FOR THE CHILDREN

Waikato Times, Volume 93, Issue 14540, 11 December 1920, Page 10 (Supplement)

FOR THE CHILDREN

(BY PETER PAX.)

BABY. I Where did you eorne from baby dear? ' Out of the everywhere into here. 1 Where did you gel those eyes so blue? ' Out of the skies as 1 came through. What makes the light in them sparkle and spin? Some of the starry hankies left in. ’ Where did you gel that little tear? 1 I found it waiting when 1 gut here. What makes your forehead so smooth and high? ; A soft hand stroked it as I went by. What makes your cheek like a warm while rose? I saw something better than anyone 1 knows. Whence that three-cornered smile ol bliss ? 1 Three angels gave me at once a kiss. 1 Where did you get this pearly ear? t God spoke, and it came out to hear. Where did you gel these arms and hands ? ' Love made itself into bonds and bands. Feet where did you come, you darling 1 things? 1 From tiie same box as cherub wings. How did all they come to be you? God thought about me, and so J grew. But how did you come to us you dear? God I bought about you, and so I am here. -—George MacDonald. PICKLES. Pickles sat on the hearthrug, staring into the Arc. It was a very cold night. Outside it was snowing fast, but it was snug enough cuddled up in Ihe great blanket that Nurse hud thrown round him while she attended for a moment to the hath. As she bent, over il she called nut: “Now, don’t sit there till you freeze. Jump into bed, like a good boy.” Pickles, didn’t move. If there was one tiling he haled it was to he told In he a good hoy. Besides he was thinking about Hie snow, and wondering if it would freeze hard enough in the night to let him make a real snowman in (he morning. The warm room and the nicy comfy feeling you get, after a hot bath made him sleepy. He shut Ids eyes, and lie must have fallen asleep for when he opened them again everything had changed. Nurse had disappeared; the fire was out. And so was the light, but the old moon was brighter than Pickles had ever seen her. She was shining right into the nursery, and when Pickles stared up at her she looked back into his eyes and grinned! Pickles ne'irly jumped out of Ills skin. Nearly, that is,- but not finite. He couldn’s jump anywhere just then; lie couldn’t move—not an inch, for his body was glued to the floor. Perhaps it wasn't really, hut that was what it felt like. It wasn't only the room, for he, 100, had changed. He looked down. The blanket had fallen away, his little night-shirt had frozen to his little fat body, and icycles, long and clear as crystal, hung from Ids fingers and his toes. Even ids hair had frozen, and his curls lay straggling across ids forchnd in little hard lumps. He was a solid mass of ice from head to feet! Suddenly he understood. Nurse s words had come true—he had frozen to the carpet! He wanted to cry out, but, to his horror, he found his tongue was frozen ton, and he couldn't make a sound. But he breathed so hard in his excitement that, the warm breath must have melted the ice in his mouth, for when tie had swallowed hard once or twice he was able to say, in a queer icy voice: “It’s an awful thing to happen." To his terrific surprise, a voice answered him. “Of course, it is?” if, said, “but what could you expect? You sat there till yon froze, as stic said you would.” II was Hie old moon! Pickles gasped, and stared up at her open-mouthed. The moon hurst out laughing. Then she gave a flying leap, and fell with a gentle plop on the window-sill, “Vo# needn't look so surprised," she said; “that’s nothing to what I can do." “Gan you unfreeze me?” asked Pickles hopefully, “I’m stuck fast —1 want to go to lied.” “It can. Il’s as simple as A.B.G. But I wouldn’t advise yon to ask me.” "Why not?” said Pickles. “Think what a mess you’d make on the carpet when you began to thaw!” “1 can’t help that,” said Pickles. “J can’t, slay here all night.” “I don’t see why," replied the moon. “I have to.” Pickles fixed his eyes upon the solemn round face staring into his, and, when he had thought a minute h e said; "Well, but that’s not the same tiling quite. And you aren’t frozen stiff like me. My teeth are chattering. 1 shall Idle my longue directly.” “What a fuss to make about a hit of ice!" declared the moon scornfully. “Jump in and dance about like tli is." And, to Pickle’s great astonishment, she rolled down to Hie floor, and began bouncing about like a great india,rnhhcr ball. She bounced round anil round the room, a great blob of light, in the darkness, and at last stie bounced plump into Pickles, and grabbed hold of his arms. "Gome on I” she cried. “Jump about; you’ll soon get warm.” oh!” cried Pickles. "Take care! You’ll break my arm! I can’t move 1” “Fiddlesticks!" said Hie moon. “I’ll move you,’’ And, slopping back a little she look a flying leap and rushed at him. Pickles shrieked, and in a flash everylhing changed, lb-blinked hard and looked round. There was the nursery fire still blazing cheerily on Do- hearlh; and there was Nurse bending over him, scolding him for being a naughty hoy, and killing asleep instead of going to bed. Pickles was too tired then to work it all mil in his mind. "1 wonder if I dreamed 1( all?” he saiil slowly. And in another moment be was fast asp-cp in nurse's arms. GENERAL OSES FOR MIS MEN. [ STIRRING SCENES IN THE DESERT. [ PATHETIC HAST OHHER OF A BRAVE ! MAN. "KEEP CP VO HR COURAGE.” For weeks the French General Laperine. of the Air Service, was lost j in Ihe Sahara Desert, over which he ] was flying' with a pilot and a mechanic. TUca came the news that the gens-

