAcr hand, until ,he ] -stood: tei' level ground. -, Next, the. ropo • :, o was hauled up and boards and. lanteins let ' dowi, in', a few "seconds ' Kdgar ; stood: .be*;/? | side him iii-tho darkiiess, where there': wasVuo./,v ! sound^but; the murmur of tho uilseen watciv,:, '/'j With the aid of the lanterns tho children- / began, to/.carcfully ,pick .their -way \fbrward'S-s ■through tbo ' 'i"y--'/:j/v . What looked like huge icicles- of purest cryetal hung, from the ; roof, and the. ground;' foot was " composed ; of 1 tho ■ same . substanceV/;i.> Presently they- stood on the . land's edge, . and •;■■:.: before.ithem stretched a ;sheet.. of,; perfectly-ci; transparent-. turquoiM-blue .-water.:. ■- ■ " Here the ( r, sat down, nailed ; the boards togethor until they took . the - form of a, crude raft, , and in this strange manner'the lads set -forth- on■ their/ still 1 stranger' 1 journey, • .'/ •;'• v/v The..water, extended all over the cave, it# -smooth surface broken only by-! fourV-smkll : -'Hv islands of whitest- stone,--ana- everywhere from . the roof.hung the. crystal icicles of stalactites , .Completely fascinated by. tho. liew, wonderSr?s.l that each moment , sprang .into •,Tiow,''tfo ;: chiP';'js: dren, forgetful /alike of ;iood- and worried.par-;. ents, paddled about;all \day; : and : thcy/::\f' finally regained tho World, above,/ the' silir hald'Mi set. ■ ■'.-' -. , ' J l . ,■/'■' r --- ~ ';1 ■■'.'■•■ ../

For two months the.discoverers spent oacli.>■ day. intlio strangest and most 'faschiatiriE ;Ssl playground 'ever''known;. to.' "chil'dlip'od,•' and on' leaoli. little ; island - 'lanterns ■■ were;'placed:;:}).! which,.-/ when; lighted,;..brought; :• the V parts l ofthe. cave' dimly .intp...'yiew,,, and here, uinoiig the . shadows, the children, swanv - uiidy '.l played'marvellous,games'"by the hour.,' , • Bv ami by other children vcro let into 'the ■ seciel, and the new* Mire-id ripidhioier tlii r little village of .BailevVßitV! l And''Out d'iv; :; < 'accompanied l)y, their fathers, tlicy led tho: ■,•:' way down into the. cave.; Somo'.lime after an' entrance Wjis' blown' but-by dynamito'-'in another portion of the field, and'b. broad : flight of stairs laid,: down': which, by paying two; bliiK>/ lings, hundreds of -cimoriii'-HghtsecM• ironi*-a!l.''->1? over Iho • vorld, may-' safely. descend . into; tho"/:-:; boys fairyland,'which is now brightly, illumm-.'-$ atcd. by electric light, wh:lo. over its- (stilt waters''• little floating . bridges - havebben , laid . from end. to end, adistauce of scven-hundr&d' feet.' : . s - ■ i.'Clio lads -bavp left Bermuda, and aro being given a liberal education .in ono of tho -'i .large colleges. of -the States, where theywere sent by; the > grateful ■ owners of the land under -/' which lies the now 'world-famous' Crystal.Cave..;'';: "SAY IT QUICK." . Youngsters .used to - ask .o'ne. anithet." to- say 'j?' rapidly such . tongue as, .;'A .skunk jumped over a stump . into a skunk: hole, 4 ': v. 'and-"What sort ot a nou-ii'annoys un : oyster? v A.--noisy;noise annoys an oyster!'■.[.■ ... i ... -..'-.s ■" Tho girls could bent, the boys at that game iH because, they, could gabble faster. • ; Fij tongue," says an old Yankee proverb, ."is hung j iri the middle and runs at:both ends, and.tho . ? girls" certainly .iwcro able M6'-;ratll»> off-, great, rate .these' mentioned: phrases, as , well as S;! the'riddle, "Jf Peter Piper picked n peck-of--,., pickle'peppers, how many pickle- poppers did ' Peter Piper pick"" ■ '. -Various ingenious, wights have concocted r , phrases, difhcult. to - 6ay "tfrippingly with' tho w tongue." - Perhaps the three that here- follow ;J are;the hardest to repeat — .■-■■"l'lesh of;freshly dried flying: fish." >•. ) ' "A growing..gleam' glowing green."; "The bleak breeze blighted tho bright broom -,*' blossoms." ■ Alliteration is not always necessary'to make -.i: a sentence a tongue twister, though most brief examples bliow that peculiarity. Hero is a-, longer souteneft that exhibits about as unhappy ■; a collection of syllables as can bo brought to- | gother-in the English'language:—. "She stood at_ tlio door of Mrs. : Smith s i sauce-shop wolcoining him 111." ■.• ■ ■ ■ a* i Thero is a beautiful lake near Webster, Mas-'-'-, s'achusctts, tho Indian name of' which : i'S:. the':;J length of an; old-fashioned hay.'rope,, arid;';as, : :'v | hard' to pronounce quickly ns:m»ny ot thofo carefully thought-out catch ' phrases,; VVThe 'j I aborigine called tho; lake' Ghoc-a-ga-gog-inau- 1; ; ohoc-a-gog-cliau-bun-a-guii-ga-niaug—then-,-caught his-breath, ilio-meaning of'tho . thing i in linglish-would probably rbo as , long - and in-.; - volved as the, introductory; sentence-'bli/Jtus-'J'i | kin's "Modern Painters." ■ ■■ . ; p. I . Hero are a few more of • the phrases calling; for linguistic acrobatics:— . "Six thick thistle .sticks."'. ; ; ; I "Two toads - tried to trot to Tedbury." • ■ "Give Grimes Jun's great gilt-gig wlup." ■ ;; :> "A special 'sale of: selected..shopworn satinv? slippers." ;'j;-: "Strict,'/ strong'. Stephen -''Stringer;'snared;'.' slickly', sii siokly,, silky 'snakes." ■ ; ''i.S----MY DOLLY. ' ! .-; . (Alison 11. Stewart) ■?■ '.. I wonder what, you would say, Dolly, ;v : 5 I -If you ,could only talk? . ' . j, . II wonder where vou.would,Dolly, ■ " 'v.' I If you could only Svalkr , II ' think you Avould talk' about Dollyl&iid,i I 'And the wonderful things you seo;;, , I And I think you would take me to Fairylond; j ■ And you'd' tell mo , that "you -loved mo.;. ' :-i 1 Will you try very -hard; to:-talk Dolly, .v I If it's only to ploaso me, dear? I Oh, do try very, hard to walk, Dolly—:; v. ' I. You would have nothing to fear,/ v., II wonder if you could run, Dolly, :'■-■.■•';■; | If I took hold of your hand? 1 Oh, we should havo such fun,' Dolly, I Playing in Dollylandl. :■ ' i