Chapter XV: Bad News From Brighton (4)

I sat upon a hod,
In my hand there was a clod,
And I threw it at a crow--
An old one I trow.

III.

I stand on the bridge, and the waters dance by,
For my lady I look o'er the lee;
I gaze down the stream, for by London at length
Is the solitude broken for me.

IV.

There lived a fair young woman
Whom an old man sought in vain,
It was under rocks by vale and hill
That she wandered on amain.

V.

How short the days are
Now October is here!
If you long for a song,
I'll sing one to cheer.

JUNIOR DIVISION.

I.

Jingle, jingle, Little Jack
Had a key put down his back;
Single, single, I declare,
He used to live for many a year.

II.

'Twas night, the moon shone bright,
The rats came down in scores,
Munching, squeaking, each man shrieking,
Tumbling down indoors.

III.

We went out four and twenty strong,
Sailors and tailors in a throng;
We heard a tale, we saw a sail,
And then returned to kill a snail.

IV.

Here Harry and Richard,
Here Robin and John!
If there were but two men
You would pretty soon come!

V.

Five, four, three, two, one,
Won't we have some fun,
A cat has caught a hare
Alive, I do declare.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

[_The Editor requests that all inquiries and replies intended for insertion in_ LITTLE FOLKS _should have the words "Questions and Answers" written on the left-hand top corners of the envelopes containing them. Only those which the Editor considers suitable and of general interest to his readers will be printed._]

PRIZE COMPETITIONS, &C.

H. FORTESCUE.--[Several important announcements as to new Competitions, &c., will be made in the January Number of LITTLE FOLKS.--ED.]

A VERY LITTLE READER.--[I am glad to tell you that I have arranged to again give every month the "Pages for Very Little Folk," with large type and bold pictures, commencing with the January Number.--ED.]

LITERATURE.

SANTA CLAUS writes, in reply to LITTLE BO-PEEP'S question, that the lines--

"There is a reaper, whose name is Death,
And, with his sickle keen,
He reaps the bearded grain at a breath,
And the flowers that grow between"

are by Longfellow, and are to be found in a poem called "The Reaper and the Flowers." Answers also received from twenty-two other readers.

CELIA OAKLEY writes that the line--

"Music hath charms to sooth the savage breast"

is to be found in the tragedy of _The Mourning Bride_, by William Congreve (1670-1729). Thirty-six answers to the same effect also received.

T. C. would like to know if any one could tell her the author of the following verse, and where it is to be found--

"Rain, rain, for ever falling,
Trembling, pouring slow or fast,
Through the mist a voice is calling
From the unforgotten past."

WORK.

LILIAN BOWYER writes, in answer to GEORGINA DEXTER'S inquiry how to make a pair of bedroom slippers, that one way is to crochet the tops with double Berlin wool and procure a pair of cork soles wool lined. Answers also received from BUMPKIN, TOBY, and A. J.

MINNIE WALSHAM writes, in answer to FLORENCE WATERS' question, that to clean crewel-work it should be washed in soap-suds, then rinsed out in salt and water, and, after drying it quickly, it should be smoothed out on the wrong side of the work. Answers also received from T. X. Z., MARY WILTSHIRE, and A. J.

COOKERY.

MATTY would like to know the way to make Madeira cake.

LADY OF THE LAKE asks how to make pine-apple cushions.

GENERAL.

A TABBY KITTEN will be glad if any reader could tell her of a good, inexpensive varnish for a picture-screen, as the one she is now using colours the pictures, and makes the printing on the backs of thin ones shine through.

ETHEL wants to know a new kind of dip, or bran-pie.

J. F. H. writes to inform HERBERT MASTERS, in reply to his inquiry, that a small carpenter's bench would cost about twenty shillings or a little more.

ANOTHER YOUNG MECHANIC writes, in answer to AN AMATEUR MECHANIC'S question, that walnut, oak, and sandal are among the best woods for fretwork purposes. The fret-saws may be bought in packets at an ironmonger's. Answers also received from J. A. WACE, A YOUNG CARPENTER, and X. Y. Z.

NATURAL HISTORY.

P. F wishes to know if anything can be done for her little kitten? In the last few weeks her head has become quite bare, and she has lost a lot of hair from her shoulders; she is very lively, but does not drink her milk properly?--[She is probably kept indoors too much. Put a little sulphur in her milk about twice a week, and rub the places with vaseline. Let her run out where she can bite grass or plants if she wants to, and give her a little meat.]

HELEN wishes to know if she ought to give her canary a bath in winter, and if so ought it to be cold or warm.--[Offer the bath, and let it do as it likes. The water should be about 60°.]

LADY CARA will be very glad to know what can be given to her parrot when it pulls its feathers off. The bird in question is now quite bare, and has been so for some time past, although well in health.--[We fear you have been giving him meat, or too much of _rich_ nuts and biscuits. Parrots should have no meat, and plain food. Get him some scraped cuttle-fish bone, if he will eat it, and rub on a little vaseline, and on a bright day get him to bathe. Give him now and then a fig, and some ripe fruit, only begin very gradually.]

A NEW "'LITTLE FOLKS' PAINTING BOOK" COMPETITION.

PRELIMINARY NOTICE.

