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Show j ...our Boys and irl$... EDITED BY AUNT BUSY. j . . . i Tn1s department is conducted solely In the lnter-! lnter-! ,,s 0f our ?irl and boy readers. 5 i unt Busy is glad to hear any tlmo from th ! nipecs'and nephews who read this page, and to gfvs I ihpni all th advice and help in her power. U'n't'1 on one side of the paper only. Do rot have letters too long. (jripjnal stories and verses will be gladly received and carefully edited. The manuscripts of contributions not accepted will oe returned. Address all letters to Aunt Busy. Intermountaln ratiiolic. Salt Lnke City. LETTERS AND ANSWERS. Salt Lake, Jan. o. ! J if - r Aunt Bu?y: Mirj you have a grood lime Christmas? I was very disappointed to think I did not gret any furs. I Wanted some so had. Did you pet all you want-od, want-od, Aunt T5usy? I am ?lad to start baek to school. Your loving nieee, FLORENCE MAI I AX. Vps dear. Aunt Busy had a much better ( lin'Muias than she deserves. Hhc has -wanted furs for the last forty years and she expects to alwajs v.-ant tiifm because furs cost money. Aunt Busy ; alvay consoled herself with the thought that j 5;)C je 100 liort and fat to look good in furs. Pei--! ;,,? this thoujrht may help you, too, if you too ! nrt and fat. Try to be contented with what you tliJ little nieee, and do not begin your life j v.yruniHaining and scolding about what yeni do not l,ave. Wcv.v,q you will grow into a most dreadful I yf.ui.fr woman, and a most awful, awful old wo- mnn- UNCLE BOB'S SOUL. ! Im-h Dob was in a serious dilemma. Confronted Confront-ed for the iirst time in Lis life with a psychological f.roM'W. 'rnole Bob' the boy had said, winding up a .'f-cihvi the two had held regarding the delights of Paradise and a future life, "when you die and -1 to heaven, will you have a white soul or a black soul:" . -r? I gAvine."' the old man almost gasped, ''tor rr white soul, aw er black soul when 1 dies Is tl;;t do qiioohun you done nx. lcctle Moss? (this name for the child). I fo'gibs you, leetle Moss; hut you ought ah had bettah sense dan ter ax hit-In hit-In do fus' place. Why. of co'se I gwine be er white -til.' 1 you ober head ob air black pusson in tie naix wohl 'sides de debiH"' "D11I. Uncle Bob" doubtfully "if you are go-in? go-in? to be white, how shall 1 ever know you up there? 'Cause, Uncle Bob" cajolingly ''you are :ioh a beau-ti-ful black, and I am so used to you with your lovely white woo hair, and all. that I don't see how 1 can ever tell you from other common com-mon white people if you are going to change all that. Dut Uncle Bob had misunderstood the comparison, compar-ison, and considered that the boy had reference to the social grade he would eventually occupy above; miiR-quently the glamor of the compliment on his kautifiil color faded away in a fresh burst of ;n-dipnation. ;n-dipnation. ' "hat you mcanin' by 'common people," lectio IWf he grunted, irritably. ''Does you spec' fnh ct mo ment dat I gwine be po" white trash up iar':" "Then what will you be. Uncle Bob f" queried the little fellow, feeling himself, now, very much hnviMered by all these complication?. "Arc you go-rn? go-rn? to he a white gentleman f" and the l.are idea hrou-ht him very near the verge of trars, so loath iid he fool 10 part forever from the Uncle Bob of hit life-1 ong association, even if supplanted bv the eeKtial creation of Uncle Bob's ambitious aiitiei-ralK'tis. aiitiei-ralK'tis. The old man was fairly staggered by this last question. "I c'ar ov Prac'C'U'" he said, covering his dis-'nnifiture dis-'nnifiture with an air of superiority sand reticent foreknowledge, "hit ain' no use my tellin' you what j I nvine be when I gits up dar. chile; leetle igiur- ' vent hoys ain ce ter hab de knowledge ob ole j hauls lek mine, and dey des got ter wait twell dey j pits shot oh dry baby teef 'fo' dey pu.zlin' dey ha id's on pints what's well on'crstood by de fairful froo reylation iind