HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1925-12-31, Page 2I.
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THE BIRD'S CHRISTMAS TREE
• It was the week before Christmas
And real Christmas weather. Youtig
people in the country like snow and
ice. They don't complain if Jack
Frost does nip their noses and their
fingers, for he brings coasting and
skating, and he makes wonderful pic-
tures of mountains and castles on the
windowpanes.
The Wells children were at the
front window watching for the station
wagon. "Oh, why doesn't it come!"
cried Susie, one of the ten -year-old
twins.
"Perhaps Auntie Martha can't
come," said Mary, the ether twin, who
was always the desponding one.
"Of course she'll come," cried
• George, a sturdy boy of twelve, "She
always comes for Christmas. There
she is!" The five children rushed to
the door.
",Do let your auntkeget in out of the
cold," exclaimed Mrs. Wells, as, she
held out a welcoming hand to a smil-
big young woman who stood in the
doorway ssurrounded by children.
"Oh, .I'll get • in • all, right. • I'm so
glad to be here. I've been looking for-
ward to this all through my fall
term," said the newcomer.
"We've got all sorts of surprises for
you," said Emma, a bright little girl
of eight.
"Don't try to tell your auntie every-
thing before' she gets her hat off,"
- said Mrs. Wells. "Let her go up to
-her room and rest before your father
gets home."
Martha Wells, evith the twins still
teacher could do it if she felt, sym-
petite for suffermgeanimals,
"Then I began to teach them to love
the flowers too much to tear them up
by the roots, and to love trees. I
thought, about this very tree you want
to have cut down. I have watched
that tree in my vacations and seen it
grow from a little baby tree to what
it is now, and I loved it. I called it
the 'birds' tree'."
"We didn't know you cared about
that tree, or we would not have asked
to have it cut down," said George
thoughtfully.
"I love all the trees, George. Just
before I came here I, had my class
learn that beautiful poem of Joyce
Filmer about a tree. Surely you know
that,"
"I'm afraid they don't," said Mrs.
Wells. "I ought to have read it to
them."
"Shall I repeat it?" asked Martha.
' "Please do," they all said, and she
began:
"'I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree;
'A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet 'flowing
breast;
"'A tree that leaks at God all day
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
"'A tree. that may in summer wear
A nest'of robins in her hair;
"'Upon whose bosom snow has lain:
Who intimately lives with rain,
"'Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree'."
clinging to her, went up to a sunny For a moment no one spoke, then
room which her brother had furnished Mary said, "What doe' a 'nest of
for her when her home was broken up robins in her hair' mean? A tree
after her mother's death. There was hasn't any hair."
a cheerful fire in an open fireplace, "When I was here on my spring va-
cation a robin was building a nest in
that very tree you want to cut down.
Do you remember you wrote me, Mary,
that there were -five little birdies in
and Martha -sank into her favorite
chair with a sigh of content. "Now
we are going to have a happy week
-
together," she said.
"Every one of us has got a Christ. .the nest and that they all came off the
mas gift for you," said Susie, "even nest safely, and that Mr. Tommy -Cat
Billy -Boy." did not try to catch one of them?"
"And Ilex, and Mr. Tommy -Cat," "Of course he didn't," said little
added Mary. Emma, fondly stroking the head of
"We're going to have the biggest the pretty cat curled up in her lap.
tree we ever had," shouted George, "Tommy never catches birds or chick -
putting his head in the door. ens. We talked to him when he was
"Just come to the window and we little and told him he mustn't."
will show it to yea," cried Susie, drag- "It seems strange to me," said Mrs.
ging her auntie to the -window. Wells, "that so few persons under -
"Father is going to cut it down for stand cats. They think they can
us the day before Christmas." teach a dog anything, but do not know
"Cut that beautiful young evergreen
that with a little patience and with -
tree down just for a Christmas hell-
out harsh treatment, a cat con be
day?" exclaimed. Martha; "why it
taught to mind. Plenty of cats live
would be cruel." in the room with birds and when the
"Cruel? What do you mean?" cried
birds are out of the cage never think
the children. , of touching them. They have been
"Let us not talk about it now," said taught better."
"Sometimes my cat and my dog
mind me better than my children,"
said Mr. Wells, with a smile. "I don't
think Rex ever disobeys me."
