Newspaper Page Text
January 15, 19131 THE P
keep from remembering; but once Kent had
found him with the little velvet doors of
mother's picture open, just once. He could
not forget his father's face that time. Since
then he had felt special tenderness for father.
"I guess I can't explain, Rosie," so he had
answered. That afternoon Rosie had laughed,
too. She had been hurt at his refusal to take
Father at his writing-desk one afternoon
heard the honk of Terence's horn as the big
car swung round the corner. lie had been
sitting there all the time since lunch, but the
sheets of paper spread out before him were all
blank sheets. The little velvet doors were
op?n.
He could see Kent alone on the seat behind
Terence: such a straight little chap! If
she could only see him sitting there, holding his
head up like that, just as she always held hers.
They had sent home such splendid records of
the lettle fellow's work at school. If she could
only know! She had always said he must be
a scholar.
Steps sounded presently on the stairs, and
came along the hall. They were rather heavy
little steps.
"Come in," father said; hut first he gently
closed the velvet doors.
Kr.nt's arms were full of hooks and slates,
and the smart little leather case that held his
pencils and pens.
44 1 ? 1 LA At t ? ? ' " " * '*
i ve uruugni mem noine,'* ne said, quietly,
"because I'm not going to school any more,
father. I thought I'd ought to come up an'
tell you."
"Perhaps it was a good plan," father returned
gravely. "Sit down, sonkin, and explain."
"Sonkin" had been her name; it
slipped out unconsciously at sight of the sober
little face. Kent's face was more than sober;
it was appealingly distressed as father studied
it more attentively.
"I'll get my lessons at home. I'm willing to
study all the time, father, the whole time.
Letters
A LETTER TO THE CHILDREN.
De-ar Children: The Presbyterian hopes all
its large family of little readers had a merry,
merry Xmas; that you were made happy by re
ceivrog many tokcnis ot old Santa s love tor you,
and that you made some others happy hy playing
Santa Glaus to them. How about that? And
now for this New Year! What shall it be? A
happy year? O, yes; by all means, let us make
it. so, bj' being happy ourselves and always
trying to make somebody else happy!
The Presbyterian wants to organize a Gatecchism
Club; that is a club whose members with
all try to recite perfectly during the year to
mother or to Sunday school teacher one of the
Catechisms. Will you join? We will send all
who so recite the Catechism either a certificate or
diploma. Let us hear from you on this subject
or any other that interests you. The older ohil
dren are invited to write. None need tell their
age and none need fear the waste basket.
With all good wishes, Sincerely yours,
Richmond, Va. The Presbyterian.
Dear Presbyterian: I am in the third grade.
My teacher's name is Mr. Curtis. I have one
sister and one brother. I am eight years old.
My brother is nineteen and my sister is fourteen.
I have not missed a day at school this
term. 1 am getting along fine with my studies.
I love to read the children's letters in your pa
RESBYTEBIAN OF THE SO
Maybe I can get ready for college a lot sooner."
"But why not go back to school and study
there?"
Kent was silent.
"Has anything unpleasant happened, sonkin!
Haven't they been good to you?"
"Nothing?diff'rent. They've been as good
?as ever," Kent said, slowly. Then suddenly
he faced his father. "Did you use to walk
home from school ever, father?"
"Walk home, sonkint"
"Yes, instead of riding, you know. Did you
evert"
A vision rose slowly before the man beside
the big table of a little sunburned, shabby fellow
trudging barefoot along dusty roads.
"Yes, 1 used to walk home," father said.
"My!" breathed Kent. "It must have been
nice. "Wasn't it fun? Did anybody?I guess
I L .1 Ti l < 1 1 '
peniaps noooay ever canea you auKe or anything
an' made rows o' children for you to
walk between. Of course not, if you just plain
walked?"
The sunburned little chap had just "plain
walked." Father regarded the earnest face
above the armful of books with puzzled, attentive
eyes. The fragment of explanation that
had leaked out must be explained into the
whole story. He would seek further information
from Terence.
"Sit down here in my place, sonkin, and
look at the pictures in my new bird-book; it
came this morning, and I thought of you at
once. The plates are colored beautifully. I'll
be back soon; I've got an errand out to the
stables. Don't worry any more about studies
and school: we'll fix that up all right."
He came back from the hall, and looked in
at the intent little figure hovering over the new
book. Some sudden, tender impulse sent him
back to the big wrriting-table to set the little
doors to mother's face wide open. When the
Imv 1 Anlro/1 im if xirmi 1 ^ iv?f/> ~
VV/J ivwiivv* U|', AC n VU1U UC lutu tuuac lUVliig,
gentle eyes.
