CHILDREN'S COMER.

Evening Star, Issue 14627, 25 July 1911, Page 9

CHILDREN'S COMER.

AN UNWILLING TERRITORIAL. [By 0G.8.] It was Friday night, and I had received orders earlier to go down to the Garrison Hall to let the learned physicians see if I was working right inside, that my optics were right, and that I was in every way fitted to defend my country against all invaders.

Well, it was written on my card to go at 8 o'clock, but I went ai 7.30, partly to avoid the crush, but mostly because I wanted to get away early. I stood in a long line of little boys' who turned the scale at about 51b. Though not very large myself, I felt like a father to any of them. Well, my turn came, my card was filled in, and I walked over to a squat figure in khaki, who measured me. This was written down on the card, and I moved on to be weighed. While standing on the scale, with my cap pulled over rny eyes, and feeling more like a slave being put up for auction than anything eke. I beard a gruff voice say: "Hokl up your head." I threw back my head till my cap nearly fell off, but that didnt suit him. His next question (given mare like an order) was: "What color is your hair?" " Tawny," I replied, feeling rather nettled by his abruptness. "What color are your eyes?" " Green." This was marked down, and at last I stood at the end of a long line waiting for what I knew not next. Then I heard a voice say: " Open your vests, so as not to keep the doctor waitijog." Now, I had resolved to be deaf, as I didn't think they would make a deaf boy drill if he couldn't hear orders. So I yelled out "I beg your pardon," thinking that every little might help. He didn't repeat his order, so I opened my vest. Soon my turn came to go into another room, where I was measured round the waist. I measured over 30in, partly from good living and partly from having nothing to do. 'Then round my chest, first with my wind out and then with it in. Next came the testing of my eyesight, and I started reading with my left eye, while I covered the right one with my hand. I got on Al. but Avhen I came to read with my right eye I found I had stuck my finger in it; consequently I couldn't even read the top line. I received a roar from the commanding officer, and was put back to the far end of the Hue till I got my sight back. My turn soon canio again, and I got through fine. Then I passed on to where rather a decent-looking doctor was standing with a stethescope m his hand. He placed it over my heart and listened. Oh, how I tried to make my heart go faster! I suppose half a dozen beats or so would have done it; but no, it was not to be. Unlike most boys, there wasn't anything worrying my heart. Next the doctor tried my lungs. I tried to cough—and a lowdown, deep cough, nearer my boots than j my lunge. Either he didn't or, rather, he | wouldn"t hear it. Perhaps someone had j tried it on before me. If he had only j known how I had been practising that , congh for two days before 1 am sine such j a decent-looking chap would have had com- j passion on me, and let me have consump- j tion.

Nexfc I had to open my mouth to show my teeth. Ah, here was'a hope. I knew I needed a tooth stopped, and I had purposely waited until after the examination before going to the dentist, as I wanted all my defects to come to my aid, for if there "is one thing I detest it is military drill. But what a cheek he had! He screwed into my mouth till T thought, he must have seen my tea, and then said : " They are very good indeed. All stopped, aren't they?" 'i said "Yes"—l don't know what, the deuce far. Then I had to say if I had any mark I could be distinguished by. I said: "Generally, by a high-water mark," and pulled down my oollar in order to lot him see. He told me that I couldn't be distinguished from most boys by that only. So I said I hadn't seen round my back, so I was unable to swear to any marks there. Then 1 had to tell the color' of bits of wool, to show I wasn't color-blind, after which he asked me if my hearing -was right. I just remembered that I had forgotten to bet; his pardon for, anything, and had answered all his questions quickly and correctly. So without testing me he marked down good. Then, with a push and a heave through a lot of old ambulance carts and other things, I found myself in the street, with my vest open, and with my heart sick for once, because I had passed iny examination and drill and the- horrors of the morning were all before me. THE LANGUAGE OP DOVES. 51. Sibillot, described as au eminent French " columbophile," olaims to have mastered the language of doves. From what he tells us of it, their billing and cooing seems less melodious than we have hitherto supposed. The following, the 'Telegraph' declares, is a short vocabulary:—" Ahis "—" I love you." " Ooboo "—" I am very pleased." '• Brrroo " —"I am verv handsome." "Vroof" —'"lam afraid." '* Broo coo"—" I am angry." " Rrrooff"—" Get away." Finally, when a turtle-dove pays court to his sweetheart, ho murmurs: "Ha! Broo coo too kroor," and the lady twigs at once.

