For Our Young Readers.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 15, 13 August 1897, Page 27

For Our Young Readers.

" PLEASE EXCHAKGE ! " '• Mamma." said Susie, " to-day teacher read : ' What you pray for you'll surely receive ' ; So I think that I'll ask for white-rose perfume, And I'll get it, I'm sure, Christmas Eve." Christinas Day dawned, and Miss Susie rejoiced In a bottle of " Lubin's best " ; But finding it violet and not white rose, She was grieved, it must be confessed. That night a thought struck the wise little head, And not thinking her step at all strange ; She wrote on a card, made fast to the cork : " Deer Lord, i want rose. Pleas xehange." A PADEREWSKI STORY. A little tot of a girl called on Paderewski the other day and explained that she wanted him to sign his name in an autograph album. It was her elder sister, an American lady, who desired the autograph, but she lacked audacity to ask him for it herself. So her younger sister, who iclh no shyness, took upon herself the task, and one d ly, coming homo from her music lesson, violin tucked under her arm, an 1 accompanied by a brother a year or two older than herself and another not past the baby .stage of long curls, the nine-} ear-old child called at Padercwski's hotel and naively told the porter .she w;mted the great man's signature. The porter handed her over to the secretary, who looked at the trio with great interest, took the album and promised to secure the autograph. Interested in the description of them, Paderewski gave orders that when the three children returned they were to be shown up into his room. Unfortunately the two elder ones had to go alone the next day, as the little boy had caught cold When they were ushered into his room, Paderewski looked at them with almost an air of disappointment, and said. " But where is the little boy with the long flaxen curls >" and to the j^irl, '• Where is your violin/ 1 thought you would have played to me ' "' He told them about his invalid boy in Par.s. chatted brightly with them, and then handed back the album with his signature in it. Encouraged by this the girl pulled out a meagre little note-book, which she dignified by the name ot her diary, containing such entries as : '• Spent 4 jd in chocolates : pulled the cat's tail and he scratched mo," etc., and gravely handed it to the great man and asked him to write his name in it. To the child s unspeakable delight he sat down and wrote, '• Tours sincerely, Paderewski." Tlirc r AT HER OF EVULISH POETRY. When Saint Hilda, who lived in the seventh century, was abbess of Whitby, the people in the vicinity u-,ed to have beer-parties, at which they sung or recitjd warlike songs, turn about, to the accompaniment of a harp. On one occasion the harp was passed to a poor stranger, who confessed he could not bing, and left the company, covered with confusion. That nitrht, as he lay in a cattle-shed, he had a dream. Some one approached him and said : " Cnadmon. sing me something." He answered that ho could not ; but the visitor, said he knew better, and insisted that C.edmon should sing, and sing then and there of the Creation. Whereupon in sleep he sang some versos. On waking he remembered them ; and all who heard the \er-,es thought him inspired, and suggested fresh subjects, which he immediately turned into sacred songs. Saint Hilda, hearing ot this strange occurrence, advised Ctvdmon to become a monk and learn sacred history, which he did. He very soon became famous for Ins ready and happy versification of all kinds of sacred

subjects. He is regarded a=i the Father of English poetry, and the metrical paraphrase now extant and known as '• 0 udmon " is a singuarly graphic description of sacred scenes. lie was the wonder of his time for this gift of song, and livol long among the monks of Whitby. He was cheery in his talk ; and when he drew near his end, he asked for the last Ka :rainents. before receiving- which he soleiiWJy declared he had friendly disposition toward all men. He inquirsd how long it would be before the brethren would assemble for Matins, On being answerel, he said : ''Good ! Let us wait for that hour." They waited. He then signed himself with the cross, lay back on his pillow and died amid the nmsioof the sacred hymns lie loved so well.