wrastlin' an' pra'r. - Dcs mck yo' min' easy! Ain de Bible say of you has faif' jefc unto or grain of mushmelon seed (dough dat do 'ouii kinVr cu'yous" ruminatively). "you gwinu If able tor roc-move mountings But I 'clar' ter jrr.ifious! hit gittin' clos't on ter stippah f.me, leet-t leet-t Df,,tal' hu'hy home now, honey, so Sistnh Liiey ain' gwine be pestered won'rin' what on de Parth doni. "come of you. Xaw, Unc' Bob aiiv rnnd. Ob r-o'se not! You ain' 'spec' to know what '"' swine be tuhn into in de uppah lan', but don'' w noways oneasy.' encouragingly, as lie dismissed w little follow with his usual kindly pat and hug. 1 no Bol. gwine 1? fix up some way, so dat you vin nvme know him up dar, ebon cf he had ter be aul!ud white soul twell he git ue ter de change r,r,r.rl-ivv. (jawd bless you twell de naix time." That nidit. in his devotions. Uncle' Bob prayed j',' nillf-h fervor and unrest of spirit. The state of hi mind will best be revealed by his petitions. "Marse Jesus." he prayed, in the child-like tan. 1 nf bring very nearly approached andtcomprc-rno(i andtcomprc-rno(i by iljo Power he addressed. "1 now gwine ""f "I1 a subjec" ter cuss wid you dat bin ax me " Nay l,v dn ohile I lub. lie says, 'Unc' Bob (he rims Prv ,vK.n 1Q ax hit), den is you gwine be er 'J'11' S'lii'man up in heaven f Uat ar quccshun )"Hta!!y liin ha'tin' me all day! IV id, r of me bein' a white gem'man's soul up j'oejinrii nober is for one moment entah my min'. 1; :l'l'rt .'oil will boliebe dat. an' 'souse me onpo-,n'.f'',!f'c onpo-,n'.f'',!f'c 'h1 sngges'shun. But den I buhn all my 'T11."" d." n brbin' me by tellin' de chile dat I ; "; zwu-.c i,p no while trash up dar, an' dat I asso V'v mii.1v trr hl, rr white soul! Xo won'er de end rr PpPr.a(n obfj. (jat problem, whnl , Dob gwine luhninto, in de naix wohl, and - !1r '-'r,: home in a quendehy. So dat lobes mc et. urjacc wid or vehy se'yous state ob 'fairs dat 1 11 V1.'1 tangle' up in. Ter begin wid. he chile say t ""in0 know mo jp dar wid or white soul! J'd. l.awd. dat ar soun' mon'sous ter ole Unc' "It. IV i.Jr-o ob not bein' knowed by the chJe dnt ; ("in do time he cr leetle tecnty weenty in-, in-, T an ;1t des do pride of mv ole age lek Miss and Mar.o Tom. I do yoahuin', Marse Jesus." weeping unre-aniodly. unre-aniodly. "tor cr ace cs wcjj as er TOfoe wafth' l '"' by do blood of de Lam' so dat I could serbe l.aM,rV! 'tpr,1,rs'': Pc'ty of soul; but, oh! bless' (f.l n" yeahnin' fob de time ter come when '(.ZV sr'n' mPtin' wid all the fambly ban' gwine I'tiV' p ',an' dc" D ffwine say: 'Why of hcah ain' (iS. ''f'S V.aeTy lek ole times, deah ole Unc' Lawd. Lawd," in an ecstasy of emotion, Mrr'Vr nuc,in' ,lat Rwne be! Oh. bW Mah-':iir? Mah-':iir? f'lfown Pn P' Unc' Bob. an' fix up de , .j 'Vs nu so dat he res' se-kueh in de faif K''mc be well wid him in dc happy lau', an' a11, thin?s Possible onto de Creator ob de heavens an de yearth! Hab niussy on Unc' Bob, an' bring light out ob dahkness an' gib him de power to res' sBity lied wid de final 'scision ob de Almighty." On the edge of the bed sat Uncle Bob, watchimr with straining look each change on the small white face, lying so still, with closed eyelids, and scarce a breath stirring the parted lips. Presently the lids fluttered and then slowly unclosed. un-closed. The blue eyes looked up, for the first time in many days, with a perfect recognition into the sea-toed, agonized old face bending over them. Uncle Bob " . "What is it, leetle Moss?" answered the broken old voice. 'Uncle Bob. are you crying?" touching with his wan httle hand the withered cheek over which the uncontrollable tears were flowing. "Xo. no! 