dominion as dictator of Hie nations? LIFE SPENT ON A CLOCK. OLD MAN’S WONDERFUL WORK. AUTOMATIC CALENDAR OF 10,000 YEARS. The people of Aurora, in the American Slate of Illinois, arc proudly spreading Hie fame of a wonderful clock, made with »i 0 years of careful and studious work, by an Englishman named William Blanford, who has died llicre recently al the age of 82. It is claimed for lids clock that it has a calendar, working automatically by machinery, which will register each day, month and year for J 0,000 •years, providing for leap years and all other irregnla rilies. It also gives I lie longlilnde of 127 of Hie principal rilies of the world, and shows Hie lino- al any hour ol the day or night in each. The changing phases of Hie moon are also shown, the apparent passage of the son through Hie constellations of Ho- zodiac, and Hie variations ol lilt- seasons. Tin- astronomical dial has only to he won ml oil once in 68 years; Ho- orbinary clock is wound once in iwo months an I onial ica lly by an electromotor: ami a! loglil Hie dials are automatically illomina I ml. William IHatiford had been a slu-m-ill of aslnnioiny all his life, and Ids fore fa the rs for general ions were clock and watch-makers. Ids father being employed al Greenwich Obser- \ a.lory. Many American cities are anxious lo buy his wonrle’Tnl clock, bed Aurora will not let it-«o

- ral had been killed when the machim | crashed in a remote part of the vas ’ desert, but that the pilot and mechanii had been found at the point of starvation. ’ Now Hie pilot, Sergeant _Bernard though still in great danger‘from hit privations, is well enough to tell wbal ! happened, and his story will shed - lustre mi the name of General Laperrinc that will never fade. I'he general was not killed, but h( chose to die to save his men’s lives if that, were possible. Knowing thal they were far from human aid, am 1 their only plan was to remain by tin broken machine, which had little foot and water, he discussed the posilior with his men. 1 Unconquerable Hero. Rescuers, he pointed out, could nol ! come under three weeks or a month The food and water would not hole out for three men, hut there might be [ sufficient for two. Then he' continued ; “I am older than you, and I am youi commander. I expect to be obeyed. 1 shall not take a share in the rations You must keep up your strength am courage, bbys.” 1 Ami in the heroic determination the general remained firm, though his mcr ■ begged him to take his share. Neithei hunger nor thirst could conquer his resolution, and he weakened till he died. Five days after his death the pilot and mechanic were rescued, on the very point of death, for they had been lying fifty hours without food or water, in the shade of an unbroken wing'of the aeroplane. It is a story that does honour to France and to a great-hearted French gentleman. OLD KIND COAL. HIS STRANGE, EVENTFUL HISTORY WHEN A MAN WAS HANGED IN LONDON FOR BURNING GOAL. THE WOULD SHORTAGE OF COAL. The -whole world is crying out for coal, and in some countries industry is almost at a standstill for want of it. It now seems impossible for the supply to keep pace with Hie demand, and the position of such countries as Italy, which are chiefly dependent on outside sources, is most serious, England is pre-eminently Hie home of coal, for it was here that it was first mined and used on any large scale, and English coal lias gone all over the world. The ancient Britons are said lo have used it, and coal cinders have been found on the old Homan walls with Roman tools and weapons, proving thal the successors ui juiius Caesar used it to some extent. In the earliest days, however, its principal use seems to have been for landmarks, its black colour making a pile of coal very conspicuous. First Coal fop London. As the forests became exhausted some new form of fuel was required for Hie growing population, and in 1239 King Henry lit. grunted a charter lo the people of Newcastle for the digging of coal. Newcastle thus became the coal centre of the world, and it lias held its proud pre-eminence ever since. A year or two later the first coal was taken to London by sea, and thus acquired Hie familiar name of sea-coal, by which it was known for centuries. There is a Sea Coal Lane next door to Hie G.N. office. Goal was used by smiths and dyers in their furnaces, but the citizens became alarmed by the smoke, and in 1306, the year that Robert Bruce mounted the throne of Scotland, they petitioned Edward I. to prohibit its use, which be did. Bitter Cry of the Squires. But Hie consumers had by this time learned the value of coal, and they ignored Ihe proclamation, whereupon the death penalty was imposed for any breach of Hie-regulation, and one man was actually hanged in London for having dared to burn a coal fire. Peers and commoners combined lo stop Hie use of coal, which they declared “a public nuisance, corrupting Hie air with its slink and smoko to Hie great prejudice and detriment or their health” when they resorted to London for the meeting of Parliament. The complaints continued, but KingGoal could not be suppressed, and we find that Edward 111. was using il lo warm his palace. Progress, however, was not rapid, for by the end of the Kith century Iwo ships wen- sufficient lo carry ail Hie coal that was needed in London. The agitation against its use continued, and in Elizabeth’s reign the health of Hie country squires who came lo London In attend Parliament was said to have suffered greatly, so that once more its use was prohibited. Will King Coal Lose His Throne? In Charles Hie First’s reign, however, it came into more general use; but coal was employed for forges and furnaces long before il was used for domestic fires because the ladies were strongly prejudiced against it, believing that Hie fumes spoilt their complexions. They even refused to a I tend parties where coal fires were burned, and many people would not eat meat cooked by coal fires for fear of it being poisoned. It was a lax on coal that was largely used to find the money for rebuilding London after Hie Great Fire in 1666. Goal was Hie best and cheapest motive power Hie world knew until our day. H has long reigned as king. Will Hie lessening of the supply and Hie increase of Hie cost render its use prohihilive, and thus end its long

