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The Seaforth News, 1926-06-24, Page 3i• XENOPI-ION BROWN BY GhiO11?REY RANT OLPH, One of the grcaLest teachers who being peculiarities he had possessed ever lived, and one whose impress on'for years, and which, therefore, never the minds and -hearts of the youth is attracted the attention of any of his felt to -day all through England, cull pupils, unless it happened to be the nits that the keenest reproof he ever first day they entered school. received carne from a boy whom he Xenophon was still studying, whets regarded 'as the most'• -stupid in his he heard a strange noise 'en the ;out- side' of the building, , It was the soft "tip, tip', made by an animal. -in trot- ting over hard ground, and, whatever it might be, he was going around the school house, with a regular lope, such as a dog shows sometimes for hours. The boy listened. All was still for a few seconds and then lie faintly caught the noise like the dripping of water. It grew louder, until he could easily hear that it was the tread°of'some animal, as it carne beneath the window where the tiichin was sitting, soon dying out again as it passed around the further end of the building; "Some dog," thought Xenophon, re= sinning work on his lessons, while the scratch on the teacher's pen continued,. and was the only thing that disturbed the silence of the room, If Mr. Jack- son heard the trotting outside, he gave it no thought. It was late in the autumn, and un-_ usually cold. A.bright, roaring fire was burning in the stove, and doors and windows were closed. By-and-by the boy noticed that the animal stopped at the door, and• scratched it with his paws, as if he wished to get in. ' "That must be Tige," he said to himself, referring to his own mastiff. "He's come after me for something." And then Xenophon suddenly threw up his right hand, as though he was trying to reach the ceiling, and began vigorously snapping his fingers to at- tract theattention of his teacher. "Well, what's the matter?" growled' switching, and equally rare for him to Mr. Jackson, peering over the top of get out of the school building until his desk, without raising his head from its slanting position, which he held when writing copies. "May 1 go to the' door for 'a min- ;ute?" asked the lad. "Hurry back," was the gruff answers and the pen once more resumed its scratching., Nimble-foote,i Xenophon hastily ap- preached the door, lifted the latch, ex Wearied out with the lad's obtuse- ness, the teacher petulantly exclaimed: "I never saw a child' as diintb as you!" • The 'little fellow turned his honest blue eyes front his book, and looking earnestly in the face of his instructor, said: "I do the best I can:" The famous teacher never forgot that "reproof to his dying day, and certainly never again lost patience with that lad. A good many years ago, there was a little, tough urchin, named Xenophon Brown, who .went, to an old-fashioned country school in Western Pennsyl- vania. vania, The section at that time was sparsely settled, and plenty of wild animals roamed through the large tracts of woods. Young Brown was�a muscular, ac- tive ' boy, but was undoubtedly the slowest of all his playmates' in the way of acquiring book knowledge.' He tried as hard, and ended harder, than any of them, but he lacked the ability. It was Xenophon who, more than a half century ago, made an almost sim- ilar reply to a reproof from his cross- grained teacher, Mr. Jackson; but the teacher, in this ease, was too obtuse himself to appreciate the breadth and *depth of the answer, and he continued to abuse and punish. Xenophon almost daily for his failures in his lessons. It was a rare thing for the boy to go through the session without a sharp an hour after the.regular dismissal. At that day, the school houses were on a par, with the inetliods. of instruct; tion. The one of which I ata specially speaking was constructed of logs,' with rough benches, and was capable of ae- coinmodatipg twenty-four, children with .seats, 'In the, middle of the room was a large, old-fashioned stove, while the petting to see his own favorite -dog, teacher's desk was -at the end•opposito when, to his cont.fern•ation, he found the door. The desk stood on immense- himself face to fare with an enormous ly long legs, as did the stool on which wildv:at• the teacher perched himself during The animal trust have been attract - most of the schoolhours. ed by some of the fragments of neat One day Xenophon was given eight from the -children's dinner -baskets,. words to learn to spell, and he threw scattered around the door,'while that his whole soul into the effort to ac-' of Xenophon was just within on the quire then!. He studied hard until, floor, and held a goodly sized piece of . just before dismissal, when he was salt pork. called upon to recite. ( The boy was terrified as he saw the He, missed precisely seven, attd, as frightful beast, with its glowing eyes usual, was handed back his book with fixed upon him, and he attempted to the load voiced announcement: hang the door in its face; but, as if t "You'll stay after. school