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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1908-7-9, Page 3A Pocket nife's Stone. o............m••••••esspauorst.,iyaxo.M6i.enbwlpoo•dNoa•K THE FORGER BEATS THE METAL INTO SHAPE ATROUSERS pocket, after all, isn't the most cheerful place to be in, especially when that pocket is sticky with the remains of etveets. So you can't blame the Pocket-lcnIfe for condescending to address the copper Penny. Nowever, he was an exceedingly dignified pock- et-knife, possessing all of three blades, and his manner was haughty as he said to the Penny: "If you are feeling lonely, I shan't mind you clinking against me new and then. It may glve you confi- dence." --- • put a little information into that idle head of yours," Said hn therefore, I shall tell you. eamethIng about the creation of us members of a great and noble family, "In the first place, X nnd many of my kindred came from Sheffield, England, The faetories of this cite, fwbich le the center of the cutlery in- dustry of Great Britain, turn out knives by the millions. "From the rolling mill the steel comes in 'strings' about twelve feet in length. These aro of such shape as to give least labor in working articles from the metal. Some of the steel bars are broad and thin; others are narrow and thick; while for cer- tain artleles—of which scissors are an example—one edge is sharp and the other blunt, in order that the blades may bo readily sharpened. "At the forgo my blades wore ham- mered out of the glowing steel; then, after a nail mark had been placed upon them, they were dropped into cold water. This last process made the steel very brittle. So next the blades were placed on a hot iron plate over a fire. When they assumed a bluish color they were removed, as they had now gained temper and flexibility. "From the forge my blades were taken to a man who sat on a wooden 'horse,with a revolving Wheel Of wet sandstone before him. Here the blades were ground and then placed in lime, which absorbed all moisture. More panelling took place on a leaden wheel and a wheel faced with leather. "Next, all my fourteen different GRINDING THE STEEL "When you've traveled about the country as much as I have, old fel- ler, you'll have more reason to tallt about self-confidence," the Mare. spectful Penny replied. "You're an ill-mannered rascal," angrily retorted the Pocket-knife; "you don't seen to realize how un- important you are when compared to me, who have three blades and as many as fourteen parts." Tho cent, nowise abashed, grinned cheerfully. "Your remarks are vary gutting, Mr. Pocket-knlfe," sill he. "and I suppose I ought to be quite envious of your three blades and your fourteen parts. But I have 'an Plea that long after you've been oast on the rubbish heap, I shall still be rendering service to mankind. I should be very much pleased, how- ever, to learn more about your four- teen parts," For some minutes the Pooket-knife preserved a chilling silence. But at last the temptation to chattelbe- came too great. "It cortainlet won't do any harm to parts were assembled, end I appeared much as you see me now. The blades were sharpened on an oilstone, and the polishing was completed on a re- volving wheel covered with a soft skin. "Nor have I told you of the proc- esses that all of my parts go through. In all, there are about 100 of them. If ono man made the whole knife, he would be kept employed for two days. Of course, I am a very expensive knife and of the best Work- manship. To purchase me it requires many pennies like you. "Yes," observed the •Penny, "but the same pennies that have purchased you may possibly aid in buying your successor when you are unfit for further service. And, In spite of your fourteen parts, .I believe that the coinage of pennies is quite as inter- esting as the manufacture of cut- lery." The Pocket-knife had already re- tired to the other side of the pocket, however, and pretended not to hear the Penny. 1/Y Lel f AND must the rest of my lift bo utterly worthless!" muttered Granny, bitterly, to herself. Nor 5a8 thio the first time that the good old Woman had so complained, For many months elle had worried and fretted. Un- til lately every house in the village had known the cheerful presence of Granny es Oho sped Upon her innumerable er- rands of mercy and Comfort. Never had elle concerned herself about her own effairs. Always waif her thoughts of P there. Now, since elle had bectOme too feeble to go forth from her little cottage, She sorrowed because elle feared her nsefulneee was ended. Then, aa Granny Sat before hoe spin- nleg wheel, it seemed that ehe beard a voice, And the voice was saying: "No longer Will you Suffer lonellnese. 