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THE SAD STORY OF TEDDY.
In a big toy fact’ry I came to life,
Where, packed with many like
myself,
We were taken South to a great toy
shop,
And put in a row on a shelf.
I was a bright-eyed Teddy Bear;
To stand and sit 1 was able;
A lady bought me and carried me home
And set me upon a table
Close to a pretty white bed where lay
A little sick blue-eyed child;
v» nen she saw me she clapped her
tiny hands,
And I thought she would go wild.
I
Pretty soon the little girl got well.
And took me to her pfay house.
She played with me nearly ah the time
And neglected her little rag mouse.
Her baby sister played with the mouse,
But the little one wanted me;
But vainly she begged, I was thought
too good
To be handled so careless and free.
I felt myself no end of a swell.
But one day while hugged to her
bosom,
Her father came, saying: ‘'See, my girl,
I’ve brought you a Billy Possum.”
Billy Possum is all the rage,
And Teddy Bear’s not in it.”
And would you believe, that red-head
ed girl
Threw’ me aside in a minute!
The baoy picked me up, and, Oh!
What a time I had every day!
one eye is out and my tail is off.
And my saw-dust slipping away.
The red-headed girl hugs her Billy
Possum;
Round her neck is his long tail
curled,
With his sharp old nose, I think he’s
quite
The ugliest thing in the world.
Well, I’ve reached my end; the terrier
pup
Dragged me all over the house,
Shook my stuffing out and here 1 am
In the cellar with the rag mouse.
But Billy Possum is bound to join
Us here in disgrace some day.
Then together we out-of-daters will lie
Till the dump cart comes this way.
Atlanta, Ga. MARY BOOKER.
*
CHAT.
My Dear Young People:
I feel just like a wanted to gather
every one of you about me this balmy,
beautiful morning, fill a basket full of
good things to eat and run away to a
grassy hillside, where a cool spring
bubbles up at its base and large trees
cover it from side to side, and there
on nature’s inspiring, life-giving couch
rest w’hile I talked to you.
That would be a “meet” that to me
would bring just all the pleasure that
could be crowded into one day. But
we no sooner build air castles like that
than they tumble; and yet sometimes
they make us feel just a “whole lot”
better.
Maybe ’twill come someday. 1 am
sure you will every one enjoy Mary
Booker’s “Teddy I*jar” story and our
Naughty Girl gives us a promise that
we hope she will carry out, for I
remember quite well a time when I
sat in a buggy at an “all day singing”
and — er — er — talked to my “best
fellow.” I could even tell you just
how I was dressed; and might be able
to tell some of the things that were
said —but then, I won’t.
VOICES OF YOUTH
CONDUCTED BY THE EDITOR.
Bartlet, Willie Brooks. Raymond,
Persistence, Mattie Earl Kent and so
many more of you that I can’t at this
minute recall, I need your bright,
cheery letters; where have you iffn
away to?
Here is a thing in which I will have
to nave the help of each one. I am
beginning a new roll book for the
Voices of Youth, recording the address
and nom-de-plume with each real
name; so please let me have a letter
from each of you just as soon as you
can, lest I forget some, and I am sure
I do not want to do that. Don’t forget
to do this.
YOUR LITTLE MOTHER.
YES! TELL US.
Dear Little Mother and Circle:
I wonder what each of you are do
ing this bright sunshiny day. I am
feeling good if I nave made a half
dozen mistakes this morning. What’s
the use. Life is what we make it any
way. Don’t you think so, Bartlet
Kelley? Well then, if you do why
don’t you come on over and sit down
here with me under this great big
old oak, let your feet ’most dip into
the branch and help me write to the
Voices of Youth? I think you ought,
really.
Besidesdhelping to make our depart
ment more interesting yourself, I could
tell you “heaps” of funny things that
happen in the country.
It is me jolliest life after all; so
free and full of those things that
strengthen and brighten life.
Persistence, I think you might
write oftener; there's one person
would like very much to hear from
you again, because your letters are
worth reading. I wonder how many
of the members who live in the city
ever had the real pleasure of attending
an all day singing. It is a pleasure
for those who go to sing, for those
whose sweethearts are sure to be
there, for those who love the good
dinners that you get onl” at such
places and especially for that person
who enjoys watching and studying the
many different kinds of people that
only an all day singing in the country
can bring together, if you would like
to hear about the last one i attended
I’ll tell you next time.
There’s my Mamma calling me about
L.ose dishes I piled up and covered
so nicely in the dish pan. 1 can’t see
why she cares; it’s so hot right after
Hick’s CAPUDINE Cures Sick Head
ache.
Also Nervous Headache, Traveler’s
Headache and aches from Grip, Stom
ach Troubles or Female troubles. Try
Capudine—it’s liquid—effects imme
diately. Sold by druggists.
OUR HONOR ROLL.
A reward of merit will be given to that
member who holds first honor position oftenest
in three months.
The letters will be judged as to thought,
composition, spelling and neatness.
Mary Booker, First Honor.
The Golden Age for May 20, 1909.
dinner. I’d lots rathei 1 wash them at
night.—“Yes’m I’m coming.”
Good-bye folks.