NATURAL HISTORY.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. Can Birds Smell? The organ of smell is present In birds, but we cannot he sure as to the extent to which birds rely on this sense for finding food. But where a faculty is present, unimpaired, we may know that it is in use. Can Dogs Tell Colours? All animals appears to possess what we call the colour-sense, and dogs are no exception. If a hare crouches in ploughed land they may fail to see her; but if she is on grass they instantly detect the contrasted colours. Can Worms See and Hear? Worms are sensitive to light, thought they have no eyes. They do not hear as we hear, but they feel vibrations and so are warned ol danger. How Long Does a Hen Live? In healthy conditions poultry can live as long as 14 years, perhaps even longer. The power of the hens as egg-layers diminishes from the end of their third year. Can a Fly See and Hear? They can sec well and they can smell well, but it is doubtful if they hear at all. If they detect sound il can only be by some such means as we employ to pick up wireless messages, by what we call tactile organisms. They have no ears. Why are Flowers Different Colours? Colour has come to flowers by evolution, as it has come to birds and animals and human beings. Colours, perfumes, nectars, and pollens luje various insects upon which flowers depend for fertilisation, and shades have become fixed, in the main, because they have attracted insects. Do Cats Talk? The many cries to which cats give utterance may undoubtedly be considered a means of communication; but they are not a language in the sense of English or French or Russian, consisting of words that can be imt together into sentences for the purpose of carrying on conversation. BOOKS FOR CHILDREN. “Sand Playmates” and Sand Babies.” —By Isabel M. Peacocke (Whitcombe and Tombs). These, as their names indicate, are children’s books, and delightful ones too. Never has anything belter—simple, sincere, yet couched in a marvellous delicacy of language—of this kind come from the pen of this wellknown New Zealand authoress. "Sand Playmates’’ is a delightful idyll of the summertime, reminiscent of sunny beaches, laughing waves, a glorious fairyland of gulden sand and sparkling blue sea. It should be greedily devoured by (lie little folk. At the close of the delightful phantasy we might well ask, with the authoress, "Where’s Dinky and Dodo, and Bill and Flip, and little Semolina Ann." Reluctantly, we say good-bye to them. “Sand Babies” is a fitting companion to Hie more illustrious "Water Babies.” Il is as delightful as Us fellow “Sand Playmates.” A lovely travelogue for little tots, recounting minutely the wonderful adventures of Sandy and Goodies, the only two “Sand Babies,” who were courageous enough to quit their smiling beaches, and see the world at large. The essence of sweetness pervades all pages of this gem for the children. Some pretty verse is also noted, and both books are replete with humorous quaint illustrations.