till they're undersfanding his purpose, it trade a• ell learned! You're still the dumbest.. light hound, which hurled the door boy that'd ever saw in all my life!" i hack with such violence that the lad Poor Xenophon meekly took his was well -night thrown to the floor. book, Walked hark to his seat and re-! The fierce creature immediately sunned studying, while the more for-, placed himself within the building, tunate boys and girls looked pityingly and shoving his nose. into the dinner at hien, for it was a tnystery to them basket of ,young Brown, snapped up how any one could be so slow in ac -:the piece of pork. - quiring know' -edge. 1 "Oh, Mr. Jackson," called the lad, A half-hour later there were only a wildcat stealing my dinner!" two occupants of the school-roomthe "Why don't you turn him out?" de - teacher and Xenophon Brown. The mended the teacher, 'looking as though • latter sat with both elbows on the desk he wished his stool was a great deal in front and his face resting in his „higher from the floor. hands, while he was studying with all 1 "I` did try to, but be won't mind me," was his might and• main, and gradually; was the reply of the pupil, who moved fixing the peculiar orthography'of the back into the room, with his eyes on different words in his memory, I the furious beast. Mr, Jackson a tall man in The latter disposed 'of the piece of epee..1po tacles, with grissled hair standing perk in a twinkling,'aind_then snuffed straight up on his head, was perched around' as if looking for other dinner on his high stool, writing copies. ' baskets" His • long, attenuated legs were ( Seeing none, he fixed his glowing' twisted around those of his -stool, end, eycs.on the boy andethe'teacher, who it looked as if they were all tied up .was in a line with him. together, so that no one could ever' 'The taste of meat had no doubt get them apart. 1 sharpened his appetite for more; -anal AsMr. Jackson's ci•ouchin -• down.:_ for an. instant: 1' q. will .scraped oust g ., .ice the. -paper, er, he kept elevatin • and Clow -'the domestic cat when gathering to 1' p 1 g ering his eyebrows, and twisting his spring on a mouse, the !tenet made a mouth, as if he were imitating the.,tremendous bound directly into the shapes or the letters made with his middle of the floor. pen. I Rather curiously, instead of attack- Occasionally, too, he groaned --these ing the boy, he sprang for the teacher, REG'L.AR FELLERS—By Gene Byrnes. DW MISTER oOMLAUF Z t71DN' URIIAK:.. POUR WINDOW! 1I X41 LEAGUE'S NEW LABOR OFFICE OPaN8 • Above is shown the new building of the.Infernational Labor: Office of the League of Natioue, which was opened at Geneva, Switzerland, recently. The building is the first In the history of the world built by funds. contributed by 55 nations (the members of the International Labor Organization, Melud. ing Germany), as it is the fleet to be built for league purposes. g 1 p who was further: of, and moot ha been less attractive in every respec to a hungry wild animal than was the plump archin,' The cause of this, however, lay in the respective actions of man and boy. The former, in • a panic of fear, dashed for the window behind him, with the purpose of raising it and jumping out; the latter caught up tine iron poker, and placed himself in an attitude of defence. As a flying foe is always more tempting to a combative person or animal- than a defiant one, the wild -cat sprang toward the teach- er, and --caught him' ere the window was half raised, Mr. Jackson had snatched uphis ferule at the moment of starting on his flight, and he now turned about and began heating his assailant with it, shouting: "Take hint off! Take him off! Quick! He'll kill mei" Brave Xenophon rushed to the de- fence of his teacher, and with the: iron poker began belaboring the snarling wild -cat with might and main. True he brought the trent iron down on the bacic and shoulders .of the teacher about as often as he did 011 the head of the beast; but' let us hope that was accidental. The wildcat had landed on the back of Mr. Jackson; -where he soon tirade ribbons of his coat, and began lacerat- ing his flesh. He was terribly strong and savage, and it did look as if he would soon kill the instructor. But the latter was quite muscular and active, from the exercise he had gained in correcting the youth.under him, and he made a brave, fight fax himself. Seeing his weak ferule was of no account, he dropped it, and fixing his iron fingers in the velvety throat of the huge cat, he forced its bullet -like head, with its fiery` -eyes, away - from the shoglder into which it had buried its fangs. Not only that, but, by a tremendous effort, he shoved the creatureoffat arm's length, so' that neither its jaws nor claws could ' inflict, harm for' the very brief time in which the teacher could master him. The strain of holding the savage brute in this fashion was too terrific vo received from the claws and teeth of t the wildcat, Ho was pee, and, for a moment; in danger of fainting, but he soon rallied, verb grateful to you, Xeno- phon," he said, for your timely assist- ance. It would have gone ill