NAUGHTY GIRL.
BILLY’S Bl» FLY.
By Louise Jamison.
The birthday present that Milly liked
better than all her other presents put
together was a little bit of a kitten,
just the cunningest little kitten you
can imagine, named Billy. And one
day, sometime after he uad been a
birthday present, a terrible thing hap
pened to Billy.
His mistress was a dear little girl
with a round, rosy face and eyes that
were always laughing.
As for Billy, he was ail black ex
cept the dainty white socks on his
four soft paws, and the tiny White tip
on his tail, and his nice White shirt
front, which was always just as clean
as it could be. And, On, y@s, his nosb!
I almost forgot his tiny white nose,
but that Wasn’t all white; there was a
black smudge right in the middle of it,
and it did make Billy look so funny!
Whenever Milly wished to kiss Billy
she always kissed him on his black
smudge, and" Billy never seemed to
mind at all. Maybe he thought it
was made to be kissed.
Every morning Billy would run to
meet Milly just as fast as his little
legs could carry him.
“He’s in a hurry to say ‘good morn
ing’ to me,” Milly said, but mother
thought Billy was more anxious about
the saucer of milk Milly was sure to
give him.
i started out to tell you the drcad
fiii thing that happened to Billy, and
we are coming to that, only first you
must hear what a wonderful climber
he was. He could skip and jump like
a regular acrobat, and as for going
up trees, no cat could beat him. He
would run up water pipes, and would
sit on the edge of the roof and wash
his face, and not even Milly's funny
i ; *tle whistles could coax him down.
He even tried to walk the clothesline,
and no one could leave a ladder for
a minute anywhere in Billy's sight be
fore the little mischief would be up
it in a Hash.
Onde he got caught in the top of
a very high tree, way out on a branch.
There ne hung, and how he did cry!
Tom, Miliy’s brother, had to climb up
and bring him down. Maybe you
think that was the dreadful thing, but
it wasn’t.
Then there was a strange dog which
Billy thought was a terrible looking
monster. He was so big and brown
and he eyed Billy just as though ne’d
.eat him right up. No wonder Billy’s
back went all up in a hump and his
tail swelled up like a feather duster,
and he could only say, “Siz-siz-spit-z-z,
spit-z-?’”
But that wasn't the deadful thing.
We are coming to that now right away.
Really, the dreadful thing would never
nave happened if Billy had not had a
habit of catching flies. Whenever he
saw one that he could reach he would
creep close to it, just as a cat creeps
toward a mouse, and wait a second
or so, and then out would dart his
paw, and it had to be a pretty lively
fly that was not caught. After that
he would eat it, which did not take
lum long, for a fly, as you know, is not
very large.
Perhaps Billy realized this, aiid
when he saw whett .e thought whs all
unusually large fly one day, he was
more than anxious to edteh it; So fid
lay in wait for the big fellow, his littlfl
tad twitching, as it always did when
he was very anxious. Then, suddenly,
his paw went out, and I need not tell
you that the great Hy was under it.
I suppose Billy was as happy as a
kitten who loved to eat flies could be.
Here was a fenow as big as four
ordinary nies, caught with one blow,
and all ready to eat.
Down went Billy’s nose to see if
his dinner was quite dead, and well —•
something happened! Billy didn’t
seem to know just what, but maybe
you have guessed that this was the
dreadful thing,
xhe fly wasn’t a fly at all. It was a
wasp, and it had stung Billy right oil
tne black smudge in the middle of his
xxitie White hosd!
No wonddf he was surprised. Mb
had never met a wasp before, and ho
wonder he no longer cared to eat it>
Hb just ran to a corner, and Sitting
up straight, felt his nosh first With one
paw and then with the trther. There
seemed to be something od it, but
though ne tried very hard he couldn’t
brush it off. It hurt, too, and he was
sure his nose was growing bigger and
bigger.
SHIPWRECKS.
By L. M. Cross.
To one who has never crossed the
ocean, but has only stood on the shore
and watched its restless billows as
they wrathfully washed against the
beach, there is association in the mind
a picture of awful danger. The im
pressions are deepened if, during a
storm, the eyes rest upon some ship
which is vainly endeavoring to ride
safely to port upon its waves and is
dashed against the rocks or landed a
hopeless shipwreck. Yet if the vessel
is staunch, if its machinery and
boilers are in perfect order, if the
captain is experienced and intelligent,
if the pilot is guiding the vessel with
the intelligence which the knowledge
of the chart gives him, the dangers
are not so appalling. The storm only
drives the ship temporarily from its
course; by and by, when is subsides,
the grand old vessel goes safely and
surely on its way to the desired haven.
What if there is no one at the wheel!
What if the pilot has no chart to
guide the ship with its priceless
freight of 'human life? Sure and certain
snipwreck awaits the vessel. It makes;
no difference how splendid the machin
ery, how strong its timbers or how
experienced its officers anu crew
may be. The pilot must have the chart
and compass; and this is true of
human lives. To avoid shipwreck and
ride safely and strongly upon life’s
ocean one must know of the location
of the rocks and shoals to be avoided
as well as of the right and safe course.
Thousands of parents and
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