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Show ..Our Boys anl girls.. 1 Edited by Aunt Busy. This department is conducted solely in the interests inter-ests of our girl and boy readers Aunt Busy Is giad t0 hear ' m nieces and nephews who read this page, and T give them all the advice and help in her power. Unte on one side or the paper only. Do not have letters too lone Original stories and verses win be gladly received and carefully edited K uvea f Au,,t Eusy- A LOST TYPE. Oh for a glimpse of a natural boy-A boy-A boy wlth 8 frecke(1 fa InJ Th,"R(l -wh,te ',K'a,h tacd hair And limbs devoid of grace; Whose feet toe in. while his elbows flare- - W hwe knees re ptched all ways. "U hu turns as red aa a lobster when 1 ou give him a word of praise. A boy who's born 'with an appetite. " no seeks the paniry shelf To cat his -piece- with resounding smack, AV ho isn t gone on himself; A '"Robinson Crusoe" reading bov hose pocket bulge with trash; N no knows the use of rod :ind gun And where the brook trout splash. Ir" .n.,e.he' In the easiest chair. v itn his hat in his touted head-inat head-inat his hands and feet are everywhere or youth must have room to spread.' But he doesn't dub his father "old man " Nor deny his mother's call. Nor ridicule what, his elders say Or think that he knows it all' A rough and whclesome natural boy Of a good old-fashioned elav; God bless him, if he's still on earth. For he'll make a man .ioiv.c day.' AUNT BUSY HAS HER SAY. Dear Xiwes and Xephows: The prize winners' names will "sun-lv appear Txt AVnt Eusy h sorr-v ,0 disappoint tho j dwir children tlm week, but the gentlemen who are t be the judges were not able to decide so quieklv p.) Aunt Busy thought it best to wait for one more -rf v- elc Aunt Busy is very pleased over the essays nI hopes to have another interesting contest rifrht after Christmas. Lovinglv, AUXT BUSY. LETTERS AND ANSWERS. Denver, Colo. Dec. 12. Dear Auat -Busy: ..I cannot write now until after Christmas; so I hope you will have a nice time. With love, 1 remain your loving- niece, ... . . AGXES BURNS. Aunt Busy accepts the kind wishes for a happy Christmas tide, Agnes, and trusts that her little iriend from Denver will be happy too. Glenrrood Springs, Colo., Dec. 10. Dear Aunt Busy: I did not write to you for a long time, so 1 thought I would write now, 1 did not go to school all this week, but today Mary and Maggie were glad to gee their letters printed iu (he psper. My teacher's name is Mrs. Tully and I like her very much. All the children in our room and Mrs. Robinson's room are going to have a piece for Christmas. I am going to act as Little Red Riding Hood. Father Oryun from Denver is here. I like him very imich. I am going to confession Saturday, Satur-day, the-, loth. I have never made my -first holy communion. I am going to get a prayer book and some beads. So good-bye. your true niece, NELLIE CRADDOCK. Aunt Busy is pleased indeed to hear from the dear little Glenwood niece. I What a bright interesting letter you write:. Of course you like, your teacher all good children like there teachers. Butte City. Dec. 1G. I Dear Aunt Busy: How are you, anyhow f I ; have not written to you lor nearly two years. Are .j you as fat and funny as you were then? My 'papa says that Aunt Busy is not a woman, but a man, who signs. Aunt Busy. Well, goodbye for : this time. Your affectionate nephew. ! DAVID DORSKY! Aunt Busy is very well, thank you. She often wondered why you never wrote to her. Aunt Busy Vis Mill frhort, fat and funny; if anything, she is shorter, fatter and funner than ever. But you can tell your papa that even if Aunt Busy is short, fat. and funny, the is very happy to soy that Aunt Busy is a nice comfortable good natured old lady and not a cross, cranky, grumpy old man. Write soon again, David. - ESSAY ON THANKSGIVING DAY. In the early part of the reign of James I. some people in the village of Scroohy, Nottinghamshire, undertook to establish a church where they could worship as they pleased. But they were persecuted. f and some of thfm were thrown into prison. In I'iOS, they fled to Holland where they were not troubled. But they didn't var.t to settle in Holland permanently, per-manently, because they did not wont their children to intermarry villi the Dutch. They wanted to make homes in a new land ami there establish a free government. They went to Plymouth, England, and trot two ships, the Mayflower and the Speedwell. But ihe Speedwell was so leaky that they had to abandon il. The Mayflower set out with shout ene hundred people on board. In November. 1C20, Ihry reached America and landed at Plymouth Rock. By spring half of their number were dead, and they had to plant corn over ihe graves so the Indians wouldn't know howT few their numbers were. That year their crops did not yield very good and they nearly starved. The next year they had a good harvest and Governor Bradford Brad-ford proclaimed a general Thanksgiving. The people were very busy preparing for it he-cause he-cause they had invited Massasoit and his Indian braves to the feast. The men wont into the woods and shot wild turkeys and rabbits, and they got Ix-rries from the wood. tw. The women were busy making pumpkin pies and cooking other good things. The feast lasted three days and even then the Indians didn't want to go. NORA CRAWFORD, 234 B street, Salt Lake. " Jf i BUTTING CHRISTMAS -"ANDLE. We are inclined to pity the Puritan little one of New