Rex, who was lying on the floor by
Mr. Wells' chair, hearing his name
called, lifted his head and thumped
his tail on the floor..
around their beloved auntie in the "To get back to the tree," said
parlor. Mr. and Mrs. Wells were with Martha, "Mat is just the tree for
them, also Rex and Tommy -Cat. birds to take shelter in when the cold
George suddenly spoke up, -"Father, Winds are blowing and the snow fall -
auntie says it would be cruel to cut lug. I am sure you would not wish to
down our Christmas tree," Jake away the birds' comfortable
"I rather felt that _way myself," house?"
said Mr. Wells, slowly. "I was wait- I "Oh, no, auntie," the children all
ing to hear what your auntie wotild: cried in chorus.
say about it. Speak up, sister!" I "But our presents -it'll sort of spoil
"I shall begin by telling you some- our fun, won't it?" said George.
thing about my work," said Martha. ;Not a bit of it," answered his aun-
"When T first began to teach school, tie. "I have thought out a fine way
five years ago, I soon realized that the to give the Christmas presents."
children had not been taught to think. "Tell us!" cried the children, so
I saw that a good deal of the trouble 'eagerly that they jumped up from
and the suffering in the world was their seats aed set Rex to barking.
because older people as well as chil- "Let us go back to the tree again,"
dren did not stop to think whether Martha. "Suppose we make our first
what they wanted for their own corn- Christmas present to the birds,"
fort or pleasure was going to hurt "How can we do that?" asked
anybody else. When I say anybody George.
else, I mean any creature that lives, "We can begin right away to get
and can suffer. I have always felt the presents for the, birds. We will
that we have no right to cause suffer- buy two' pounds of beef suet and cut
ing to others for our own selfish' com- it into squares, or any shape you like,
fort, then make little wire baskets that we
"I began to have my 'pupils commit can fasten on the branches and the
to memory poems About birds and anis trunk oethe tree. That will be a great
mals, and flowers and trees, and it was attraction Co the wood -peckers and
surprising what a difference it made 'chickadees. The blue jays will be
in that neighborhood iii a short time, greedy and get more than their share,
The boys stopped robbing birds' nests but we canChelp.that-we don't Want
and firing air guns at living targets, them to starve. If the squirrels; or
They unchained their dogs, '.!.but did the sparrows, are very hungry, they
not let them chase after their bicycles, may take some of it, but we will pro-
-or cats. They did not desert their vide other food for them. Then we will
poen' cats and kittens and let them bake two dozen large' potatoes long
starve. The grocer's boy no longer enough to make the skin hard so that
whipped the poor horse he was driv- we can cut them in halves, Each po-
ing. All this I did without interfering tato will make two baskets. Pill them
at all with my other lessons, and any with a mixture, of bread crumbs and
Martha soberly. "Run away and let
me rest a little while, then I will come
down and talk to you.'
II.
It :was after supper and the chil-
dren, excepting Billy -Boy, were sitting
..*****••••••• 1•••••*•••••irr •
4
e.V.e•Fee
ABANDON 5-51 SALVAGE FOR WINTER
Due to the fact that the lives of the -divers were imperiled throdgh the freezing of the air lines, the work
of raising the .sunken 'U.S. submarine from 129 fathoms off Block Island. has been eibstported.to the spring., Photo
plmws the final .descent into the icy waters being made. • • •
.4•11••••;••••00.01
ame•aarameanamsormwasicek
grain, and fasten them to, the'branches
all over' .the tree with fine wire or
cord for handles. Next, get your
father to give you some of his cracked
corn to spread under the tree ibr blue
jays, squirrels, and perhaps pheasants,
if there are any about here. That
will make a Birds' Christmas Tree
that will keep a good many of our
dear little friends happy for days, -
in fact, I am sure you will keep it
supplied all winter, when once you see
what a joy it is."
"Auntie, that is sp!endid! We shall
love to do it," said Sugie.
"Indeed we will," echoed Mary.
"It's surely a fine idea," said Mr.'
Wells, and his wife added, -"indeed
it is."