Back from an interview with Terence, fa5
From The CI
per. My mama hais been taking your paper for
many years. I enjoyed Christmas very much.
I crnf fon rJnl 1 c cnmo wUli 1 miWIo n?o
?. QWW i\.u WUV/ V* lltl ivui tuno (UiU CJVlashes
almost as large as real babies. I think
this is my second letter to your paper. I go to
Sunday school every Sunday. My mother is my
teacher. Rev. H. L. Clay is our paiitor and we
all like him very much. I will close by asking
a question: Who did Clod take up to heaven in
a Chariot! I will watch for my letter in your
pnper. Your little friend,
Kerns, W. Va. Marguerite Hart.
Dear Presbyterian: I have been wanting to
wnic ever since x wruie wie lost tiiiie. x am, xx
voars old now. I am in the 6-A grade at school.
I go to the Presbyterian church. Our pastor,
Rev. J. J. Fix, was called to Roanoke about
October. 1 was very sorry lie had to go. I will
answer Mollie Poe's question: How many books
are in the Bible? There are 66 books in the
Bible. I close by asking a question r Which
worn tViii Vinaf nf .Tnmio' /lioninlaaf
Your friend,
So. Richmond, Va., 210 W. 12th St.
Dear Presbyterian: I am a little girl five
years old. I live in Kentucky, but I am staying
with my grandmother and I go to the Presbyterian
Sunday school here. Mrs. Dakin is my
teacher and T am learning the Catechism. I
UTH $T' r (31) 'f ]
tlier sat down beside Kent, and looked over
his shoulder.
"Live birds, almost, aren't theyT That little
red-vested fellow could almost sing us a
solo. Some day, sonkin, you and I must go
out to the woods, bird-discovering. I think
I shall take a vacation soon, and we'll have
times together.
"Goody! Only, if I have to study all day
?perhaps I wouldn't have no Saturdays,
though," Kent added, hopefully. "It would
be great to go birding! My! father, do you
suppose we could?walk?"
The man's eyes suddenly filled with tears.
He turned to the window to hide them. It almost
seemed that, if he looked back at the
sweet face in the picture on the table, he would
find tears in mother's eyes, too.
"Walk? Of course, we'll walk. How would
you like to go barefoot, sonkin? You might
try it once. And we'll take our dinners in a
dinner-pail! And, speaking of walking reminds
me that I'm not going to?to spare Terence
any more to go after you nights. I have
found something else I want him to do. I guess
you can walk home from school, can't you,
sonkin? If you think you can?"
"Try me!" shouted Kent. "I'll run home.
i in going to stump neaay uarreu to race me
to his street."
There was nothing more said of studying at
home. A few nights later Kent burst in from
school with the momentum of a small cyclone.
His cheeks were red with excitement.
"Well, I beat the rubber, father! Rcddy
beat the first day, an' me the next; but I got
there first to-day. Reddy says I'm the worst
person to beat. An' Rosie Miller says I've got
the fastest legs in our school."
If mother could only see the happy face of
him! Father slipped open the little velvet
gates in a wistful passion of yearning. It almost
seemed as if she saw.?Annie Hamilton Donnell,
in Junior Christian Endeavor World.
lildren
have two big sisters and a baby brother. Santa
Claus is coming to see us soon.
Your little friend,
Clifton Forge, Va. Elanor Huntley.
Dear Presbyterian: I'm a little girl six years
old. Papa takes your good paper and mama
reads the children's letters to me. I've a pet cat
named "Sam." I've two sisters, Ilattie, four
years old, and Elizabeth, 1 months old. We are
looking for Santa to bring a nice baby doll a
piece, and lot of other nice things. Mr. Jetton
spent a night in our home. We enjoyed him
very much. Hoping my letter will not reach
the waste-basket as T want to surprise Mr. Jetton.
Your little friend,
Swan Station, N. C. 'Myrtle E. Warwick.
Dear Presbyterian: I am a little girl nine
years old. I am in the fourth grade at school. .
My teacher's name is Miss Vorna White. 1 go
to Sunday school every time I can. I have five
brothers and fosters. I will ask a question How
old was Noah when he built the arkt I will also
answer Margie Middleton s ouestion: "Which disciple
did Jesus lovct John. I love to rend
the stories in your paper. Mrs. A. Ford is my
Sunday sehool teacher and I like her fine. Our
pastor is Fev. Mummer J->nes, and we all like
him fine. Hoping to see my letter in print, I
remain, Your little friend,
Tamwortih, Ya. Julia Garrett.