But when I was a little girl, My daily stint I 'd do, Then help my mother make the beds And darn an hour or two. And then for just a short half-hour But yet, if folks are happy now, A FAMILY TRADITION. BY EDNA ANDERSON (AGE 12). (Honor Member.) My mother spent her childhood days in Sweden. The square, low-roofed house in which she lived, with its gabled fronts and latticed windows was a genuine Swedish mansion, and naturally such a house, with its rambling, old-fashioned interior, which had sheltered so many generations, was connected with countless traditions. This has But one tradition interests me most of all. been handed down from one generation after the other, and has often been told to me by my mother. A brownie was supposed to inhabit the kitchens of the old house, and this was counted a very good omen. For nearly every old house in Sweden had its fireside brownie, or, as it is called in Swedish, "elfva." My mother's home, in particular, was inhabited by one of these strange beings, and was supposed to bring happy prosperity upon the household. The people of this old mansion lived always in peace and plenty, and as the crops never failed the people were in a habit of saying, "Ah! the elfva sleeps at their hearth, and is pleased with them." The brownie had stayed at this old mansion for many generations, and, although no one had ever seen him, the kitchen-maids shook their heads wisely, and every evening put a jug of rich cream by the hearth for the elfva's consumption. Hitherto, the people had been very careful not to displease the elfva for if they offended him, he would leave the house forever. After the elfva had lived at the mansion for many generations, a kitchen-maid, out of spite to the family, placed a jug of sour cream by the fire, instead of the sweet cream, and of course the elfva was offended by this. He left the mansion, the jug of cream, and the warm hearth-stone, and directly after his disappearance, the mansion and the farm began to fall to rack and ruin. The mildew attacked the rye, the wheat dried up and the cattle died. What once was prosperity was now adversity, and the household knowing that they could do nothing with the elfva against them, abandoned the mansion. It soon fell to decay, and is now nothing but a gray heap upon the smiling Swedish landscape. As for the elfva, I do not know what became of him, but this is the family tradition, handed down to me from my fore-fathers. NOTICE Lost or damaged League badges will be replaced free of charge. This does not apply to the gold and silver prize badges. These cannot be replaced. VOL. XXXIII.-84. A FAMILY TRADITION. BY HELEN LESLIE FOLLANSBEE (AGE 15). IN a suburb of Boston lives my great-aunt, a dear old lady who has the honor of being the first foreign woman to enter the walls of China. She made the journey with her husband, a sea-captain, on his ship, the Logan. She reached Hongkong, June 16, 1838, where she remained a fortnight, going ashore only for sightseeing. The natives were very kind. They brought seats for the visitors, and pans of brown sugar and chopsticks with which to eat it. They examined her dress, and said her hands were "muchy white-no could work." The journey up the river to Hwampoah, the port of Canton, was full of danger. The pirates who infested those waters had heard in some manner that this ship, with its rich cargo, was coming, and they were lying in wait for it. Fortunately heavy seas and typhonic winds kept the pirates away and saved the ship. Here the tempera They reached Hwampoah July 4. ture ranges from 120 degrees to 150 degrees F., and typhoons are common. My aunt's first child was born here, August 2. It was a boy, and the natives came miles to see him, for "AN OLD RELIC" (HENRY V'S CRADLE). BY ELSA CLARK, AGED 11. (HONOR MEMBER.) SEE LETTER-BOX. this was the first white child born in China. The authorities entered the birth on the records. If the child had been a girl no attention would have been paid, as Chinamen think very little of women. This child died three months later and was buried in China. Just at this time news came that the British were to bombard Hwampoah; so, August 12, aunt sailed for Macao on another ship. She waited there until affairs were settled between China and England; and, as the weather was cooler, she had a very pleasant visit with a friend, the wife of the sea-captain. Her husband joined her September 8, and they left for Hongkong where they again embarked on the Logan. They sailed for Manilla, September 