MOON FRIENDS

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 96, 20 October 1934, Page 20

MOON FRIENDS

(Writtenvfor/the Riri£ by "Medußa," Seatoun.)

TEIERE was nothing rcriiarkkble about,.-.Jimiiiy.. He ; -was, just a littl< orphan boy, with: a/, very; thin little- body, untidy hair, and huge ques Zoning brown-6j;es. : As. long as he could remember he'd been ii an orphanage and'suffered/the kicks and knocks of the older boys. No on< cared what he'thought, and even cared, if he did think; he was just anothe .OJW. to.Joule.'.afieiV. ::■::::.:■. I' L . ; j;.'-;.- , >-,v- / .:■•;. .-; ; . ..,,;■ ...When--ho was ..twelve he decided; ho coiild'do bettci';-'|or:,' i .himself any ....where. ratKeiL.th.au.. Ay;ii&i_tljG.ji'our^--di-smal walls of -the--' orphanag^ so on. night,' when the moon was hidden by kindly clouds, he, slipped away inti the dirkncss. It was> then, his wanderings beganj'in fact, as far; 33. Jimih; -; was conebrneil,' his; lif^o'TCally:' began-that night., ': '-.- .. '■■'.-:;■. [''■'■'. "', He experienced l;t'f6/thrill "of his first sweet-smelling "straw 'he'd, the jo; of. lying watching-they-stars;-but, best of all, the feeling that he was his owi -.: master and could fond v fpi himself. He awakened with the :soundsof twit tiering birds and the sun streamingjinto his eyes.. His first thought 'pn'sittinj up was of Something' to oat. jlLooking about him, ho espied a little cottage .so oil. he-trotted-I»rlieg_ for • a' little'breakfast. ."" t ",■" '■■ .'-,«. ;■ ' A woman with .a^grim, gaunt face opened the ■ door'to 'Mm.-"" "Well, ■ sonny, and what fcai. I do for you?' } she inquired in a kindl' ' votee.^ ••■-■. : ;■;■■;:■' ■;•■/; '.?;:;;.^: r" . ■ ■.. . •■' ..■ .. "'■..;; •■.■.■••: "Please, ma'am, I'm y'Sryihungryj could you spare me a ci'ust of breai and a driuk of water '%'■'•'■. ,■; . / , .... ■...••.. The oyes of tho womaii softened as she said: "Why} .laddie, I gucs we've a littlo too much; breakfast here for us; you tie' a good little fellov ■ aud eat up-tho scraps for us." Jimmy began his first real meal. Good, thicl slices of hoine-mado- bread, plenty of good yellow butter,'.tasty cheese, an> honey which' hod never seen before. -Ho;finished off with a large-glass 0 milk, hrs-cyie.s-^listeningfMtlx satisfaction"- and' conteiitmeht/"' " " i;-:' The woman -watched it all:i disa,p.peariug^ u aiid. felt.'a warm glow crco" ■'■■round- her heart.•: '"Poor littlo ;ifei}6sv,";'sl|,e,::iho'ught. "I wonder what un c.forhmate mother died to'-'ileave sjuc.li a^pVpat^Trttle fellow all'"aldheP' :f . :'■ As he was leaving^Bhcfe'slippdti a," little package .of fbpd'intd ids ham and murmured, in his ea,r, 'fiHere, son, take cafg "of yourself." : ■ ■■-. .Jimmy lived-thus'for niA^yi moiithsjf ihej^ging: food, qi when, .that provec of ho avail,' stealing. ■: Ho caino; to J6vo iJflie p^nrie'ss of '"the world abou him, v and. would sit'^fpr hours watching th« ; -ojfel?scent glow of -sutiiet merg' ,; into pansy-.hues of twilight; until night 'fell 1 Tattf a 1 'is&hifo'fting easiness tha , ho; loved. Unliko most childrbni bQ:tv«B3unafr ; iiid><)f--th'o' weird o waiglit. Tho shapos .aai. fork's that.-'e'"m;c'j>gi3d^'%|^teribusly .froujt^'fhe";silve ■..moonlight were his--playfellow's, wlie^eiJeijfcclgsßrtb^jim and'toid^Jian atrang' "tales of. forgotten ages.and of thrilling-.adyeutures before the-sEp/ld was : sphere ■in -the' mighty, .heavens. : "iv:"-^ ; .-'• .'^:. They whispered tb: him each '■e^Qni^^lf'^Eujip'j Jimmy, ■wo'^ije ~jiad sue! fiin all day," a'ad ithey ;would tell hini of : .git9?ige,"far lands they. h^d; visite< during the dayT Wh'eii^jlaybreak came liis moon friends, would. McL Jimmi farewell, andVoncijilnore/KoM set Out 6ft; Jiis^'WaSiderings.^ .f£T .-■'.'- His -.friends -'wora.-inanyiand v&ried^Tio'jf'ci:oon to • tfiiT'BowejiS, whispe strange t.O ; th.e:;.3is|e,iiung symp;ftfihetie;sfrees/ shout "with sheer : 'joy whei the wind gathered,: him .iip-in strong.arms arid, bore him alongj'.'chueklinf gleefully in his-*ars -thej-while. ■'■ '■'"•■••' ■ .'^ ; - ■''; '■■;,. \ ■Jimmy became a child, of weird ideas-and'iiiystic languages—stray .animals ' mals lovod him foi'.liis^ gentle ways'' and perfect understanding; birds am insects alike came to him as to tliejr fellow, creatures. He was a child 0 ili'eams, existing"in a "wonderful wofld of beauty and glorious', companion .•ship with Nature —till'one night hi,4 moon friends persuaded-him to ,-joii :them in tlioir ramblings,across vthe world. Gladly he accepted the in,vitatiot of: his..-beloved friends, and., went, jjoyfully, stretching out his arms in ai ecstasy Of joy. .":■:,■-- ' ■:■■-"■■' ■'■'■ '■■■'.■■' ■■■ ' ■■'•■ ' '■ ISights later 3ie"espied; the jßgure o£ a- little boy, lying face- downward: ou the earth, -with .outstretched:'arms." " He laughed iand cried,.-"Good-bye earth-body. I have; left you behind in another .world, but f have travelled on tor a greater^ more wonderful world, where time and place have no exist ence. Good-bye—{Jo.od-bye.'*