England who knows nothing about merry Christmastide, with its rollicking games of blind-man's blind-man's buff, hunt Ihe slipper, snapdragon and the like, but some of them enjoyed the practice which they called "burning the Christmas candle." This taper was a homemade affsir and differed from other tallow dips only in being larger, and having the wick divided at the lower end to form three legs, while at its heart was concealed a quill well , filled with gunpowder. On Christmas eve it was lighted, and the quaint little Puritan folk sat around telling stories and riddles until suddenly k ihe candle went of with a tremendous explosion, making a delightful excitement and giving the children of the cuWiea their only taste of up- roarious holiday fun. , ON THE CHRISTMAS TREE. The old fashioned stockings and hearts and crosses and-animals cut out of tarlatan outlined with worsted and then filled with flat candies and tied on the tree are always popular ornaments. Sugar figures bought in the confectionary store will serve to break the monotony. The baker at Christmas time usually has his windows filled with horses, dogs, cats and -men and women made of delectable cake dough and artistically ornamented .with colored sugar attractive to the small boy and girl. Candles in small candle holders are always scattered well over the tree. It is a wise precaution precau-tion to keep a pan of water in which is a wet sponge in ease of accidents. When a spark falls upon a bough, the sponge quickly applied to the spot will check the spread of the fire. HARRY AND THE jOOCTOR. "Papa," said Harry, '"what does a man mean when he says to another man. Til fix you?" Now. Mr. Bonsvill was reading the evening paper end didn't want to be disturbed, so he answered rather impatiently: "Don't bother me, Harry. Don't you see that I am reading C "But, papj," said the boy, "I wish you would lell me, for I want to know, and I won't bother you any more." ' . ''Oh, it means 'I'll do you up!" "Til do you up.'" repeated Harry; and then, after thinking a moment "but, papa, what does 'I'll do you up' mean?" "Nov.-. I'll tell you," said the father, "and then you must not ask me another question this evening. even-ing. It means that some man is going to kill another an-other man." And Harry, who was only five, opened his eyes wide, hx-king stupefied, and presently walked away. About a week later the little man was taken ill, and as Dr. Aiuslie. the family physician, was not within easy reach, a strange doctor was called in. This doctor had a solemn face and a solemn manner, man-ner, and Harry did not feel altogether sure of him.- Presently Mrs. Bonsall left the room to get something some-thing that was needed, and Harry thought he would make friends with the doctor by opening a conversation con-versation with him. "Going to give me some medicine.' doctor?" "Oh, yes," answered the doctor. "Fin going to give you some medicine. Don't worry, my little man; I'll fix you." Suddenly there came to Harry the explanation given him of those fearful words, and throwing off the covers, he leaped out of bed, rushed for the door, and before the doctor could recover from his amazement at the boy's astonishing behavior, the little fellow was clinging to his mother eut in the hall and begging her to send away the man who was going to "do him up." It took half an hour to get Harry quieted down and another half hour to persuade him to take the strange doctors medicine. A PAIR OF SHOES. One summer day a dozen years ago a twelve-year-old boy was seated behind a small desk in the anteroom of a New York morning newspaper office. of-fice. He was one of the regular force of office hoys. One of these had the day before gone away, a fact which had in some mysterious way been noised abroad, and during the day a score of other boys had been in to apply for the place. None of them had been engaged. ' Shortly before six o'clock another boy appeared, about the age of the one who sat in the room. "I heard you want to get another office boy," said the newcomer. The boy in the chair looked the other over carefully care-fully without replying. The applicant was a clean, nundy looking little fellow, with frank blue eyes. The office boy went into ,1 he inner room, anel then the assistant editor appeared. "What's your name?". he a.sked, briskly. "Walter Simmons, sir," answered the boy. The man rapidly questioned him further, and looked at his letters of recommendation. In a moment mo-ment the boy was engaged. "You'll go on the, night force." said the editor. "Begin tonight at six o'clock you'll get off. somewhere some-where around two. There'll be a couple of the old beys here to tell you what to elo." "Yes, sir," answered the boy, moving toward the door. As he steppeel from behind the desk the editor noticed that he was bare footed. "Here; where are your shoes?" said the man. You'll have to hurry if you've got to go home after them." -1 The boy looked down aud. hesitated. Then he glanced up at the man and said: "I haven't cny shoes, sir." "No shoes? Well, we can't have a bare footed offie-e boy. Can't you get some ?" Again th" boy hesitated. "I'll try my best, sir," he said, with a flight tremor in his voice. "All right. Turn up here at six with shoes on j and the place is yours otherwise we'll have to get some one else," anel the editor hurried away. The, boy walked slowly out to the head of the stairs. He paused here and gascd. wistfully back into the