'deed I ain'. leetle' Moss!" surreptitiously surrepti-tiously wiping them away with his bandana handkerchief, hand-kerchief, " deed I ain', darling-hat Unc' Bob gwine cry 'bout?" in futile attempt at loving deception, de-ception, seeing the pained look on the fair little features. rPT1' U"dc Bob;' ukh P'tyinff tenderness, still softly stroking the withered cheek. "Honey," sobbed Uncle Bob. "don' studv 'bout me. Don' grebe 'bout ole Unc' Bob. He gib his life ter mck you dcs one minute easy an' 'dout pain." "I am easy, Uncle Bob, and happy." Tom bent over and tenderly wiped the damp brow and pushed back the fair clustering curls of the child. He gave a cold little hand to brother and sister, and. in response to the heroism of poor Lucy's brave and loving smile, sighed contentedly, as he turned his little bead mer nn tl,r. r.m,,. ' Jerusalem, the Golden" evening service was going on in Hie church, and the words were borne plainly on the absolute stillness of the air: 'I know not, Oh! I know not What joys await us there. "What radiancy of glory. What bliss beyond comnarc.' Uncle Bob's tears had ceased to flow. Lucy and lorn sat motionless, their faces in shadow. "Tell me about it Uncle Dob." gasped the weak little voice, as the last strain died a wav "Jerusalem "Je-rusalem the (loklen." Uncle Bob leaned eagerly forward, all traces of tears carefully wiped away, that no selfish displav of grief disturb the serenity of the departing soul. "Leetle Moss," ho whispered, in his broken, quavering voice, "dar whar you gwine. de streets is goi en, an de flowers bloomin', an' de libiV waters wa-ters is flowin' froo de green fiel's ob Pah'disc! Oh ! leetle Moss. you an' me po' ole Unc' Bob hab talk a heap 'bout dat happy lan', but Unc' Bob ain' neber 'spec' dat you gwine go ha id ob him ter dc sweet an' blessed country!" "Flowers," murmured the little one. drowsily, "gold flowers. Will there be any roses like Lucy's ;" "Lek Miss Lucy's!" intender assurance, "roses in Pah'dise es much nuttier's Miss Lucy's es day is dan night! Ain' dey. Miss Lucy?" "Yes. yes. Uncle Bob. Oh. tell him yes !" wjpt the girl. "An' dey des nutties' streets vou cber is see. an' you gwine meet all dc folks done gone befo', "honey. "hon-ey. An' tell "em Unc' Bob gwine be 'long soon! Soon!" in an ecstasy of longing. A smile of surpassing beauty, and full of the tenderness of a heavenly assurance, lit up the little pallid face. "Sinr, Uncle Bob," he said, in all the simplicity of his babyhood, when the melody of that tremulous tremu-lous old voice-was the sound that nightly rocked his soul to sleep. "Yas. leetle Moss. Unc' Bob gwine sing." clearing clear-ing Ins throat and putting forth every effort of his bursting heart. On th" quivering air ihere fell the strains of c voice. r;!d. cr:n4:ed, worn, strained with the tcrri- j bio strain of the coming wrench, yet swrpt with all the memories of his little life to the dying boy: "I want ter be cr an-gul An' wid de an-guls stan'. Er crown ah-pawn my foh-haid. An' or harp widin my hand"' What dat you navin'. leetle Moss?" bending down low over the parting lips. "Is I gwire bo cr white augul ? Oh. Gawd, hub mussy!" wringing his iia::d:; in indescribable agony ag-ony "What I gwine sayi Gib mo de right wohds to use. Marse Jesus! Laetie Moss! I gwine be er black angul! er jet black soul! So dat you des boun' rcco'nize Unc' Bob dc minute you set eyes on him dat der truf. Lawd!" raising streaming eyes of supreme renunciation to heaven. ! "Uncle Bob." and tie little voice was weak and far away "When I get home I'll ask Jesus to let me meet you at the door and give you your white robe myself and we will go together and have your soul washed white Uncle Bob.' "Oh, praise Gawd! Traise Gawd! My leetle Moss, my leetle Moss! My Icetlp white soul an-frul!" an-frul!" "Xow I lay mc" ("down ter sleep," wailed poor Uncle Bob) "I nray the Lord" over the damn and pallid little face flickering lights are passing, and the indescribable majesty of the seal of death is already on the marble brow "ruy soul to keep" ("Oh, leetle Moss, leetle Moss!?) "If I should die before I wake " And in the silence a little white soul slipped away to the shelter of the heavenly nest. Laura 1 Fitzhugh Presston in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, j |