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Janua 27, igog. THE PRESBYTEK
GLADYS BROOKS' PARTIES.
By Ernest Gilmore.
You liave heard about parties without "fuss and feath
ers, have you notr well, 1 want to ten you anout a dear
little girl who gave parties without any "fuss" but with
a good many "feathers." It came about in this way:
.Gladys Brooks noticed the little sparrows hopping about
in the cold snow crust and in the frozen ground, vainly
seeking for a bit of grain.
"Mamma," she said, "I think the birdies are hungry.
See them hunting and hunting for something to eat, and
all they can find is snow. Poor little creatures! What
can I feed them, mamma?"
"Ask Dinah for a niece of stale bread." was the answer.
"and you can crumble it up for the sparrows."
That was Gladys' first party. She put on her coat and
went outside where several English sparrows seemed to
be searching vainly for a meal. When she crumbled some
bread and scattered it on the snow crust they flew away
as though fearful that an enemy was at hand. Gladys
went inside to "watch and wait." Presently the birds reappeared,
one, two, three, four, five, six of them." Gladys
laughed aloud to see how happy her "guests" were, hopping
around and picking up the crumbs from the unexpected
feast. Soon more company came?three native
sparrows, i ney touna plenty to eat, too. me loiiowmg
day was cold and blustering, but Gladys gave another
party. To this one there were still more guests, mostly
English and native sparrows, but there came also a beautiful
bird in a blue jacket, which Mrs. Brooks told
Gladys was a bluebird. The "bluebird apprently enjoyed
the party as much as the sparrows did. For refreshments
the guests had in addition to the bread crumbs a
big piece of stale cake broken into bits.
The next day it stormed so hard that there was no party
; there were no birds to be seen. Gladys told her mother
that she was afraid the birds would starve, but Mrs.
Brooks said:
"No, my dear, they will not starve; they had plenty to
eat yesterday." The storm lasted two days and during
that time not a bird was to be seen. The third day dawn
ed clear and bright, but very cold. There was a glistening
coat of ice on the snow. The birds came early to the
party; in fact they were on hand before the feast was
spread and as "hungry as hunters," Gladys said laughingly.
Vhey ran over the shining snow crust expectantly,
picking here and there as if to find a crumb.
"I guess they will not be afraid of me any more," said
Gladys. "I guess they know I will give them something
to eat."
Gladys looked like a "red bird" herself, at least so her
mother said, as she ran out in the yard in her red ridinghood
cloak and her basket of good things in her hands.
Gladys was right. The birds were not afraid of her. To
be sure they scattered about when she began to distribute
the refreshments, but they did not go away.
Little innocent creatures! They did not know about
God. I hey did not know that the dear Jesus had said,
They sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into
barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them." But
IAN OF THE SOUTH. i.V
they knew that they were being fed, and they were
happy and content.
This was an unusual feast "after the storm," for when
Gladys told Dinah that the birds must be quite hungry
after their long fast the cook had answered, "You might
give them all those green tops of the celery?birds just
love celery." And so in addition to the usual crumbs of
bread, crackers and oake, there were tiny bits of green at
the party. How the birds enjoyed it!
There were some new guests at the party that day..
Besides the English and native sparrows and two blue
birds there came a jay and several little snowbirds, and
lastly, a cardinal bird with its warm glow.
Just one thing more I want to tell you about Gladys
Brooks. She did not get tired of giving these parties.
All winter long there was not a hungry bird in the vicinity
of her home. Not until the snow and ice had gone and
the green things had begun to grow did she give up her
parties for the birdies.?The Christian Intelligencer.
LITTLE BOYS AND LITTLE SHEEP.
Joe came home with his clothes, and even his curls.
all wringing wet. "Just knew the ice wasn't strong
'nough!" he grumbled.
"Then why did you slide?" asked auntie.
" 'Cause all the other boys did," said Joe; "so I had
to, or they'd laugh."
His aunt gave him dry clothes, set him down by the
fire, and made him drink hot ginger tea. Then she told
him a story.
"When I was a little girl, Joe, my father had a great
flock of sheep. They were queer things; where one
went, all the rest followed. One day the big ram found
a gap in the fence, and he thought it would be fun to
see what was in the other field. So in he jumped, with
out looking where he was going, and down he tumbled
to the bottom of an old dry well where father used to
throw stones and rubbish. The next sheep never
stopped to see what had become of him, but jumped
right after, and the next, and the next, although father
tried to drive them back, and Watch, our sheep-dog,
barked his loudest. But they just kept on jumping
and jumping, till the well was full. Then father had
to pull them out as fast as he could, and the sheep at
the bottom of the well were almost smothered to death."
"My, what silly fellows!' exclaimed Joe. Then he
looked up at his aunt, and lauerhed.?London Snndav
School Times.
BEDROOM CONUNDRUMS.
If you woke up in the night thirsty, what would you
do? Look under the bed and find a spring.
What would you do for a light? Take a feather from
the ^'llow, that's light enough.
What would you do in case of fire? Go to the window
and watch the fire escape.
If hungry in the night, what would you do? Take a
roll.
If you wished to write a letter? Take a sheet.
If you were feeling sad, what would you do? Look
on the bed for a comforter.