'feting and old will 00016 to you daily for advice. For hereafter there will be magic: In your spinning. Ae your Visitor stands before you, wafele 5105,10 "' thread S you H, ". oy. " you Will read • oretthis th napes, Ole at -abalone the life to the "perton whom you may ve by good eeeneel." So letcarrie about, Never ft day passed but genie one nailed to see the old lady, Silo never raised her head from the thread 08 it mune from the spinning wheel, yet she told of things that etartlecl her hearers, Their averY thought she seemed to road, Marvol ng greatly. they Would go thence to toll their friends of the old woman's wis- dom. People flecked to her. But ranch of the information which Granny could readily have imparted she kept to her- self. In the futures ot some among those who called sho read many tin - n1000001; troubles and Male, the =lure of Which she had not the heart to dis- close. The menthe Passed. Granny was al- Waya at her wheel new, and hardly an hour during the day passed that she woe not melted for sage advice. Yet, even now that she had become me use- ful again, she wee not honor. For the future Woes and burdena of many Of her ,visltors preyed mion her mind; rtor 00010 brie eitee ler—Illee of her NOW Oho longed wiif fatal *gift " e.nowledge ti-ealeen trohl but soinellOW She felt inipelled to remain at the Wheel, can etarld it no longer," she walla Moan at the Close of each day', And so at boat the epirit heel 00141130;1- E1ton 011 GnIlliii, 0110 day the spinning wheel Wes quiet, and these Who eared to eeek her,eeencle,that Granny In ber spinning had Inutile, reedited the end of her own theca& of life. Se, tee, the meek; be the dream !spindle bad de - mole& ' er eHE MAN DOCTOR WOULD EXAMINE JIMMY FREQUENTLY JIMMY considers himself a much - abused chimpanzee. And perhaps Jimmy Is right. In the first place, it wasn't very nice to be taken away from a. pleasant home in western equa- torial Africa, where Jimmy was just be- ginning to enjoy 1100. Ile had outgrown his mother's care. No longer need he sit In the nest high up among leafy boughs, where the restraining hands of his mother would seize him when he leaned too far over the edge to peer at his father, squatting beneath. And he was now able to scamper away with the • otber young monkeys, playing among the trees and eating nuts and luscious fruits. Truly, Jimmy had glorious times then. But the day came when Jimmy was Cousin Alice EVER was any little girl more of a tomboy than was Alice. Leav- ing her playthings, her household duties, her work -basket, oven abandon- ing ber_eoll, she perched herself upon a limb of the old apple thee and thought for the hundredth time how much hap- pier boys are than giriS. Alice's parents, tired of hearing the little girl repeatedly wish that she were a boy, decided to make a certain test. They sent her to the home of her boy Cousins, where she was to share their work and play and be raised in the same fashion as they. Tho boy cousins were given fencing lessons regularly. Alice was to learn this sport, too. At first she thought it Was great fun—an immense improve- ment upon sewing doll's clothing—but it was not long before she became weary. Then she indulged in all tho games she had once thought she would enjoy se well. But now when she played /eap- frog and other rough games she reeelvea so many bumps and • hurts that she would have been glad to quit had she not been afraid of her cousins' ridicule. Indeed, while playing a game of "rob - bars" Alice was struck so hard by one of her cousins that she felt quite 111. She stole quietly to a, room, where she could be all alone. And when her aunt discovered her she was bending affect tionately over an 010 dolly. Tho next morning Alice was sent home. No longer did she wish to be a boy. From that time sho busied herself in 011 the girlish plays and duties she had once despised. Trees and Lightning ,--2-au3R. is a popular belief that cer- tain trees are less likely than ' others to be struck by lightning, and that during a. thunderstorm It is quite safe to stand under a beech, for example, while the danger under a res- inous tree or an oak is, respectively, fifteen or twenty times greater. This Is disputed In a recent writing by Dr, A. W. Bothwick in his "Notes of the Royal Botanical Garden of Edinburgh," The doctor says that no tree is im- mune, and the 'beech is struck quite as frequently as any other epodes. Appa- rently the taller trees In a neighbor- hood are the Ones most likely to be struck. Contrary to what Is believed by some people, the tells are not "rup- tured or torn by the formation 00 eteam, as might happen if the heating by the electric current was very great. The cells collapse and hrink up, but are never torn," The root system does not seem to be ever damaged by