with me but for your interference." "I guess he was pretty hungry; was all the `boy said. The teacher now••closed and locked the school building., and he and the boy started homeward. They had not pro- gressed far, when Xenophon: suddenly stopped, with a look of assumed dis- may'. "What's the matter?" asked his in- structor. "You forgot to hear my spelling h; "I guess I'll- excuse that ;this after- noon/f'replied Mr. Jackson, as he re- sumed his walk, suspecting that young Xenophon Brown, after all, was not so stupid as he sometimes appeared. At Evening. Out In the land of the whispering pine, With a bending pole and a tightened line, And a sunset glow that is clear and fine, At evening. Out where the birds at the close of day,. Are humming their bit of a roundelay, 'When the crickets chirp and the world Is gays At :evening, Away from the noise and soot and dirt, 'Prom. the busy mart and the thoughts that hurt, In the great outdoors away from work, At evening, With peace on earth, goodwill .toward men, - My squl washed clean of all hate, and Then A breath of the scented woods again, At evening, THE POWER OF MUSIC Music gives us the lever to carry the feelings of childhood into the powers 01 neanhood. Itmeilces our spirit aglow With Optimism, and 'develops our aesthetic sense or love of beauty to the highest degree. It vivifies Intel- lect and awakens a keen sense.o( ob- servation, so that we see more and get 0.are out of every experience. Musts, like good wine, intoxicates, but with this importati,t differeuee--there is no reaction. It gives the glow without the headache, the thrill wiLitout the remorse. It satisfies hut never sati- ates... • Music kindles' and tans the lire of rapture, enhaacee ..every pleasure, strengthens: the spirit and, when pur- eued, enables'. us to extract the great- est mental and emotional benefits from every elaperionoe. it stays the hand of age and puts more life into the same number of hours, for it isn't how long we live, but bow much we live that Music lifts us. above rho 'petty fears, suspicions, and round of trivalities that burden average lives. Why limp through life handicapped by counter- feit, half -expressed emotious and hec- tic pleasures when the best of life— throbbing sensations—crave' expres- sion at our very finger-tips? Musio le now prescribed by the medi- cal profession for brain fag, nervone exhaustion and kindred complaints. It is decidedly beneficial from et health Standpoint. The fagged mind can for- get its own weariness and extract full relaxation from self -played music., for music shows us the sunny side of life and teechee'us to take the most op-; timistic view of every situation. It provides us with eomeetMMng beneficial to give to others; and makes us love the race as a whole rather than love self and one's family only and count all others as naught. A music -minded nation never seeks war. Music makes us optimists and we all like to meet those who bring into our lives the philosophy of looking On the better, blighter side of things. The optimist Is 'no fool. He has learned that the side of spiritual buoyancy to the side of good health, of work better done, of fa'1f-mess in contracts with others and of friend hip ,reale and 1 kept in repair, Tho antimafia is an, as, QUAINT OLD CLOCKS set to seciety and of great service. to God and mat. Music makes aur eyes alight with a new joy, our bodies alive with a now youth, and enables us to find infinite pleasure In the simple things of life, while nothing can compete with the tonic of music to keep youthful lines in our face, to develop beauty, to fire ims,gipation, to banish dullnese•, to fan love toits highest flame and to keep the spirit of sentiment, romance and adventure perpetually aglow.' Nothing can equal music as a means to elevate one from the obscurity of a humdrum life to the diniel•Ight afpopu- larity. Nobody, MAIMS, equipped with phen omenally natural gifte, can con- pets with the musical person, even when the latter is at first handicapped witha lees charming personality; and even ane possessing those gift that nature once in a while: showers on seine lucky child at birth' will find Ms or her natural harm the more en- hanced through the magic power of self -played music. Radio, phonographs, etc„ play second fiddle to self -played inutile where the highestthrill is extracted •fromeach tune, for melodies so rendered give tang to one's personality; they wield a magic power : to hold heads and hearts spellbound, to further inspire- tion and exalt one's whole being by tapping at -once the very depths of emotion and the eminences of ecstasy The soul of the people are hungry. More and more of them are feeling the need of something wholly different from material needs and . aims --sane- thing to make their lives fuller and richer. Yet there are but few fields where that Bower is growing they seek. The greatest of these fields is self -played music, and the number is steadily growing who in search for that flower are finding the magic field. The plant of music is a vigorous growth that will never be stifled by the weeds of ignorance or outworn