Christmas morning dawned' bright
and cold. Snow covered the ground
and the children shouted with delight
when lopking out the window they saw
the Birds' Christmas Tree alive with
birds. Susie, who had been making a
study of birds, announced proudly that
she had seen the winter chime* eun-
' cos, blue jays, chickadees, woodpeck-
ers, a lame blackbird, cedar birds, and
English sparrows, at different times,
since she first began looking out her
window as she was dressing.
The crows were calling' to-ech
other back of the barn, where crcked
corn had been placed, and shewas al-
most sure that she saw a pheasant. --
"I can vouch for that," said Mr.
Wells, "I saw three pheasants come
out of the woods and enjoy our Christ-
mas treat when I went to the barn
just as the sun was rising, and the
squirrels we're scampering around as
busy and .happy as 'they could be."
"Our teacher told us to drive away
the English sparrows," said •George,
"I am sorry she should say that, for
two reasons'," said Auntie' Martha,
"one is, that the, greatest lesson in
the world to teach children is to be
kind to every living creature. If we
once begin to teach children to do
anything to hurt or frighten any kind
of bird or animal, we can't tell where
it will end. We are teaching unkind-
ness and hardening their hearts so that
that first thing we know they will be
cruel to each other, or to unfortunate
dogs or cats that have no one to care
for them, and. they will ,get air guns
and shoot at anY kind of bird." • .
"It is strange that so few persons
know how useful English sparrows
are," said Mr. Wells. "I have watched
them feed their little ones and seen
them fly to their nests again and
again with their little beaks full of
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• "I want io learn skiing, skaithg, climbing anti yodeling," sad Whews. "Row
much do you charge?" "Chem " replied the Swiss guide. "I'll teach you all
stuff
without eay if you promise to ineeruct me- In that 'Yankee
you are now exhibiting,"
(Kindly draw straight lines between the numbers). •
wriggling green worms. I should hate
to see any bird or animal go hungry,
' IV. •
and winter is a hard time for English
sparrows, as well as other birds in the
city or country."
Christmas afternoon was a happy
time at the Wells farm. ' The
dren were kept out of the parlor all
the forenoon. When the door was
opened they all exclaimed with delight.
The tables were covered like a coun-
ter in a store, with all sorts of delight-
ful things. To each' ertiele a narrow
ribbon was attached and carried
across the table to hang over the sides
like a fringe, the ends'finished with a
round shining button. There were five
different colors, a color for each child.
Susie was invited to begin by drawing
toward her any one of the blue rib-
bons, and the article at the end of the
blue ribbon was hers. The children
took turns, each seizing one of the
ribbon ends, and carefully pulling it
toward them. If the present at the
slid • of the 'ribbon was large' and
heavy like a train of cars or a box of
, blocks, it made all the more fun. There
was a great uproar when George, fol-
lowing his color, a red ribbon, all
across the table, found that it led to a
new sled that was -.hidden under the
I table. Another smaller table had
gifts for the older ones with pretty
cards, and still another table, when a
!snowy cover was lifted, displayed a
„feast of sandwiches, fruit, candy, cake,
set out in readiness for* the children's
supper. .
So theellay ended, and as the chil-
dren were going to their night's rest
George said, "I think this is the best
; and merriest Christmas we have ever
had, and I'm awfully glad we gave -the
birds our Christmas.tree."
"It will make us all happy when we
listen to the bitter wind, that blow-
ing to -night to think of the dear little
birds and the crows and "squirrels that
will sleep warmer and better because
they are not going hungry to their
cold beds in the "trees," said tender-
hearted little Emma, and Mrs. Wells,
as she led the little ones upstairs, re-
peated:
" prayeth best who loveth best,
All things both great and small,
t or the 'dear God who loveth us;
He made and loveth all."
-Anna Harris Smith.'
Early Marriage Rite. -
Hymen was probably originated by
the Greeks. In the olden days it was
Hymen who led the torch dance, as he
carr -ed theereal "wed -ding torch" at the
front of the procession which conduct-
ed the bride to the home of the groom.
In Rome as late as 1800 Hymen and
his torch -bearers were always- part of
royal maeriages.
The CaOrY of the COmpion.
place.
