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THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS. SATURDAY, MAY 25, 1907. DEPARTMENT DEVOTED SOLELY TO AFAIRS OF LITTLE WOMEN CONDUCTED BY MARJORY DAW. THE AMERICAN FATHER. By Dorothy Dix. I BNBALOGICALLY the American child has, of coarse, tho amount of father. Practical tenths of American children arc ••jfcOLBo* IID - HD OH 80C PAGE - half orphans. They possess only a mother and an Interest In a cash The old story about the I .—m was so unacquainted with his busy father, who came home after he went to bed and went to work before he cot up of a morn-1 lux, that he complained to his mother when chastised by his paternal ancestor that 'that man who spends Sundays here whipped mo," Is pathetically true In fact. The average roan la this country Is, to all Intents and purposes, a stranger to hhM>wn children. lie knows how his John ny and Tommy and Mamie look nbjtl4 cally, but be Is nnacquainted with the souls of them. He does not know what they think, who are their friends, what their aspirations, what they are studying, or what are their salient eharacterlstlcs-whutl strength and what weakness they possess.■ Children Know Him Little. The children know him even less than the] father knows them. They look upon him ns a kind of department store, started for their benefit and In which they have a credit ticket. Sometimes the department store Is benign and showers ball bearing skates and bicycles aud pay bills for extravagant gowns and college debts without s protest. Sometimes it Is tyrannical and things have to be obtained by much chicanery and de-| celt, but Jt is always there. The depart ment store also has a department of Jus tlce before which the youthful culprit Is brought up for punishment occasionally, but for moat part the relationship between I child and father la merely that between so Individual and n source of supply, or the law-breaker and the law. The loving, tender hnman contact between parent and child that Is the sweetest thing on earth is lost. It la the perquisite oniy of the mother. She alone knows what It Is to receive tho shy little confidences and to look Into that most sacred -book on earth, the heart of a child. It Is to the mother that the child goes with its little griefs and sorrows. Its hopes and fears. Its joys and pains. It la the toother that the child turns to as the lAtermedtary who will soften the father's anger If It has committed a fault, or propitiate him if It wonts a fa vor. Not Lacking in Devotion. This Is not because American father* lack In dcrotion to their children. On the contrary, tho majority of American pen work themselves to death for their fam ilies. No other children on earth are ao Indulged, so elaborately dressed, so luiu-J riousty fed, and the child of even ordinarily well-to-do people In this country has more term more treat, run! for more elaborate clothe, than any little lonlllng or princeling °In*e3S*’too many aw ♦*•*«(** bail a hard and barren eMIdbeod and* heart breaking struggle to tct eaubll.hed In life, and bln one Idea to g 1 ” children the enee and Indolence•that he missed and to .parr them the hard,hip* he knew. So be lairUhea money and mon- tv's worth upon them and docs not wen realize that he Is withholding from them J&JX? ft th? JStKS country Ib.™ Ltten the notion Into their hrad. that lt i, a woman’s hualneaa to rnUe tl e cfclMrea. and that a father la doing hi, full. and com- k'c asmtsut ft D ear Little Women: How nice Jt 1j to see that several of you are represented on our page this week. First there Is the story, "When the Sun Shone," writ ten by a little girl who Uves In Rome, Ga., and who tells me that she will write another story for us some day If this pleases us. I like It very much Indeed, and I think that you will also, and that you will probably wish to write one for our page when you read hers. After you have once tried it, you will flnd-that writing stories Is great fun, and that tho characters you write about eeem to you like real people of the everyday world. Eddie Edgeworth, of LaGrange, Ga, writes us a letter, which you will all be as glad to read as I was. You will agree with me that It has one serious fault, however—It la too brief. Dear little woman, we wish you had told us more about yourself, about your new homo in town, and about your teacher. Three persons sent In correct answers to tho cross-word enigma published In last Saturday’s issue. This answer Is tho word "Shamrock." and the names of those who solved It correctly are given below. The rhym ing enigma given this week Is easier, I think, so perhaps more of you will solve it. Address your letters