light- ning, captured by bunters, carried a long die- tance through the forest and then placed in a big ship, which bore him thousands of miles across the ocean. So Jimmy came to live in a. cage near a great many chattering monkeys, Jimmy himself did not feel like chatter- ing, He was too sad to utter the harsh, piercing cries that: he used to employ in calling to his playmates in A.frica. Not that these Men People did not treat him rightly; oh, no; they tried to take the best of care of him. In fact, Jimmy was regarded more highly by them than he was among the Chimpanzee People. But here there wore no trees to climb—nO fun to be had. And the climate didn't agree With him. When the Man Doctor would examine Jimmy—as he did every now and then—he would frown and shake Ills head. Of course, the doctor must have known that all that was necessary to bring Jimmy back to health was to send him home. But Jimmy wasn't sent home. He must be kept where the Men People could look at him. It was hard for a chimpanzee 19 be contented amid such surroundings. jimmy really began to try his best, however, and now ho plays in a friend- ly fashion with his keepers, talks to 'them in queer little grunts and even does amusing little tricks. Yet he cannot for- get his grievance against tbese cruel Men People, and at times—especially When he's feeling worse than usual—ho curls himself up in a corner and dreams and dreams of the Chimpanzee Folk in Afriea, and wonders why the Man Doc- tor and the keepers, who really seem quite fond of him, don't prove their friendship by sending him back to his own home and his own people. Jimmy is sure the Chimpanzee Folk would never capture a man and keen him prisoner among the trees in Africa just for the chimpanzees and gorillas and monkeys to look at. Why She Liked It ACERTAIN clergyman .net a little boy outside the rectory. "Do you go to church, my boy?" he asked. "Yes, sir," replied the boy; "and rna does, too. She says she always likes the day that you preach." "Yes? And wily so?" interrogated the much -pleased clergyman. "Why, sir, she says she can always get a good seat then!" THEY ENTER .A. MAORI RUT WHETtli) LIES A SICK SKINS OP WILD ANIMALS DELIGHTFUL as had been their voyaging from San Francisco, Roy and Bon felt that much time had been wasted when first they came in view of their des- tination, the southwest part of New Zealand, And the closer they drew to land, the greater grew their rap- ture. First, there were the great rocky cliffs, which rose directly from the water. The coaat, too, was in- dented by Innumerable fiords and bays, Same of which Uncle Will said were at least twenty miles In length. Then there were visible to the eye great forests, and snow-capped moun- tains reared themselves in the dis- tance. "Isn't It a wonderful sight!" ex - MAN DRESSED IN where, looking up from below, the waters seem to come from the clouds. And as they fall they rumble In curioils sort of monotone. Ben had been silent for the last half hour, engrossed In thought. He nova came close to Roy, and whispered: "What do you say to deserting the folks for a little while? I'm sure they wouldn't give us permission, so we'll have to steal away; but we can leave a note telling them we'll be back soon. With our rifles we ought to get all sorts of game. 'We'll here a bully good time," As Roy was' 14—just a year younger than Ills brother—he was, of course, just at the age when such an adventure would appeal mightily. 1.18 wasn't long IN years when knights fought valiantly to win falr ladye's smile, When heroes slow their dragons, and magicians practiced guile, Through highways and through byway, with merry wit and song And instruments full well attuned, blythe minstrels tripped along A -fluting and a -piping day by day, Of all the clever troubadours .700 visited the court, There ;were two minstrels unexcelled, according to report; Their carolings and warblings even birds 10 liet would come; Each player round his hearers wove a spell that held them dumb, 'While flitting and a -piping joyous lay, "Now let us have fair trial," said the Icing unto the rest, "That we may see which minstrel can the other minstrel best" -a Forthwith there went with glad intent a messenger to bring Musicians both and bid them come to play before the king, ,d-iluting and a -piping measures gay. Together the competitors burst forth irt melody, And yet surpassing sweet the sengs—no discord could there bo; So wondrous well they played that each the other charmed to sleet)/ They slumber still and in their dreams continually keep A -fluting and a-plping—well-a-clay! AT THE BASE OF SUTHERLAND FALLS claimed Roy, as the boat passed be- tween two toweling rooky ' walls, nearly a mile in height and only a quarter mile