11. Later on this voyage they went to Russia and several years later aunt sailed on a packetship to Havre. My grandfather sailed as second mate on the Logan when he was about nineteen years old. Later he commanded several ships himself and on one of his voyages my grandmother and father went around the world with him. My father made this voyage before he was six years old. PHOTOGRAPHS 1. Frederic S. Clark, Jr. Allan MacRossie Carl Stearns Rosamond Codman PHOTOGRAPHS 2. Marion Leonard Dorothy D. Kirkham Starling L. Buell Katherine B. Decker Gabrielle Elliot Fannie Bean Marianna Kroehle Zana Richardson Cuthbert W. Haasis Paul Cartwright Grant Gilbert Simons PUZZLES 1. PUZZLES 2. John Franklin Carter, Alice Lowenhaupt Jr. Evelyn Duncan LEAGUE LETTERS. 24 ST. MARY'S Street, SouthAMPTON, ENGLAND. DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I am sending you a copy of Henry V's cradle. (See picture, page 665.) This king was born in the town of Monmouth where a great deal of property belongs to the Duke of Beaufort. This cradle is now in his possession, and he recently lent it to an exhibition in Southampton, where I saw it about twelve times. Every part of the outside except the rockers is covered with red velvet, which is fixed down in irregular panels by little bands nailed on with brass studs. Even the knobs are covered. The velvet is so shabby that I did not know how to draw it, but have done all the fringe and trimmings. I have a picture of the cradle which I copied many times before I drew it from memory, but at last it is right. Your little friend, ELSA CLARK (League Member). 1084 BEDFORD AVE., BROOKLYN. DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: The subject this month being "An Old Relic," I thought that I would send you a picture of a Peruvian Cow Idol. (See drawing, page 664.) My father has the idol from which the picture is drawn. It is supposed to be over a thousand years old. It is made of clay, which is brick red in color. On one side is spotted with white, as if it had been moldy. It is, I think, even uglier than my picture of it. Hoping, if ugliness has anything to do with prize awarding, to see my cow idol in print, I remain, M. H. TUTHILL. Your constant reader, Here is a letter from a League member who strove faithfully and did creditable work, yet who did not succeed in winning a prize. For all, he has been benefited by his effort, and his appreciation of this is the best guaranty of a successful future: LANCASTER, N. H. DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: My last contribution to the League has been sent, and today I pass beyond that privilege so long enjoyed by me. And though I have not achieved all that I have striven for, yet I have gained much. And so let me extend my sincere gratitude to you for the work you have done. For all that I have gained I can truly record to the efforts, the encouragements, and the enthusiasm due to your helpful influence. And so, with a thankful heart, I remain, Yours truly, CARL B. TIMBerlake. 3800 POWELTON AVE. DEAR ST. NICHOLAS LEAGUE: We, Chapter 862, want to thank you very much for the badges, leaflets, and certificates which you so kindly sent us. All the members like them very much and they wear their badges very much every meeting. At our meeting just before Christmas Mrs. Pile, our "extraordinary" member, who pays double fines and dues, gave us candy pull. As it snowed all afternoon, only eleven of our sixteen members were present, the others being afraid of getting wet, I suppose. We made the real old fashioned molasses candy. Some of the candy was pulled almost white and some was hardly pulled at all. Mrs. Pile has a colored cook and as we did not pull the candy fast enough to suit her, she began to pull some herself. She was about half done when several of us went out to the kitchen for a fresh amount of candy. She gave them some of that which was already half pulled. They came back with this and showed the rest of us how white it was, but we soon discovered the trick and went for some ourselves. The League has been a great help to me. If ever I accomplish anything in my chosen line of work it will all be due to you. Never, never will I forget the League and its editor, no matter what happens. Thanking you for the prize as well as for all the good you have done me, I am, as ever, Your friend, CORDNER SMITH. Other welcome letters have been received from Marion B. Phelps, Winnie Stooke, Faith Goss, Edward Juntunen, Margaret Whitcomb, Rebecca Levin, Noel