JIM

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 17756, 17 September 1927, Page 12

JIM

A BRAVE ST BERNARD.

Of course, I must tell you who Jim is, so that you may understand my story. He is a fine, big three-year-old St Bernard. :, He is brown and white, and his soft brown eyes at one with a melancholy expression in them. To-day Jim’s little mistress Lucy is being taken to a large building called by'human beings tlie “hospital.” The day before yesterday, Lucy had fallen while rollerskating and had broken her hip. Jim knows that he will noi see Lucy for a long time, and so lie wants to say farewell. Quickly running to her side, he licks her burning cheek. Now she is going to leave, and Jim feels very dejected because he can’t go too. Sitting in a corner and not moving, Jim watches the doctor lift Lucy on to the stretcher and carry her out to the ambulance that is waiting in the street to take her to the hospital. In a few minutes she will be gone. Jim, not able to resist the impulse any longer, springs through the street door, which stands ajar, and runs after the ambulance which is speeding down the street. He runs until he is quite out of breath and cannot run any further. On hearing his master’s voice calling him, Jim turns abruptly and heads for home. Lucy’s mother has gone with the child, and her father has to go to business. So there is no one to console Jim in his sorrow. To-night Jim can hardly sleep; he is so broken-hearted. Getting up from the foot of Lucy’s unoccupied bed, Jim softly creeps down the staircase. Half of the way. down he is startled by the siren of E a flreengine and people outside shouting, “It’s the hospital! It is on fire!” There is something familiar to Jim in those sounds. What is it? “Hospital!” That is where they took Lucy. Reminded of his grief, Jim barks aloud, waking the whole household. Lucy’s father comes down the staircase, he being the only one awake at that hour. Two o’clock in the morning! Throwing on his coat, he leaves the house with Jim at his heels. They have reached the blazing hospital. Firemen are trying to quench the flames, but all in vain! One of the people next to Jim says, “There is a child in there that they can’t get. . Five years old. They say her name is Lucy Arnold.” “Great Scot!” crie3 Mr Arnold, "That’s my child!” He runs toward the burning building, only to be stopped by policemen. Jim runs into the building unseen. Up the staircase •he goes. Now he is on the landing. Coming close to a little heap on the floor he stops and sniffs. He barks for joy. A feeble little voice comes from the heap on the floor. “Jim,” it cries, “take me away, please!” It is Lucy! Half lifting herself from the floor, she throws her arms around his neck and puts one leg on his back. She is half astride. The dog runs swiftly down the stairs and out the door. They are just in time, for no sooner do they reach the street than the walls crumble and fall in. The place is ruined, hut every one is saved. As Jim reaches the street shouts of praise sound from the crowd: “Bravo!” “Hero!” “Hurrah!” Newspaper reporters are rushing up, all eager to write a story about the rescue. Mr Arnold and his wife are so happy that tears of joy are streaming down their cheeks. It is many days after the event now. Jim is very proud and happy and goes about with a gold life-sav-ing medal suspended from a gold chain on his new collar. But I think his happiness will not be complete until Lucy is well again, and, as for her, she is rapidly improving and will soon be able to romp and play with Jim once more.

LITTLE LAUGHS. Teacher: “Now tell me, Johnny, what are knuckles?” Johnny: “Little elbows on my Angers, sir.” Explained. Father (enraged): “This new saw I bought is useless. It wouldn t cut butter!” _ ~ Small Sou: “Oh, yes it would, Dad. Billy and I cut a brick in half with it this morning.” (Sent by Graham Murdoch, Timaru). A teacher in a continental school had spent some time explaining to his class the meaning of the words “defence,” “defeat” and “detail, and at last he asked a pupil to give a sentence containing the three words. Pupil: “When de dog jumps over de fence de feet go before de tail. (Sent by Bruce Nicol, Christchurch). Hopeful. The output of pennies by United States mints in the first six months of 1927 ivas 175,847,000. In exchange, optimists succeeded in extracting 13 pieces of gum and four of chocolate from slot machines. She (alarmingly): “Gosh, Bill you pet with perfect technique! How do you keep in training?” He: “I was stroking the Wellesley crew all spring.” A Silly Ass. A certain man was in the habit of dispensing with a waistcoat whether it was summer or winter. During a cold snap he was travelling to town by train. Seated in the same compartment was a small boy, evidently much interested in the man’s unusual attire. At last the child’s curiosity overcame his politeness, and he asked his father: “Daddy, is that man going to play cricket?” There came an admonition and a whispered explanation, and then the innocent inquiry: “Daddy, what is a silly ass?” The New Car. Sunday. The new car is washed, polished, dusted, oiled and not driven over 20 miles an hour. Monday. The new car is polished, dusted, oiled and not driven over 25 miles an hour. Tuesday. Tlie new car is dusted, oiled and not driven over 30 miles an hour. Wednesday. The new car is oiled and not driven over 40 miles an hour. Thursday. The new car is not driven over 50 miles an hour. Friday. The car is no longer new.

RIDDLES,

Q.: What is a zebra? A.: A donkey with a football jersey on. . . (Sent by Ellen Cague, Otaio.) C<>.: • What is "the dilfcrenco oetvee'n the Prince of Wales and a fountain A.: One is heir to the throne, and '.lve other is thrown to the air. (Sent by Kileoiv Barry, lU'ffwo )