apart, giving entrance to Milford sound. "Yes, and you'll see many more In- teresting sights before our vacation is over," replied 'Uncle Will, "This country seems to have borrowed beauties from almost every country and every clime. There are geysers like those of Iceland, Switzerland g•la- Mere, Alp -like mountains and fertile plains. Every kind of scenery you have. And it's a glorious land to roam about in." "You said something about a hermit the other day, Uncle Will," interrupt- ed. Ben, "and I meant to ask you for the story." "You mean Hermit Sutherland, of Milford sound? Not so very long ago he and Ills deg were the only inhab- itants of this region, He wandered about exploring the country. It was he, you know, who discovered Suther- land lealle which we shall visit short- ly. Just think of it, boys—falls that are 1004 feet In height! For six years Sutherland lived alone, and then he was joined by a companion," The boy'S father and mother and Aunt Margaret now Joined them, and together they admired the view about them, "Do you know, Ben, 1 hate to leave this place," muttered Roy. The partY had been looking at Sutherland Fella, making up his mind. AT tirst thought an. old newspaper would 800111 to offer little mar-, tunity fOr amtleowient, Yet yen tannot imagine hOW ninny artletie de. Signs enn be 'Made from this Old rieWa- paper Without the aid of any other 001 Or Materliti.' Let UM describe, tor instance, tha "mariner 0 wheel," shown in Figure 8. first take a whole ma-W.014)er sheet (oe four pag s) and told it down the °enter, rat in Figure 1, 0�w your 'paper ha tho form shown in tigure 2. Vold along the cent r lino, according to leigere 2, And then fold upon a dotted lino indi- toted 11i rigare 8, When this is cora, pleted yen should have all the open ends 00 the paper at the bottom. Voiding upon the clotted lino shown on Metre 4 yoe obtain Pigure 9. You are never ready 1.0 tegill tearing the Pa- per. Be sure that all the felded 0011200 of the paper aro on the right-hand nide. Tear Alen the dotted 11110 noted in 'Figure $. 'Upon opening the resulting forM—Flgure 1,-yOu have your "mar- Iner's wheel." Pleasing variations; of the "tnevinerei wheel" may be obtained by tearing the paper, When In the position of VigUre 0, along clotted 1I11e elsnpit ID VigUra ViglIrO.3.0 and Vivra 1 Their plans once perfected, the boys gathered together what little provisions they coUld. This they did secretly and without exciting suspicion. That even- ing they stole away. Roy and Ben failed to realize the dan- gers of their exploit until they found themselves, upon the afternoon of the following day, without provisions, and lost in the forest, "I can't hold out much longer," gasp- ed Roy, as he stumbled and almost fell; "I'm tired and I'm hungry." "011, we'll be all right soon," replied Ben, encouragingly; "we're certain to shoot something, and once we have decent meal— Hello, what's that?" Suddenly the two had eome out into a, small clearing, in the middle of which P08 a but, such es the Maoris build. Quickening their pare, they soon came to the door, As they received no answer to their call, they entered. Upon a rude not they found a -wild- looking man, tossing from side to side with fever, Over him lay skins of wild. animals. "Looks pretty bad," observed Ben, Further investigation about the but revealed some dried meat. After the Inds had partaken of it, and then drank refreshing water from a spring nearby, they discussed the situation. Ben sbook his head decidedly. "It stands to reason *we've got to stay and try to do something for the man." So for two days the eouple watched the slok man. Meanwhile they had been able to kin some game and replenish their larder. The fever now left the 111 host. His gratitude to the boys was heartfelt, Well it was for them, too, that they had shown this kindness. For aeon the men—a hermit, he wae—was able to guide the boys back to then.. relatives, The lads were greatly ashamed of themselves when they found how Innen worriment they had caused through their thoughtlessnese. But although they derma breath the subject, they did Wish their father and their uncle 'Weald decide to Spend a time camping in the mountains. In spite of the attendant hardshIpa, they felt sure they Would enjoy themselves immensely. Those gen- tlemon, however, seemed to think thee Ilen and Roy had done enough explore ing in the forests, Was Watching Him TWI2tri::tolyellnanialso ?atop ,ofwtelil.oemspewalgluda of the ease With which some pick. pockets operate. One Of the gentielnen eald: "Why, My friend, pieldeg peekets bo Observe .now Ifelir Pocket is gaping. I could aally have picked it." "No you touldn't," cried the /CAMS,' stn in the other &climb/m*1 lap, „ 'oiuso 9 Ivs.s leettre out for yottl”