S. Symons, Morris Levin, Margaret C. Benson, Bertha Kessler, Hildegarde Jagerhuber, Ida C. Kline, Rachel McNair Talbott, Dora Mitchell, Jack W. Steele, Sally Madill, Frances Wagner, Anne Heidenheim, Edith Archer, Elizabeth Browning, Georgiana M. Sturdee, Arthur Albert Myers, Elizabeth H. Crittenden, Lorraine Ransom, Margaret Scott Cornell, Christine Fleisher, Nellie Shane, Alice Braunlich. LEAGUE NOTES. Chapter 858 (Sec. Ethel C. Irwin, Quincy, Ill.) would like to corrrespond with one or two other chapters. Lost or damaged League buttons (not prize badges) will be replaced free of charge. Prose. Subject, "The Story of a Word" (giving the history of its origin and meaning). Drawing. "Study of a Child" and Heading and Tailpiece for September. Photograph. "The Hills" and the usual puzzle and puzzle-answers. Those who competed in No. 75 need not send again as we have preserved their contributions. "OLD DUTCH LAMP." BY SAMUEL GOVE, AGE 10. The announcement of the October subjects in this issue will give those members who are away on the other side of the world time to take part in this competition. Heretofore our young people in Japan, South Africa and Australia and such far away lands have felt that they were "left out." NEW CHAPTERS. No. 870. "S. L. C.": Helen S. Work, President; Meta Brunings, Secretary; eight members. Address, 16 Manhattan Ave., N. Y. City. No. 871. "Jolly Eight": Arthur Gude, President; Russell Holman, Secretary; eight members. Address, 31 Fabyan Place, Newark. N. J. No. 872. "The American Trio": Anthony Winco, President; three members. Address, 9 Fifth St., Passaic, N. J. No. 873. "Fleur de Lis": Hilma Hobbs, President; Madeline Torrey, Secretary; three members. Address, 157 High St., Danvers, Mass. No. 874"Golden Star Club": Thomas Gren, President; Edward Juntunen, Secretary; three members. Address, Box 778, Laurium, Mich. No. 875. Lorraine Ransom, President; Caroline Allport, Secretary; six members. Address, 35 Bellevue Place, Chicago, Ill. No. 876. "Y. M. S": Corinne Reinheimer, President; Edith Younghem, Secretary; nine members. Address, 823 West End Ave., N. Y. City. No. 877. "A Little Club": Anne Heidenheim, Secretary; two members. Address, 721a Madison St., Brooklyn, N. Y. No. 878. Claire Edwards, President; Vera Kins, Secretary; fifty-one members. Address, Stanley, Wis. No. 879. Helen M. Lewis, President; Mary L. Langdon, Secretary; eight members. Address, 5 E. King St., Rhinelander, Wis. No. 880. J. H. Metzler, President; six members. Address, 24 Hollis St., Halifax, N. S., Can. No. 881. Jack Wendt, President; Newton Rhodes, Secretary; seven members. 202 W. 74th St., N. Y. City. Address, PRIZE COMPETITION No. 79 Competition No. 79, for September, closing May 20 and 25, will be a repetition of No. 75 for the reason that only a small part of the No. 75 contributions were used (those in the April number). The subjects are as follows: Verse. Title to contain the word "Mountain" or "Mountains." PRIZE COMPETITION No. 80. THE St. Nicholas League awards gold and silver badges each month for the best original poems, stories, drawings, photographs, puzzles, and puzzleanswers. Also cash prizes of five dollars each to gold-badge winners who shall again win first place. "Wild Animal and Bird Photograph" prize-winners winning the cash prize will not receive a second badge. Competition No. 80 will close June 20 (for foreign members June 25). The awards will be announced and prize contributions published in ST. NICHOLAS for October. Verse. To contain not more than twenty-four lines. Title, to contain the word Forest." Prose. Story or article of not more than four hundred words. Subject, "A Camp Adventure." Photograph. Any size, interior or exterior, mounted or unmounted; no blue prints or negatives. Subject, "The Picnic Party.' Drawing. India ink, very black writing-ink, or wash (not color). Two subjects, "Fisherman's Luck" and a Heading or Tailpiece for October. Puzzle. Any sort, but must be accompanied by the answer in full, and must be indorsed. Puzzle-answers. Best, neatest, and most complete set of answers to puzzles in this issue of ST. NICHOLAS. Must be indorsed. Wild Animal or Bird Photograph. To encourage the pursuing of game with a camera instead of a gun. For the best photograph of a wild animal or bird taken in its natural home: First Prize, five dollars and League gold badge. Second Prize, three dollars and League gold badge. Third Prize, League gold badge. RULES. ANY reader of ST. NICHOLAS, whether a subscriber or not, is entitled