30 KINDNESS Little acts of kindness, THE HAPPY-FACED BOY THIS is what I saw, sitting behind a blackberry bush one lovely spring day, quite out of sight, you understand: Over the fence jumped a boy, a sweet, happy-faced boy of ten. I knew that he had come from the schoolhouse down the road and was going to the spring which bubbled up under a rock in my meadow. He was eating his luncheon as he walked, had just put the last bit of bread into his mouth, and was looking rather eagerly, as though he enjoyed the prospect very much, at a slice of delicious-looking cake which he held in his hand. Just as he had opened his mouth to take the first bite, his eye fell upon a little pail under a tree not far from my blackberry bush. I had been looking at the little pail, so I knew just what he saw; two slices of bread, that is all, and judging from the appearance of the owner of the pail-who had left it to go to the schoolhouse-that is all there ever was in it. Well, my boy looked at the bread and then at the cake in his hand. "He shall have half," I heard him say; and he took hold of the cake as though to break it, then paused. "Half is only a mouthful; he shall have it all;" then, stooping he laid the delicious cake gently in the little pail, and, whistling softly, went on his way to the bubbling spring. "Ah! no wonder that you are happy-faced, you noble, generous boy!" I said, as I wiped away the tears behind the friendly shelter of the blackberry bush.-Little Pilgrim Birthday: John Fiske, an American historical writer, born in Hartford, Conn., March 30, 1842; died July 4, 1901. 31 FAME Fame is what you have taken, Then you begin to live. -Bayard Taylor Birthdays: Joseph Haydn, a famous German writer of music, born at Rohran, Lower Austria, March 31, 1732; died in Vienna, Austria, May 31, 1809. Andrew Lang, a Scottish writer of poems, stories, novels, etc., born at Selkirk, Scotland, March 31, 1844. APRIL 1 ALL FOOLS' DAY Good-morning, sweet April, ALL FOOLS' DAY ALL FOOLS' DAY is so generally observed that a history of its origin will appeal to the interest of pupils. The day was first celebrated in 1466 at the Court of Burgundy, a province of France. Duke Philip of Burgundy and his court jester, or fool, agreed that on the first day of April each should try his wits to see if he could get the better jest on the other. The terms were that if the jester succeeded in hoaxing the Duke he was to be rewarded with his cap full of gold ducats. If the Duke hoaxed the jester the latter was to forfeit his life. Early in the morning the Duke gave his jester strong drink and the latter partook freely until he became drunk. While he was in this condition the Duke summoned some of the members of the court, tried the drunken jester, and sentenced him to death. The executioner was called, the jester was blindfolded and was struck a mild blow on the neck with a stick under the pretense that it was a sword. Warm blood was then poured on his neck to make him think he was bleeding. The Duke and others standing by laughed heartily at the deception. But the jester lay seemingly lifeless. After a little time some one cried out, "Terror has killed him.' The Duke becoming alarmed sent quickly for the court doctors, who came and tried their skill on the supposed dead man. Soon thereafter the jester opened his eyes, laughed aloud, and said: "April fools, all of you. Now, Duke, pay me my gold." From this incident of four and a half centuries ago has come the universal custom of jesting on April the first.-Popular Educator Sing: "April! April! Are You Here," from Songs in Season. Birthdays: Prince Otto E. L. Bismarck-Schönhausen, a famous German statesman and one of the greatest men of the nineteenth century, born at Schönhausen, near Magdeburg, Germany, April 1, 1815; died on his estate at Friedrichsruhe, Germany, July 30, 1898. Edwin Austin Abbey, an American painter, born in Philadelphia, Pa., April 1, 1852; died in London, England, Aug. 1, 1911. Most important work: A series of panels in the Boston Public Library, "The Quest of the Holy Grail." Special Day: All Fools' Day. 2 FREEDOM We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; and that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. -Jefferson HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN THERE are few children who have not heard of Hans Christian Andersen or who have not read some of his stories. Hans' father, a poor shoemaker, died when Hans was nine years old, and his mother wanted Hans to be a tailor, but he had higher notions. He was first put to work in a factory and then sent to school, but he ran away from both because the boys laughed at his ugliness and awkwardness, and thinking it best to let him do as he pleased, his mother gave him some money to go to Copenhagen. There he was for some time employed in the theater, and for a while lived on charity, but at last became acquainted with the Councillor Collin, who noticing his brightness, got the King to have him educated at the expense of the state. At this time he had written a few poems, and when about finishing his studies he published a book called A Journey on Foot to Amak, in which he made fun of everything, and which had a large sale and brought him considerable money. Later he wrote his Fairy Tales and Wonder Stories. He never walked the streets of Copenhagen without attracting crowds of children. The boys took off their hats to him and the girls courtesied as he passed, and he had a kind word for all. Everybody mourned when he died; and when subscriptions were being taken up to erect a monument to him, all the people were anxious to give something to help honor the poor shoemaker's son who had done so much for the children of all the world. Read: Andersen's "Five Peas in a Pod" and "The Ugly Duckling." Birthdays: Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States, born at Shadwell, Albemarle County, Va., April 2, 1743; died at his estate of Monticello, near Charlottesville, Va., July 4, 1826. Hans Christian Andersen, a famous Danish writer for young folks, born at Odense, in the island of Fünen, April 2, 1805; died in Copenhagen, Denmark, August 4, 1875. Frederic A. Bartholdi, a noted French sculptor, born at Colmar, Alsace, France, April 2, 1834; died in Paris, France, October 4, 1904. Among his works are the statues |