and your stories to “Marjory Daw. care Tho Atlanta Georgian, Atlanta, Ga,” and be sure you write often, else I shall fear that you have forgotten all about me. Your loving friend, MARJORY DAW. Dear Marjory Daw:—I am very Interested In, the little women, and thought I would like to write a letter. We live In town now,..but before moving here we lived In the country. I am 10 yearn old, and am In the fifth grade. I love my teacher very much, and I think she Is very pretty. Well, wishing good luck and a happy vacation to all the little women and Marjory Daw, I will say good-bye. EDDIE EDGEWORTH. LaGrange, Ga ESTHER’S MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE Blj when the first baby I. born th. proud young parent, after going out and celebrating!the happy event by taking too many hlshUatU wlffi J congratulating friends, turns the Job of rearing the llttfi rreaturo wtwm hS has brought Into the wortd over to hls wlfa. He doesn’t begin to take a« ranch trouble In teaching and training It an be woulde setter that he had paid ISO for, nor doe. he spend n hundredth pert ninci tliB. trying to study ont Us quirks snd pecullart- tle. end why It balks at certain thlnga and will go nt others, asi be does In lorcst gotluf the eccenlridtlen of a near automobile. Leaves All to Mother, lie leaves everything concerning the chll dren lo their mother. II. leta her deal with them directly. Ho even takea hla opinion of them from her. She tella him that John la itoblmm, and dlaobedlent, and he In- fUcta a punishment to sntt the crime. Bhe tell, him that Tom haa a talent for thla, and he takea her word for It, and tries to have Tom developed along that line. 8he nays that Mary mult have thla, and Rally mast do that, and he dlga down Into hla r ket and flshea np the neceaary money carry out hla wife’, plans for the girls, bnt of the real merits of any of th. ca«e» 11 He D Js'*no?* roffHently aeonalnted with John to know that the, child haa, ten time; already the ppxai. hard, practical scene of hi. mother, and that what she call. dtodje. dlenoe 1s simply th. rebellion of a sane mind against doing a fool thing. II. haa bet watched Tom enough to know that what hla mother considers ebullition* of ge nius are nothing but the frrnsy of her fond fancy. II# li not InUmsts enough with hla daughters to sew that their mother la de veloping all that la worst In them hy pan dering to their vanity and that Instead of being human leeches they would be nice, sensible girls If abe would only let them alone. An Amazing Thing. It Is the most amazing thing when you eonslder that a man who would not think of trusting bis wife to buy s horse on her own judgment, or conduct the simplest basi licas deal, sod who would laugh to scorn tho very Idea that she knew enough shout public needs to select a political candidate, win let her raise hla children alone and UUllMi U'l Ullli « warm — -J counts that maternity work* a miraclei and E ves « woman on In*plred jialon of what boat to do for her offspring; but.there are no facts to support this amiable theory. A fool woman make, a fool mother, and area when a woman Isn't a fool It docsu t Esther lived all alone with her father In a lighthouse near the sea. She had been father's little housekeeper ever since her mother died, two yeare before, and kept everything around the homo as bright and shiny as If abe had been twenty years old instead of half that number. What a busy child Esther was to be sure. She had the dishes to wash, the meals to cook, the sweeping and dust ing to do, and so many other things that there was no chance of Satan's finding mischief for Esther's hands to do. Esther's father had always been very stout man. Of late years he had grown stouter and stouter, until he could not move about with very great speed. In addition to her own dutiea Esther dally accepted more of his work aa her own. She buttoned his shoes every morning, and, every evening climbed to the top of the lighthouse, so high as to make one dizzy—there to put the shining light to warn ships away from danger. One night Esther did not sleep as soundly a% usual. Perhaps she had worked too hard keeping tbs little home as mother had kept It; perhaps she was too busy thinking of a visit to her cousin, Ruth, next week. Anyway she tossed and turned In her little bed and thought that morning would never come. What was that noise she heard— scratch, scratch, scratch, and then a scamper? Something was being rolled over the floor. What could It be? The something" being rolled turned out tu be a nut. The "something" doing the rolling must be a mouse. Now Esther was an unusually brave little girl. This was only right and