to League membership, and a League badge and leaflet, which will be sent free. Every contribution, of whatever kind, must bear the "GOODBYE april.' BY KATHARINE L. HAVENS, AGE 13. name, age, and address of the sender, and be indorsed as "original" by parent, teacher, or guardian, who must be convinced beyond doubt that the contribution is not copied, but wholly the work and idea of the sender. If prose, the number of words should also be added. These things must not be on a separate sheet, but on the contribution itself—if a manuscript, on the upper margin; if a picture, on the margin or back. Write or draw on one side of the paper only. A contributor may send but one contribution a month -not one of each kind, but one only. Address: The St. Nicholas League, Union Square, New York. MEANING IN BOOK-PLATES. BOOKS AND READING. AMONG the letters that come to us, a fair proportion send us the writers' book-plates and ask to have the pictures of them published in this department. A number of these little designs are very charming, but many of them may be criticized for lack of purpose. For instance, there is little meaning in a plate showing only a picture of a tree or a ship or a column and the name of a child. The purpose of a device is to declare the feeling or belief of the owner, just as knights of old made their shields show forth their fortune or their intents. Uniess there is some such purpose declared in a design, it is sure to become tiresome to the owner. We invite those who have book-plates with a meaning to send them to this department, and provided attractive ones are sent, we shall print some of them. A LOVER OF GREECE. FROM Vermont we are delighted to receive an inquiry for a good list of books that will tell the young writer something of Greek life in the early days. Our correspondent says: "I am very fond of Grecian mythology and history, and want to know more about it." She is fortunate to be, in her early teens, already seeking to learn about one particular subject, and as she grows older she will find that following up this one subject will result in leading her to all knowledge, as following the course of a brook downward will lead a traveler to the great ocean. She does not only ask, but gives, information, kindly recommending to beginners Browning's poem, "Pheidippides" and Tennyson's "Enone" and "Tiresias." We share her admiration for certain qualities in these poems, but we think that many of our young readers will find at least " Pheidippides" rather difficult to understand, though the main facts of the story are easy to gather. Though the three poems may be puzzling the first few times they are read, yet the beauty in them will be evident to every reader, and gradually what is not understood will become clear. We think it wise for young readers to practice themselves in reading good things that they cannot yet understand, until they have strengthened their minds so much that they can comprehend all of which their mature strength is capable. A METAPHOR. WHEN a traveler has once found out that he has taken the right train, and is aware that the bringing of him to his destination can in no way be helped by himself, he is wise to extract all the pleasure possible from the few hours of idleness that he must pass. It seems to me that the secret of good reading may be suggested by a comparison with the traveler on the railroad. He should be at the same time doing two things: advancing steadily towards his destination, and finding all possible enjoyment on the way. Young readers should have in mind some object or purpose in their reading and studies, but while they are steadily advancing towards this, they should remember that there are times and seasons which may be devoted to recreation and amusement of the mind. Of course the comparison is not exact, but there never was a fable capable of more than suggesting a moral. TRUTH IN TASTE. Nor long ago, the writer of this paragraph met a reader who, in speaking of a well-known author, said that she had finished none of that writer's books, giving as her frank reason that after a fair trial they were found to be very stupid. There are advantages in such frankness. In the first place, there is the universal advantage of honesty; secondly, it is only by the confession of such a lack of appreciation that one may learn its cause and the remedy, if any there be. If the writer is in fault and is thought to be great, without right claim to greatness, the surest way to put an end to unearned fame