A BRAVE BOY BRIGADER

Evening Star, Issue 23325, 22 July 1939, Page 8

A BRAVE BOY BRIGADER

A . brayo deed at Collace, in Perthshire, A^ieiiK'.wetiks 1 ago'.Jiasf won for James Alexander the Cross for Heroism of the Boys’ Brigade. James, who is IS, was grooming ;a horse in a stable at Fairy Green Farm when the animal overturned a lamp and Hie hay on the floor, was set alight. Only nis, mother and a young brother were at th» farm at the time; Hearing his. shouts, they helped him .in his attempts to put out the fire with buckets of water. The flames, however, spread rapidly, and soon the whole stable was ablaze.

While hie mother sent for the fire brigade, James unaided stood by the five horses, who were plunging'madly in their terror. He succeeded in cut> ting the halters of two horses and led them to safety, but in trying to rescue a third horse he was severely kicked, and was only able to escape through the blinding smoke just before the roof fell in. THE PUT-IT-OFF My friend, have you heard of the town of Yawn, On the banks of the River Slow, Where blossoms the Wait-a-while flower fair, Where the Sometime-or-other scents the air, And the soft Go-easys grow? It lies in the valley of What’s-the-use, In the province of Let-us-slide; That tired feeling is native there; It’s the home of the listless I-don’t rare, Where the Put-it-offs abide. THE LIONS AHD THE BELL There has passed on'at Guisborough, in Yorkshire. Sir Alfred Pease, a man of much learning and a groat lover of adventure. Ho was in Africa in 1903 when he succeeded ito the baronetcy, and he loved tp tell how he rode here and there on his bicycle, although the district was infested with lions. When someone asked it he were not afraid of the lions, he replied that there was no need to be. “ They always went off,” he'said, “ when I rang.niy bell.”

vercargill to see Otago win. lam singing in the St, Clair School Choir on Tuesday night in the Main Town Hall. —1 remain, yours sincerely, Jack'.Bulgers , ■'

. [Thank you .for your letter,' Jack Bulger. Your name is on the Honour Post, and you are winner of the best letter prize. Brother; Bill has to confess that he is not a Rugby fan, but he publishes your -selection ■- in the letter. - It is sure to interest other- bairns. He hopes you will. be able to go to Invercargill Brother Bill' heard' the singing at the Town Hall. It was good. Write again soon.]

25 Nicholson street, South Dunedin. Dear Big Brother Bill, —This is the first time I have written to you. I read the bairns’ page every Saturday night, and find it very interesting, especially the new serial. I have a cat called Nickie, and he has been in the cats’ hospital and had seven lots of chloroform, poor thing. I also have two canaries, and they whistle all day in summer. I learn music and find it very lovely to play. lam in Standard 111. at Macandrew Road School, and have a very nice teacher. • We have just shifted into our new class at school. At Sunday school we have just had our exams, and I hope to receive a prize. It is getting late, and I had better close.—l remain, your loving bairn, Doreen Crosland. [Thank you for your letter, Doreen Crosland. Your name is on the Honour Post for neat writing. You are welcome to the family. Poor puss! so many doses of chloroform must mean serious trouble. Brother Bill hopes that all your anticipations of prizewinning will not be disappointed. Write again soon.] Warepa. Dear Big Brother Bill, —This is the first time I have written to you. I am in Standard 111., and I go to Warepa School and I get a ride down in a bus every morning. I listen to the children’s hour every night, and' think it is very interesting. At home I have a big cat which is called Tom. When we got him he was just a little kitten. He has black and white stripes and a black face with one white ear. We have another cat, too, which we call Fluff.—Alan Day.

For R Jack Bulger, 88 Surrey street, CaverM sham, S.W.I. For interest. A Doreen Crosland, '25 Nicholson street. South Dunedin, R" S.W.I. For neat writ* ing.

[Thank you for your letter, Alan Day. Welcome to the bairns’ club. Brother Bill will now add yet another name to the bairns who write to him from Warepa School. He will also look forward to more letters. They are interesting to read. With all his stripes, Tom sounds to be a tigerish cat. Does he behave well? Write again soon.] Warepa. Dear Big Brother Bill, —May I join your club of little folk? I am nine years of age and am in Standard 11. at school. At home we have four horses called Dick, Nigger, Jock, and Bess. We have a black and white dog named Mick. At school we have had our examination. I got 382 marks. We have two cats, Blacky and Dusky Diamond.—Your friend Bobby M'Kerrow. [Thank you for your letter, Bobbv M'Kerrow. Welcome to the club, too. Dusky Diamond is quite an original name for a cat, but a nice one, Bobby. Do you ride any of the horses? Congratulations on the number of marks from the examination. _ Keep up the good work. Write again soon.] PEN FRIENDS' CORNER Bairns who wish for a pen friend are asked to send their letters 'to Big Brother Bill. Others who know of pen friends in foreign countries will help if they send name and addresses also. Any bairn who can send a pen friend to Nghairi Kroon whose letter appears below, will help by doing so. 9-15 Cumberland street. Dear Big Brother Bill, —Could you get me a pen friend at cither Hawaii or Africa—a girl about 10 or 11.— Yours sincerely, Nghairi Kroon. FIVE MEN AND A SINKING SHIP There was a thrilling adventure off the island of Skye the other day ; when five exhausted men appeared m the Highland village of Glen Brittle, their vessel wrecked on a reef six miles away. The young skipper leapt into the sea as the ship went down, and swam with a rope to the first of a group of reefs between ship and shore, the other end of the lifeline being tied to the mast. He hauled the crew up to the reef one by one, and then, swimming from reef to reef, each man at last reached shore PETER PUCK DN UMPIRES Perplexing is an umpire’s job; Of that there is but little doubt. When batsmen happen to be in, He has to say if they are out!