natural, for wasn't she known every where as the daughter of Brave Ben, fhe lighthouse-keeper? When her fa ther was younger ho had been a aallor and afterward one of the lifesaving guards stationed on the beach. Brave Ben was famous all along the coast for his deeds of courage and heroism. For some reason, hard to explain, there was one thing Esther was really afraid of. Whal do you suppose It was? A harm less, cunning little mouse, who was more afraid of her than she should have been of him! Esther tried hard not to listen to Mr. Mouse's scamper ing, but her heart beat so fast and she began to tremble so that she uttered "Father" before she knew It. It was some seconds, however, before his 160 pounds wss completely out of bed, and ie had struck a light and had stepped into Esther’s room. "What Is It, daughter?” he asked. Are you sick?" "No father,” tremblingly answered Esther, "but I hear a mouse In the room and It frightens me so I can not sleep." "Why, why, girlie, to be afraid of a mouse! I'm ashamed of you!" said Brave Ben. “A mouse couldn't hurt you If he tried. The poor little fellow Is only hunting for his supper, I sup- P< wiil!e trying to cheer Esther, Brave Ben remembered how afraid of mice her dear mother had always been, and this remembrance made blm very ten der toward bis little daughter's fear. -Well soon fix him, dear, for he’s a up even the common or garden variety of child properly Is s work that requires the united cAorta of two people, ami It’a abso lutely oeceaaary that oee of these people should he of the male perauaatoo. ho wom an ever yet lived who waa equal to tho tajk aI Vet‘the American man ducks hla ahare of the real labor, ami the poor, little, unfortu nate American child la deprived of half of uaq;u; I OJ iq»|i oq)-oj|| jo ajqzi-i wj| 1 burglar—coming Into our home with out being Invited. Burglars alwnys should be punished.” Brave Ben then pushed a cushion over the hols through which mousle had evidently made his entrance and sat down to await developments. One, two, three minutes passed, when out scampered mousle, making direct for his hole, having decided that It was exceedingly bad manners to stay where he was not wanted, finding his hole barricaded, Mr. Mousle lost his pres ence of mind completely. He tore around the room at a great rate, dart ing under everything and over any thing that came his way. Esther's fa ther after blm with a stick. Brave Ben noticed that Esther's mid night visitor was not a mouse, as she supposed, but a good-sized rat. He was even more anxious to get rid of him. The chase grew fast and furious aa the little rat ran and the big fat man chased after him. Brave Ben got out of breath In his efforts to kill Mr. Rat, who was too quick for him. Each time the stick fell Esther thought the end had come to Mr. Rat, only to And that it had missed him, leaving Mr. Rat still alive and more determined than ever to hold hit own, Now something did happen. Air. Rat thought he had had enough of such foolishness. It was a poor game two could not Play. Instead of Brave Ben's pursuing the rat, the rat thought he'd pursue Brave Ben.' Straightway he carried the war Into the enemy's camp. He flew at Brave Ben's bare feet, do ing his best to bite them and thus force him to a hasty retreat. Brave Ben ran around the room more breath! each second, the rat after him. It was now no laughing matter, though Esther could scarcely suppress her laughter, the sight was so funny. To see big fat papa actually running away from a rah Brave Ben, to escape the rat's sharp teeth, sprang on a choir, forget ting It was a rocker. He swung back and forth for a minute, wildly waving his stick to help him gain his balance. It was no use; the chair swayed back ward. Brave Ben tottered, and, mak ing a final wild plunge, down he sat on the floor with a terrific thud. Esther jumped up, forgetting the rat, her only thought being to help father. With the greatest efTort father was tugged up, hot, perspiring and breath less. Then Esther began to luugh, peal after peul ringing through the stillness. Brave Ben did not dt first the joke—a little later he did. Un der him, still and motionless, lay the cause of all hla trouble. No ope, not even hla mother, could have recognised In the remains the once frisky rat. Never again would he frighten Esther or anyone else. He had not stopped to consider how heavy Brave Ben was, or he would have known that he had not a ghost of a chance against a man Brave Ben's slxe. This story was told all along the coast, and I would not be surprised If from It the primer rhymes hod their beginning. Don't you remember they always run somsthing like this: C-A-T, cat; R-A-T, rat, and 