is for honest people to say that they see no reason for it. Consequently, whether to improve one's taste, to increase one's knowledge, or to see that poor authors are not bolstered into fame and that good authors come into their own, frank statements of our tastes in reading are best, if made at the proper season. THE BEST WAY. AN anecdote of which I am very fond, since it serves as an illustration to so many things, is that told by a traveler in Japan and a collector of objects of art. In packing to come home, being unable to speak Japanese, he had to trust much to the good sense of his servant. But every time he came to see what had been done, he was shocked and horrified to find that his servant insisted upon putting some sharply carved iron nails with fancy heads into a beautiful lacquered box that was one of his greatest treasures. Since he feared the lacquered box would be scratched, he took out the nails again and again, only to find that upon his return the servant had replaced them in the polished box. At last, in despair, the traveler brought an interpreter and the matter became clear, for the servant explained that the old lacquer was the best lacquer in the world, that even the iron nails could not possibly scratch it, and that anywhere else he feared the nails would do much damage. The little moral to be drawn from this fable in regard to the box is the recommendation of the very best binding for the books that are meant to stand hard usage. If the book is to be read once or twice and put away, the ordinary cloth binding will do; but if it is a reference book to be consulted over and over again, only the finest leather binding will be of any avail. Our young readers can make many other applications of the story. A POCKET NOTEBOOK. It is not the usual custom of young people to take notes, but as they grow older and their interest in the affairs of life widens, they will discover that a number of matters will come to their attention and will slip away again unless there is something to help the memory. While the suggestion may not be of use to many of you, for the benefit of the few who like to be systematic, the habit of carrying a little notebook with an alphabetical index is strongly recommended. In this put down at least a brief note regarding what you wish to remember, in each case enter ing it under the letter beginning the most prominent name or word connected with it. If you cannot put down the exact item you wish to remember, at least note where you found it. The amount of time saved by this habit as you grow older will enable you to read a large number of excellent books; for to seek in vain a bit of information is not only extremely irritating, but exceedingly wasteful of time. Particularly in reading will a little notebook prove a great help. It is better to choose a tiny book, so that it will never be in the way. A number of years ago it was a common habit to keep what was known as a "Commonplace Book," and you will find that old-fashioned writers for the young recommend the copying out of such passages as strike the fancy. We believe that this is not wise, nowadays, when knowledge is so much more available and books are so much commoner. It is becoming more important every day to know where things are to be found rather than to know them. HOW AUTHORS LIVE. As this item is being written, the writer can see upon the wall of his study a photograph of the author of a popular ST. NICHOLAS serial, who is also a personal friend. It shows him walking over the rough pasture-land of a plantation, carrying a large tin pail and a watering-pot, and with hat pulled well down over his eyes to keep out the sun. It used to be the fashion to make portraits of authors that showed them either at their desks or discussing literary topics with a crowd of admiring friends, while sheets of manuscript lay strewn around. But we think that this little snap-shot of an author striding towards us in true farmer guise, is quite as characteristic. In order to write delightfully, an author must know the world. He cannot tell us about it unless he cares for it, and he cannot care for it unless he . really lives in it. Read the lives of authors, and you will find that very few of them withdrew from daily affairs. HOW YOUR BOOKS WE should be glad to hear ARE ARRANGED. from any of you who have a book-shelf of especial favorites, if you will write and tell us in what order you arrange the volumes. Possibly they may be upon a study-table instead of upon a shelf. |