Newspaper Page Text
September 4, 1912] THE I
see him nowf It would not be so lonely here
if it were really true.
"I guess they'd forgive me if I said I was
sorry I didn't believe in 'em," he whispered;
and then right into his mind there came some
words that he had often heard in church and
Sunday-school, hut which he had never under
stood before: "He shall give his angels chaise
over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways!" Why,
he knew what they meant now; of course! How
stupid he had been before, but God would understand.
He would surely send one of those
angels to keep his child from the black river!
Billy'8 thoughts were growing hazy, and he
was beginning to feel dreadfully sleepy. If only
the angel would come before he had to let
go! "Please hurry, dear God," he whispered;
then suddenly a bright flash in his face, and he
lmov/1 ***J
..coiu ax jo mvmer s voice caning to him. Something
touched his shoulders, and the next
thing he knew he was lying on his own little
bed at home, with his mother bending over him!
For a moment he did not know where he
was, but then he remembered, and smiled happily
up into his mother's face. "God sent you
to find me, didn't he?" he asked.
"Yes, Billy dear," his mother answered,
softly, stroking his forehead.
"Then T know what guardian angels are!
They're mothers!" cried Billy, and flung his
arms about her neck.?Young Churchman Soldier.
GEM'S MESSAGE.
"Get back in time to do your chores, Frank,"
called his mother to him from the doorway, as
he apt forth to visit his cousins, five miles away.
"All right," cheerily responded Frank; "T
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He looked hack and whistled for his dog,
htit unavailing. "Waiting a moment, he plunged
into the Woods.
All day was at his disposal. There seemed
to he no hurry as he went along the wood road,
keeping an eye open for blueberries. From
time to time he looked into the basket he was
carrying, to make sure "Gem" was all right.
"Gem" was a pigeon. A better bird Frank
did not have, yet be was going to give him to
his cousin, who was starting a flock.
Overhead, the sun, he knew, was shining
brightly and in the fields it was hot. but in the
woods it was both dusky and cool. The ground
Letters
Dear Presbyterian: I am a little girl eight
years old. I have recited the Child's Catechism
to my mother. Please put my name on the
roll of honor and send me a certificate. My
papa is the pastor of the church here. I have
three sisters and there will be three of us in
school this wintet. I will be in the third grade.
T will ..V XI TT 3?* T? , -
- ..Aii ?on. a 4UCB11UU : now aiCl .faui aiftT
Your little friend,
Hugo, Okla. Mary Anderson.
Dear Presbyterian: I am a little girl seven
years old. I go to church with my daddy and
mamma. My teacher's name is Miss Katie
Eversole. She is my aunt. I like her fine. I
stay with grandma. I have a pet calf; her
name is Belle. She tries to catch me when I
feed her. I have a little dog her name is
"Nancy." Good-bye.
Martinsburg, W. Va. Alma Eversole.
Dear Presbyterian: I am writing this for my
little grand daughter; her mother diet! when
PRESBYTERIAN OF THE S <
was covered with pine needles?pleasant to
walk on.
Two miles of the five were safely accomplished
when he entered Wiley's swamp.
Swamp it was only in name. The trees were
a little denser, the'underbrush a little thicker
and wetter?that was all. Men gathered blueberries
there in the summer time, and trapped
there in the winter.
Frank paused as he was about to pass by,
and, spying a berry, entered. One berry after
another he picked, plunging deeper and deeper
into the tangled labyrinth of tree trunks.
He leaned over to secure a regular jumbo of
u uerry, wnen ne neara a noise behind him.
Turning, he looked into the face of a bear. It
was standing not fifty yards from where he
stood, eyeing him curiously.
Frank stood still, hoping that the beast,
when it satisfied its curiosity, would let him
alone and depart. It was a vain hope. Usually
bears would have retreated, but the one
Frank met came toward him.
Looking around for an avenue of escape,
Frank noticed a huge pine tree five feet away.
Running to it, he pulled himself up among the
branches, and hauled his basket with "Gem"
in it after him.
The bear came to the foot of the tree, paused
and sniffed the air. His face showed his peaceful
intentions, and all might have been well,
had not a dry branch broken off, and, falling,
hit the beast on the nose.
Astonishment, then race, nnsspssprl *>ip
ture. It clawed and bit the dead limb, then
growling faced Frank. Once it attempted to
climb the tree, but thought better of it, and
desisted.
