They sat on their haunches and ate sandwiches and fruit and drank milk out of the bottles just as the children would do. When they had eaten enough they quietly left the school-house and trotted down the road toward home.
After the bears were gone the children became calm again and returned to their lessons.
The man and the bears disappeared the next day and were never seen again.
PATTY-SAYINGS.
"I"ve been reading Bible stories," Patty said, "and I believe That Adam"s name MEANT "Morning," Because his wife was "Eve.""
BABIE"S CURLS.
Little Bessie Boothby Had a little sister Sue: And a baby brother, Whom she thought the world of, too.
Only one thing troubled These dear little girls; "Though baby Tom was pretty, He hadn"t any curls.
They found a box of vaseline And rubbed it on his head; But even then no hair would grow: It made his head quite red.
Bessie once was brushing Dollie"s golden hair, When off it fell, alas! and left Poor dollie"s head quite bare.
Little Sue was frightened, But to comfort, Bessie said, "Susie dear, do listen, "Tis just like babie"s head.
"Let"s put the wig on baby Tom, And then he"ll have some curls; I would not even be surprised If he looked just like us girls."
When Mamma saw her baby boy With all this growth of hair, She laughed until she nearly cried, At the naughty little pair.
THE RED APPLES.
One windy day in March Kitty Miller was on her way to school, when she spied in a store window, a great pile of lovely red apples.
"Oh," she said, "how lovely! if Mamma could only have one!"
Kittie"s mother was very poor. She had been a dress-maker ever since Mr. Miller died, and had worked so hard to earn a living for herself and Kitty that she had become sick. She was obliged to lie in bed all day, and when Kitty was away at school, the house was very lonesome to the invalid.
When Kitty reached the school that day her thoughts were full of her sick mother and the lovely apples.
She was usually a good scholar, but to-day she made so many blunders that the teacher looked at her in surprise. The little girl could only sit at her desk, with her book before her, and dream of those red apples. When school was dismissed, Kitty started slowly homeward. She had gone only a short distance when she saw a gentleman in front of her drop his purse. Running quickly forward she picked it up. It felt quite heavy in Kittie"s little hand.
"There must be a good deal of money in it," thought Kitty. "How I wish I could keep it. Then I could buy Mamma a red apple and so many other things she needs."
But she knew this would not be right, so she hurried after the gentleman. Touching him on the arm, she said, "Please, Sir, you dropped your purse."
"Thank you, dear," said the gentleman taking the purse.
Then noticing how poorly dressed she was, he said, "Why did you not keep the purse, my child?"
"Because that would be stealing," replied Kitty. "But," she continued honestly, "before I thought I must give it back to you, I did wish I could keep it, for then I could buy Mamma a red apple."
The gentleman smiled kindly and said, "You are a good little girl to return my purse. I would like to give you a little present and then you can buy a red apple."
He handed her a silver dollar and then bade her good-by.
Kitty was so surprised that she started hastily for home, forgetting all about the red apples until she stood in front of the store.
The store-keeper happened to look out and saw the same little girl who stood looking so longingly in at his window in the morning. He quickly picked out the biggest, roundest, reddest apple he could find and taking it out to Kitty said, "Would you like this, my dear?"
She took the apple, looking so pleased and thanking him so prettily, that the good man thought of it for many a day. When Kitty reached home with her treasures she found her mother fast asleep. So she put the apple and silver piece on a plate where her mother could see them when she awoke.
When Mrs. Miller was told the wonderful story, she kissed her little daughter and said, "You see, dear, it always pays to be honest and truthful."
BUBBLES.
"Now, Tommie, what will you do while I write letters this morning?"
"Blow soap bubbles, Mamma, please," and Tommie jumped up and down, clapping his hands for pleasure.
"Well, run and get me your pipe and bowl and I will mix you some suds."
The soap-suds were soon ready, and Tommie took his favorite position on the broad window-sill with the bowl in his lap.
Mamma, writing in the next room, could hear the Oh"s and squeals of delight, as the bubbles grew larger and rounder.
"Why is Tommie in all the bubbles?" asked the little boy at last.
"Because," said Mamma, "the bubbles are like a mirror, and when my little boy is near enough to look at them, he will be reflected in them, just the same as when he looks in Mamma"s long mirror."
"But the mirror doesn"t break like the bubbles," said Tommie. "Where do they go when they break, Mamma?"
"They evaporate, dear; that is a big word for my little boy. Spell it after Mamma and then perhaps you will remember. E-v-a-p-o-r-a-t-e evaporate."
"What does evaporate mean," asked Tommie bringing out the long word with a jerk.
"Do you remember, dear," answered Mamma, "that early in the morning when the gra.s.s is all wet with dew, my little boy cannot run in it without his rubbers? But before long it is all dry and then my little boy takes off his rubbers and does not get his feet wet. The sun and the air absorb or suck up the water and carry it off to their homes. Now, the bubbles are made of a little water and a little air. The water is on the end of the pipe, and Tommie blows the air into the pipe, and the bubble grows big and round. When it breaks, the air sucks up the water, which was the outside of the bubble, and the air which was inside mixes with the air in the room."
"Now do you suppose you can tell Papa all about it, when he comes home to dinner?" asked Mamma.
"Of course I can," said Tommie, proudly. "Haven"t you just told me all about it?"