traditional customs, nor turned into a frail hothouse flower to suffer the blight of emotionalism. Alt, great are the joys of a day wall He --"If t e can't agree, we'll divide •spent, the house. You take one side and I In sutnmer-time when on pleasure bent, Fax my heart is filled with a .sweet content for the teacher to keep up long; and, At evening. gatheringall his power, he gave him -Art Greene, a vigorous fling, hoping that the wild- cat would let hits alone. But the brute was fully aroused, and, snarling as it touched the floor, it made at him again, paying no atten- tion to Xenophon, who had beaten: it with the poker until he was tired.. The teacher, with his garments torn and himself bleeding, sprang behind his desk, with a view of keeping it be- tween him and his assailant; but that was impossible, and it really looked -as if there was no escape from -the savage creature. But, if Xenophon Brown was slow n -gathering book knowledge, he was nicker time his instructor in recalling a very important :tact, and equally rompt in utilizing it' Jerking open the door of tho stole, e caught one of the burning brands, and, with a shout, jammed it in the very nose and eyes of the wild -cat, just as it attacked Mr. Jackson again. Most animals,dread nothing so much as fire, 'and this 'was more than the beast could stand. Itsuddenly s ddeat y loos- ened its hold, whirled -about, and, with one bound, shot through the window, splintering the sash and half the panes, and an instant later vanished in the wood. Poor Mr. Jackson . was in a sorry plight. His clothes were in tatters, ttnd he had more than one bail wound, 9 p GRonn MY- I-IEART s DIDN' BREAK iT MISTER OOMI.AUF! t 1<NOW W140 BUSTED ITBOTSAIRT A1.LOWEb TO TELL! Refected. Edward ---"Could we marry on my salary?" Mary—"Just about, but I'd want to eat the next day." A Fashion Leader at Three Years. Although only three years of ages. Master George Lascelles, son of Priv Cess Mary, is setting the style In Lon- don. The Princess bought him a dainty dressing gown of blue flannel, decorated with appliqued kittens: Mothers of the smart. set, learning of the -purchase, Immediately ordered duplicates. the other. Take your choice." She ---"Oh, 1'11 take the inside," • 1 -- The Elephant's Neck. The reason the elephant's neck is whort is that the dread 0f the animal is so heavy that were it placed at the end of a neck proportionate to the di- mensions of that member In other ani- mals, an almost incalculable amount of muscular force would be necessary to elevate and sustain It. The almost total absence of a neck obviates the difficulty, and the trunk serves as a substitute. The uses and advantages of a Iong nock, peculiarly exemplified in the giraffe, which contains only the saute number of vertebral articulations as in the elephant, are in the labter supplied by tate trunk or proboscis, by which he is enabled to carry food to his mouth and to drink by suction. This curious organ contains a vast number of muscles variously later - laced, is extremely flexible, endowed with the most exquisite ,sensibility and the utmost diversity of .notion, and Compensates amply for the absentee of a long neck, . For Chl i d In an Auto, , An inventor hue devised a leather harness which holds a child comfort--. ably and fit'mly or the front seat of an automobile beside the driver, I A teaspoonful of cold water added to the batter tvl1 ensure the lightness+ of a Yo•kehir•e pudding, Green Boughs of Home. Green boughs of home, that come be- tween Mine yes and this far distant scene, I see where'er my thought escapee, Your old serene familiar shapes; Each lissom willowtree that dips Into the stream her golden whips, The sassai'raaboeide the gate, Where twilight stroll+rs linger late. The hemlock groups that dimly hold Their own against the noonday gold, The maple lines that give the view A green or luminous avenue; Those oldest [tipple trees whose forms IIave braved a hundred years of storms, And turn a face as blithe and free To greet their second Century; The younger orchard's heavy edge, Framed in the honey locust hedge; Fruit -flushed, scow -burdened or bloom - bright, It °rues to my home -longing sight. The billowy woods across the road, Where all the winds of heaven strode, And sang in every towering stem, Would that I were at hone with them! Por under these clown -bending boughs A'thoimeans tender memories house, Oh, while your old companions roans, Your pence be theirs, green boughs of home! —Ethely'wn Wetiterald in "The Bud- ding Child." Economy. Ole Ileson had been working as an engine wiper and his boss, a thrifty man, had been coaching him for pro- motion to fireman with such. advice as: "Now, Ole, don't waste a drop of 011 -- that costs stoney. And don't waste the waste, either ---that getting expen- sive, too."When ON went up:to bo questioned on his eligibility for an enginemen, he was asked: "Suppose you are on your engine on u single track. You go round a curve, and you see rushing toward you an express, What would you do?" To which Ole replied; "I grab the Oil ' .can; I grab the waste- -and I yump." Reason Enough. 