. .
now the glen' of the cemunoneseeee
ehinee upozr Oltr WeOci
'That. welcome tell7fake. (sleek of the
swinging garden gte
iloixvey sogad of pineeepots blue-
ing in the open gra%
The ring of childish langhter that
comes floating clown the etair,
And that silent, hely 'moment that is
kept for evening prayer
Thenightly rounds of tucking in the
' quilts of little beds,
And ,the soft kisses placed on Weeping
golden heads -
The glory :of the conuaonplece ceetse
a halo round our days. •
-Ruth Hol -way.
•
If on this night -of still, white' cold,
I can itemembee May,
New green of tree war underbnah, •
A hillside orchard:a mounting hush,
The scent Of. earth and' noon's- bine
• hush,-
•
A robin'jaunty way.
If on this night -of bitter frost,
I know such things can be,
That lovely May is truee-ah, well,
I shall believe the tales.lnen tall,
Wonders of bliss and asphodel,
And hum.
oe-
V-Itaiaineg. _
e
The t� 'Subjects that are ehgaging
the attention Of Med:teal men mere per-'
haps thdn any' others at the present
time are vitamines and the internal
secretions, or hormones. ,And the two
are in a manner one, for'it has been
found that the, proper action of Gail
glands that give origin.to the Internal
secretions depends largely upon a suf-
ficient quantity of vitereines in the
food.
It is difficult to give a satisfactory
definition of vitaminea, for their chemi-
cal composition has not yet been dia.
edvered, and we know them and, can
classify them only by their effects
and by the evil results to men 'and
animals when they are absent from
the food. We know only that they are
substances contained in small amounts
in fresh foods, and that they are es-
sential to normal nutrition; they are
different from the energy -producing
principles in food-peoteins, fats and
carbohydrate's. Perhaps the bait ex-
planation is that' given by a recent -
English writer,. who likens them to the
spark that ignites the fuel mixture of
a gasoline engine, the spark, be says,
is of no use without the fuel, or the
fuel without the spark.
'There are at least three different
vitardines that are classed broa-dly by
the disedses that the, lack of them -
causes. itickets, results from the lack
of A vitamine, beriberi from the Leek'
of B vitamins, and scurvy from the
lack -of C vitamins, It is thought that
the s-o-ctilled "hunger dropsy"
caused by a deficiency of D vitaniine,
but that is pure s -peculation as yet.
Vitamines are mit manufacturediii
-
the animal body, and such of them, as
are contained in fresh meat, milk, but-
ter had eggs are derived from the
vegetable food of the- animal or the
fowl. The disease -s above mentioned
are not the -only ones calw;eci by e de-
ficiency of vitamines; they are seen
only occesionalr3r when there is an al-
most _total lack of the essential vita -
mine. The usual inanifeatetion is ill
health -poor appetite, headaches, .Sys -
pepsin, intestinal indigerstion, neural-
gia and neuritis, sleeplessness, fatigue.,
after slight exertion, anaemia, netirae-
thenia and 'so on. --
The prevention or cure of the trou-'
Wee that are traced to lack of vita -
mines is a change to protective foods,
in the dietary -whole-wheat bread,
eggs, milk, batter, fresh fruits, salads
and fresh vegetables cooked rapidly,
for prolonged boiling or even -simmer-
ing destroys the vitamines 'Tome:
toes have all the .vitanfireas in -fair
amount and so are very useful, but
they can 'seldom be -eaten in
quatteties because of the" 'aeld. they
contain. Canning meats and vege-
tables destroys the vitamines in- large
ineasua6.
Canada is the chief talc producer
within the British Empire. Talc and
stone, are- found hi 'Ontario, Quebec,
British Columbia and lova Scotia.
-44 .
Eyeglasses enable about sixty-- pei
cent. of our business and professional
men to continue working after middle.
age has been reached,
MUTT AND JEFF—By Bud Fisher.
Jeff Wants to lave a Mutual. Un
deistandinvtier
.3 6F F, :•foei Gerrie teAteb iT
12) me, L live LANDeb
A SWILL Tearer s
see. 1W/el ANIMAL leleTtitee;
leleiero', kieotenNG Yes.dk
FoNDNGSS FaterINIMALS,
k t SIGNED `YOU up Fait
,-rill Teteleitee AT otece:
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NO; A li...eeesGAzee
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