THE ORIGIN OF THE DOMESTIC CAT. In an article in the ' Gornhill Magazine' Mr Frederick Boyle says it is and somewhat humiliating to recall that civilised man has added scarcely one useful creature to the list of those which he inherited from his savage forefathers. Even for the few which have been introduced into Europe since prehistoric times, as buffaloes, catj, and poultry, no credit is due to him —they were tamed elsewhere. That Europe received cats from Egypt is indisputable, but a. late discovery suggests, not to say proves, that the credit of taming a beast, so peculiarly savage must be bestowed elsewhere. A papyrus of tho eleventh or twelfth dynasty, not less than 3.000 8.C., mentions cats amongst the "articles" imported from Nubia. But many years ago Professor Owen demonstrated tbat the Egyptian cat could not be descended from the Nubian wild species, and the solution of its origin is not therefore as simple a matter as at the first glance it might appear to be. Doubtless, however, cats were tamed by savages, whether in Egypt or elsewhere. In South America Darwin Temarked thai the business of domesticating the birds and animals captured was left to wild Indians, and he also learned that the work is done specially by the women. When a fierce creature can be persuaded to take food from the lips it is nearly vanquished, and to effect this is the grand endeavor. But one may venture to sav that the Indians do not waste their time over wild cats. If the original of our household puss partook of the nature of those demons, it must haw been tended with patient care for many generations before it could be handled, and some people protest that cats are not really tame even now THE BOY'PROBLEM. It is told of an English father that one day he consulted a friend as to what career be ought to select for his son —a boy of ten. The friend thought the matter over for a bit, and then advised the father as follows: —"Lock vour boy in a room wher? there is a Bible on the table, an apple, and somo pieces of money. After a quarter of an hour open the door noiselessly, and see what the boy is doing. If he "is wading the Bible, make him a clergyman: if his attention is concentrated on the apple, make him a farmer; and if he is amusing himself by counting the money, it is plain that he is meant for a financier." Tbe experiment was tried, and when the friend inquired what the result was, the father replied: " I found him sitting on the Bible: he had pocketed the money, and was eating the "Make him a member of Parliament, then," was tbe advice of the friend.

GOING ES~ SWIMMING AT NIGHT. A gay story in the ' St. Nicholas ' has one of the prettiest pictures of boy life that on© remembers to have seen for a long time. A dozen lads rise at midnight and tip-toe out of the house where they live together in the school grounds. Out through the- woodlands they trip, single file, all in their gleaming white pyjamas. They chant through the quiet night a song each as youngsters love, but as they sing very softly the voices no doubt lend a grace to the moonlighted green all around them. They Teach a pond that lies black under the "night, save -where tbo moon path dips across it. Two of the lads avo to be initiated into the new ischool life that night. One who can«swini is stripped of his pyjamas, is ceremoniously dubbed with a funny nickname, and flung by two of his mates into the middle of the pool. He finds the water warm and shallow and cries out for the others to come along in. Shedding their night robes, iu splash ail

the sleoder young things, and tfee silent grove echoes with the subdued mirth and the pleasant sound of the disturbed waters. Soon there is a foot race across the grass, over to the big oak and back. Then ckrthing is donned again, em-ybody getting some one's else, except the youth dubbed CHara, who wears white silk. They march back to the house, dropping into silent Indian file aa they draw near. LITTLE O SAN. O San was a wee little Japanese maid, And a little kimona she wore, And 0 San lovsd to play all day long in the sun, 'Mid the flowers near the pink tea-house door. Bnt one noon a bine bntterfly dancing along Called little O San from her play. And when the big dark crept all over the sky, Far from home she had wandered away. And she might have been lost, dear little 0 San, But she carried a, wee little charm In a wee little bag, tied around her weewaist. And it kept her quite safe from all harm. In the wee little bag, all satin and silk, And chrysanthemums, too, as you'll guess. Was a wee bit of paper, all Japanese marks. That told 0 San's name and address. So when the bright stars came out in the sky, Some one knocked at the pink teahouse door; Dear little O San! She was safe homo again. Because of the charm that she wore. So if when you play you are likely t" roam, When a butterfly calls yon from play, Twil be best if you wear jtist the same sort of charm As little 0 San wore that day. A wee little bag, all satin and silk, And some roses embroidered, I guess, With a wee bit of paper, all pothooks and dots. To tell your name and address. K.G.O. For children's hacking cough at Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, 1a 6d, 3t Id. -{Advt.]