anteroom. Then, catching the eye of the boy inside, he turned and ran down the steps. "Hi, there! Hold on. kid!" came a voice from the head of the stairs. He turned on the first landing, land-ing, and saw the other boy looking down at him. "What's the reason you ain't got any shoes?" asked the office boy. - "All worn out anel threwn away. I've been out of work a month. and. my mother's sick." "(Jot any stockings?" "Yes, one pair, anel he gazed down at his bare legs below his short trousers. "Weil, you must be afcout my size. I have a pair of shoes I might lend to you for a week till you . draw your pay. What'd ye say to that ?" "You wouldn't ask if you knew how much I want ih-1 place." "We'll, you skip home and get the stockings. Come rirrht bnek and wait there where you are. You'll have to hustle if yen get hack by six." Walter certainly did "hustle;" he was back several sev-eral minute- before six, and stood panting on tho l.-'.ndimr, half afraid that the either would not keep his word. The next moment his new found friend looked down at him.- "Sit right down there," said the office boy. "Put on the stockings ami' I'll be along at six." Walter did as he was told, anel as everybody went up and down by the elevators, lie was not disturbeel. In a few minutes the office boy came, sat down be- ; side him, and began taking off his shoes. "This is .the only pair I've got," he explained. "Nothing very stylish about them, but if they'll J do on my feet, they'll do on yours. They eost a j dollar", anyhow, anel you want to be careful of them j no skating on the floor or kicking the elesk legs, Try that one-." s "That fits all right," answered Walter. "Well, get 'em both on quick. My' name is Tom Bennett, and I live at 980 Roosevelt street. There's a bakery in the basement that's open all night. The boss knows me. When you get off at. two, you go round there and leave the shoes with him. I'll tell hliu you're coming. Sex; that you dem't fail, 'cause if you do 111 be out of a job myself tomorrow. I goT your name and your address from Mr. Hunt,' and if the shoes aint at the bake-shop in the morning morn-ing I'll be locking for you." He stuffed his own stockings into his pocket, and went down the stairs iu his bare feet. The other went up and began his dulie. For a week this arrangement was kept up. -Tom found his shoes each morning at the baker's, and each evening the exchange was made on the landing. land-ing. At the end of this time Walter was able to get , Jn'wM-1 f a pair, aad tiie partnership in foot-gear" came to au cud. But the friendship so oddly be- ' bun has never ended, and both boys proved to be capable of rising to better things. Tom is now in the business office, and Walter is a reporter. Hay-den Hay-den Carruth in Youth's Companion. . CXING TO THE CROSS. The late Admiral Sampson told this story to an audience of small boys in the parlor of a social-settlement social-settlement house. They were ragged, small boys of more than one nationality, but they proudly called themselves Americans, and they had come to see anel hear an American hero. The admiral judgeel his audience correctly at once. He saw that they were at the impatient age, and he plunged straight into his story "1 want to tell you of something which happened hap-pened on my ship the morning the Amerie-an fleet teok the harbor of Santiago," he said, arid all the wrigglers stopped wriggling. There was n happy sigh throughout, the room, then breathless silence. "You all remember that battle?" Yigorous noil-dings noil-dings from every head. "And you know my ship was late getting there?" More nods. "All round us, as we sailed in, there were signs of the. Spunifh defeat wreckage, deael nun. disaster. Now, who can tell what day of the week that was?" "Sunday!" shouted the audiene-e as one bey. "Yes, Sunday morning; and we always have prayers on the admiral's ship Sunday morning. The little reading desk, with the cross carved on the top of it. was still standing on deck. We had gone into battle so hastily that no erne had time to put the desk away.. It was a little thing easily moved about. "So we sailed along and there was death and destruction on the fae-e of the waters. And the battle bat-tle was won. But fluiomr the elead things and the burning things which Hosted on the water we saw a man swimming. Tie was a Spanish sailor--one of our enemies. He was making a struggle for his life, but there was nothing near enough for him to e-ling to, and each stroke he made was fainter than the last. The shore was a long way off. According to the rules of war, we had not time to save his life; besides, he was our enemy." The room was very still; every eye was fixed on the admiral. "Some of us on that side of the ship," he eon-tinued, eon-tinued, "wale-hed the man curiously, wondering, how long he would hold out. Then, all o'f a sudden, one of our .sailors picked up that little reading desk and pitcheel it over the siele of the ship into the sea. "'Here, friend,' he sa-id, "cling to that! Cling to that cross, and it'll take you safe to shore.' "Of course, the- Spaniard couldn't understand those English words; but the action was unmistakable; unmistak-able; and the hist we saw of the poor fellow he was clinging to the cross and moving toward the shore. "That is the kind of Americans you want to be, boys the kind that sailor was aboard my ship." Then they all stood up in the settlement parlor and sang "America" till the ceiling trembled. . |