8-A-T, sat. WHEN THE SUN SHONE. By B. A. M. "Oh, dear," sighed Mabel, as she beat an Impatient tatoo with her fin gers on the rain be-spattered window pane; "I do wish it would stop rain ing. It always does rain just when I don't want It to," and her pretty face was a mass of tiny wrinkles. "Don't speak that way, Mabel, dear." said grandmother, glancing down at the troubled little face over the rfm of her spectacles. "We should never become Impatient with the work of the Lord, and while you may want the sun to shine, the little plants are very thankful for the cool, refreshing show er.” [ had never looked at It In that way, grandmother," replied Mabel, her little face beaming with smiles, “and though It's raining outside, I'll try to make the sun shine within.” •That's right, dear, and I hope my little girl will succeed,” and saying this grandmother printed a kiss of appre ciation on the grave little forehead, while Mabel skipped from the room. "Is this tin, please?” asked Mabel's oldest sister, Edith Grant, over the 'phone. She hod heard grandmother's conversation with Mabel, and feeling sorry for her little sister, who seemed so lonesome, she resolved to 'phons - her friend. Mrs. Patterson, to ask her If Florence couldn't come over to spend the morning with Mabel. Standing on the spacious veranda of her home, Mabel Grant was very much surprised and pleased to see the Pat terson carriage coming up the graveled walk, and a moment later the little figure of Florence Patterson sprang up the steps, with her doll’s trunk and with her doll, Lady Laura.Bell Vin cent, minus her wig. Mabel was tor delighted to speak, but taking her lit tle friend by the hand, she led hei straight up stairs to her play roonq - where a grand wedding was soon ar ranged to tako place between Lady Laura Bqll and Mabel's French count, Pulaski. When Lady Laura was Anally dressed In her shimmering white satin, and a piece of.mosqulto netting, which was to serve as a veil, waa pinned over her face and allowed to fall In graceful folds about two feet behind her frock, Mabel declared herself quite willing to give up the count to such an attractive lady. Later, when grandmother passed by the door, seeing the wedding guesta seated beside a table, feasting on strawberries and cream, she remarked: 'The sun Is shining now." The only answer she received was u smile from two upturned faces, and the dull patter of the rain beating the Ivy vine* against the windows. RHYMING ENIGMA. A DARK DAY. Little Audrey heard a child recite a verse In Sunday school—"Walk In the Light." Whenever her teacher thereaft er asked for a versa, Audrey would pop up and say, "I have a verse,” which was always, "Walk In the Light” One rainy Sunday the teacher asked the scholars for a versa but Audrey did not respond, as usual. "Have you no verse to say. Audrey?" abe asked of the little tot "Yes, but I can't say it to day.” "Why?” "Because It Isn't light” —f. a a Correct answers to the cross word enigma printed on nur page last Sat urday were received this week from three persons. Miss Ruth Lamb, of Atlanta, sent hers first. Next came - Miss Annie Boykin's, Augusta, and a correct solution from "Iris.” East Point The correct answer Is the word "Sham, rock." and I think you were very clev er to work It out See If you can solve this week our Rhyming Enigma. My first Is In buy, but not In sell; My second's In sick, but not in well; My third Is In raw, but not In done; My fourth Is In tea, but not In bun; My fifth Is In door, but not In floor. My seventh’s In say, but not In think; My eighth la In yellow, but not in pink; My whole It comes but once a year. And Is always welcome with good cheer. 8 ALT. How could we get on without Itl In our dally food, aa In our dally llf^ a little of It Is necessary, and the ab sence of It takes away from the flavor of everything we eat. The “suit of life" which we hear about signifies the health, vigor and wit which we And In life. There was a time. In countries far from the sea. when primitive man never used salt In bis food, and it was only when nations advanced In civili sation that salt became an absolute ne cessity. But It was not alone as food that salt waa valued; among the ancients a salt spring was regarded as a gift of the gods, anjl It was believed that any salt found in the soil lent It a peculiar sane, tlty. and made It a place where prayers were most readily heard. Every meal that Included salt had a certain sacred character, creating a bond of piety and friendship between host and guest. MM me expression "there la salt between us," meaning friendship; and to be "untrue to salt" means to be dis loyal or ungrateful.