'CAUSE et& F' ST Rtl-EY SAID HED SOAK b4EIN11E� IF 5 TOLE OM ere*, (Coeseleit j ge try l err tie Z�ti tnc ` ; _- Perhaps'the first meobenical ntetlt od of belling time was alis candles, which burned themsbyelveslneouof in a given apace o1 time ---burning day and night. The night was divided iii- to three ;• candles. The "biopsy ire," or water clock, founded on the same theory as the sand -glass Ind of equally ancient orig- ins was a; reeservoir of water, which slowly emptied itself and indicated the hour by the level of the water. This system. was improved upon by means •ofa floated :mechanicad device, and even bells._, In 1870 Charles V. installed the first public timepiece in Paris, and ordered the churches to give the regulation time. In 1583 Galileo, then but 19 years old, discovered the mathematical lows of the pendulum; but ft was not ap- plied to clockmaking until 1657. The .manufactuiti,pf °handier °tacks for domestic use, as distinguished from the costly and highly decorated time- keepers for public buildings, or to gratify the tastes of the wealthy, seems to have commenced about 1600. These chamber clocks were of the pat- tern known as "lantern," „bird -cage," and "bedpost," They were either hung against the wall or supported an a bracket, and wound by pulling down the opposite endear the ropes to those from which the driving weights were #lung. About 1658 the pendulum was intro- duced and quickly superseded the bal- ance. These clocks usually ran for 30 hours,' and were almost without ex caption front 3x2% inches to 5 inches: square. Lantern clocks, as a rule, were fur- nished with an hour indicator only. Moving Figures. 'During part of the reign of William III., and in the time of Queen Anne, cloaks had their dials projecting be- yond the frames from 1 to 2 inches on each side. These are generally known. as "sheep'e.bead" clocks. Witlr little variation in style,'these brass clocks seem to have been made front the time of Elizabeth until about the be- ginning of the reign of George III. For many years, but especially dur- ing the Iatter part of the eighteenth century, there was a great taste for moving figures placed in a part of the dial—automatic see -saws, heaving ships, and time on the wing, being es- pecially favored. The development from the braes or lantern ok.ek to the tall or grand- father's clock was a natural one. Pint, a wooden hood was placed over the brass clock for protection, and when bhe long pendulum came into fashion it had to be inclosed to keep it from Wiley; the result was a clods with a loug case. The eases were very plain, made mostly of oak or walnut, and on the enoli•er oues, the maker's name in Latin. Later, musical clocks appeared In England aud were exported to the Colonies. Choosing Rugs is Important Task for Horne Owner. It has been well saki that the right . nig pulse a room together or a house together as nothing else can. Not even the walls and the ceiling of a roost can be made to unite its scattered t'urnt�ll- fogs so completely as eau the rug up- on which or around which these. fur- nishings are placed. The satisfaction which the eye feels in the out-of-doors' is due not a little to the unifying ef- fect of nature's carpet under foot as well as to the sky overhead. The beginner in Interior decoratio,. particularly if ignorant of bout the decorative quality of design and its historical and regional values --- in other words its period interest—seeks shelter with plain walls and plain -ear - pets. This is playing very safe indeed, for with decorative ornament on the over -draperies and upholstery Mune, and with a few decorative accessories, It is easy to compose a roost without offense. And this le what is happening all over Canada, A cretonne or hand- blooked fabric, a brocade or brocataile is chosen for drapery; one or more of its three sr more colors is "matched" for theupholstery. One of its ewers in a deeper shade is chosen fur the rug. Its lighter tones are chosen for Lite walls and the glass curtains, and presto! the thing is done as eesilp as the minutes required for an ern ployee to go to a shop and "match", the colons, just like a dress-malter'a errand girl. In the finished result we cannot say that the rug le unsuitable; butoh, what monotony! As well have nothing but groan grass in a lawn everywhere with never a garden of flowers to delight tide earth. Lawns have their place, so havo plain rugs, so have rngless floors for that matter. But style to -day de- mands design and more design; to know how to use other than solid col- ored rags is beconniug a necessity. Old Chime Repaired., Otte of the finest and most Perfect 'Dads of bells. in London, the ten bells 'of All Scenes Parish Church, ,Papier,, is now being hoard again aftera si1- 1 ence of ten years. The greater part of the cost of repairing and rehanging them has beeu borne by the pat•ishton- ere, by means of , a. millionffaxtliing rand. The •'peal was'flrst installed in 1823, so it has hung for over a eEn- tury. It is on record tba.t it originally cost £i060, a suns which would not go far in these .days toward providing small a peal.