Frank, although beyond its reach, was
thoroughly alarmed. There seemed to be no
chance of escape. He was safe for a time, but
the bear showed no signs of leaving the foot
of the tree. A fall might be brought about
by hunger before a hunt was organized for
him.
He remembered his mother's last words, yet
he knew that his parents would not be alarmed
if he did not return home that evening.
They would suppose that he had remained
at his uncle's.
An hour went by in which time neither the
bear nor Frank moved. Hunger, however, was
making itself felt. The sun, also, was throwFrom
The CI
she was eleven months old and now she is nearly
four years old and she lives with us. She
has five pet cats all her own and has them all
named, but is partial to one she calls""Winkie."
Will tell Alvin Raive, Jr., about the little bear
one of the four that was captured near Lexington.
Her father bought one for a pet and when
it was little she could lead it about by the chain
and feed it with the bottle but it soon got too
strong and rough for her to go near it, one day
she was passing when it was chained to a post
and it jumped on her put both free legs around
her and pinched a little place on her breast would
have hurt or hit her badly if I had not pulled
him off quickly, so her father sold him in Staunton
and he is now a right big bear at the hotel,
ton children must excuse this letter from a
grandmother, hut she cannot write and said I
must tell them about her bear she had. I " ad
all the little letters to her and we lovf "^ie
Prejrtyyterian.
She is your little friend,
Kerrs Creek, Va. Virginia Engleman.
OUTH (1013) 7
ing its ray8 directly upon Frank, and his position
was becoming unbearable.
Something had to be done. As Frank was
thinking of some way out of the difficulty, the
pigeon fluttered in the basket. Up to then,
"Gem" had been forgotten.
"I wonder," thought Frank to himself, "if
I should throw this pigeon to the bear, he
would depart."
A low growl from below arose as if in an
swer.
"Guess that won't do." Frank sighed audibly.
"If I could get word home."
Suddenly Frank grinned at the bear below.
"You just wait," he laughed, "I've got an
idea."
He searched through his pockets, and pulled
out a piece of string, a pencil and a scrap of
paper.
On the paper he wrote the following words:
"I'm up a tree at Wiley's Swamp. A bear is
below." Then taking the pigeon out of the
basket, he tied the paper to its leg and set it
free.
It arose in the air, circled around once or
twice, then flew from the boy's sight.
Frank's mother was cleaning up after dinner.
His father sat in the doorway of the cottage
and read.
"Why, there is 'Gem,' father," the woman
cried to her husband. "He must have gotten
out of Frank's basket."
TTt? 1- 9- Ai - ?
imiiK s iHiner looKed up idly. "What has
he tied around his leg?" he asked.
"Well, I don't know, but I will see," responded
his wife, catching the bird.
The paper was taken off and read. Astonishment
showed itself on the faces of both of
Frank's parents. No time was lost in discussion.
A gun was taken down from the
wall, and ammunition was thrown into a
pouch.
High up in the tree, Frank saw his father's
approach, and fairly danced as he yelled to
the bear, "You just wait!"
Guided by his son, the father approached
and fired.
The bear, taken by surprise, wheeled and
dropped, a bullet through its brain.
"I guess IH keep 'Gem,' father," gasped
Frnnk no Vio olid Al? 1 * "
.... ouu uuwu me irunK or tne tree
and went, to inspect the bear.?Egbert Wallace,
in United Presbyterian.
tiildren
Dear Presbyterian: I was so glad to see my
lii ?
leuer 111 our paper. 1 will write you another.
I received a card from a Virginia gentleman.
The gentleman wrote and mailed his card on
Sunday, so I knew he was not a Presbyterian
preacher. I hope we will see some more of the
bear story. Your friend,
Columbiana, Ala. Theresa Liston.
Dear Presbyterian: T am a- little girl seven
years old. Last year was ray first year at school.
I have one sister and two brothers. I am the
youngest. My brothers have two rabbits, one
white one and one black one. T have two pet
_ _ j T a _ rt v ? ? -
cms. 1 tro xo rmnnay scnool every Sunday. Miss
Nannie Crawford is my teacher. My father is
my pastor. I will answer Cora and Tabba
Keynolds question: Saul was the first king of
Israel. I will also ask a question : "Who was th*
meekest man in the Bible. I want to surprise
my father and mother.
Tour little unknown friend,
Swoope, Va. Jacqueline Rolston.