The Editor has much pleasure in informing his Readers that, in response to repeated requests, there is now in preparation a new "LITTLE FOLKS Painting Book," and that he is arranging for a Special Competition in connection with it, open to Children of all Ages, in which a large number of Prizes in Money, Books, and Medals will be offered for the best Coloured copies of it. This book, which will be called "The LITTLE FOLKS Proverb Painting Book," and contain 96 pages of outline Illustrations and Verses, will be ready on the 25th of November; and the full Regulations of the Competition, with the list of the Prizes offered, will be printed in the January, 1885, Number of LITTLE FOLKS.

Picture Wanting Words.

A Guinea Book and an Officer's Medal of the LITTLE FOLKS Legion of Honour will be given for the best Poem having special reference to the Picture below. A smaller Book and an Officer's Medal will be given, in addition, for the best Poem (on the same subject) _relatively to the age of the Competitor_; so that no Competitor is too young to try for this second Prize. The Poems must not exceed 24 lines in length, and must be certified as _strictly original_ by a Minister, Teacher, Parent, or some other responsible person. All the Competitors must be under the age of Sixteen years. The Poems must reach the Editor by the 10th of November (the 15th of November in the case of Competitors residing abroad). In addition to the Two Prizes and Officers' Medals, some of the most deserving Competitors will be included in a special List of Honour, and will be awarded Members' Medals of the LITTLE FOLKS Legion of Honour. The Editor requests that each envelope containing a Poem having reference to this Picture should have the words "Picture Wanting Words" on the left-hand top corner. (Competitors are referred to a notice respecting the Silver Medal on page 115 of the last Volume.)

ANSWERS TO OUR LITTLE FOLKS' OWN PUZZLES (_p. 253_).

GEOGRAPHICAL ACROSTIC.--ZEALAND.

1. Z urich.
2. E bro.
3. A rno.
4. L isbon.
5. A lps.
6. N ile.
7. D anube.

MISSING LETTER PUZZLE.

"'Twas in the prime of summer-time,
An evening calm and cool,
And four-and-twenty happy boys
Came bounding out of school:
There were some that ran and some that leapt,
Like troutlets in a pool."

SQUARE WORDS.

1. SCAR.
2. CAKE.
3. AKIN.
4. RENT.

1. CART. 2. ALOE. 3. RODE. 4. TEES.
1. MATE. 2. ALUM. 3. TUNE. 4. EMEU.

BURIED NAMES OF RIVERS.

1. Iser. 2. Weser. 3. Indus. 4. Aar. 5. Amstel.

RIDDLE-ME-REE.

TOMATO.

BURIED PROVERB.

"People who live in glass houses must not throw stones."

PICTORIAL NATURAL HISTORY PUZZLE.

SACRED IBIS OF EGYPT.

1. Acrid. 2. Sip. 3. Fogs. 4. Bey. 5. Diet.

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| |
| Transcriber's Note: |
| |
| p. 257 The o in "of" from "By the Author of" was originally |
| an o with a circumflex. It has been changed to a normal o |
| |
| p. 265 The caption THE CHILD GLANCED AT HER WONDERINGLY (p. |
| 264. has been changed to THE CHILD GLANCED AT HER |
| WONDERINGLY (p. 264). |
| |
| p. 266 "rumours of the lost children" has been changed to |
| "rumours of the lost children." with a period |
| |
| p. 270 I am holding back the sea!" has been changed to "I am |
| holding back the sea!" with opening quotation marks |
| |
| p. 271 was the weary answer." has been changed to was the |
| weary answer. without quotation marks |
| |
| p. 274 "entice the flies to settle on' em." has been changed |
| to "entice the flies to settle on 'em." |
| |
| p. 277 "cried the white king, fiercely," has been changed to |
| "cried the white king, fiercely." with a period |
| |
| p. 282 a better turn than he knew to-day;" has been changed |
| to a better turn than he knew to-day;' with a single |
| quotation mark |
| |
| p. 291 "Skelton, the first Poet Laureate" has been changed |
| to "Skelton, the first Poet Laureate." with a period |
| |
| p. 292 "conspicious" has been changed to "conspicuous" |
| |
| p. 294 "glitering" has been changed to "glittering" |
| |
| p. 294 So you can get behind her,' has been changed to So |
| you can get behind her," with double quotes |
| |
| p. 295 "Was the girl the fairy queen? has been changed to |
| Was the girl the fairy queen? without quotation marks |
| |
| p. 300 "and a dormouse elsewhere" has been changed to "and a |
| dormouse elsewhere." with a period |
| |
| p. 305 "Home, Sweet Home.' has been changed to "Home, Sweet |
| Home." with double quotes |
| |
| p. 306 "He remembered how. when he" has been changed to "He |
| remembered how, when he" with a comma |
| |
| p. 306 "Tired nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep, has been |
| changed to "Tired nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep," |
| with closing quotation marks |
| |
| p. 313 <Where a short line, thus, "----, is printed,> has |
| been changed to <Where a short line, thus, "----", is |
| printed,> with closing quotation marks |
| |
| p. 313 the name Rosie Entwistle is unclear |
| |
| p. 314 the name Sallie Justice is unclear |
| |
| p. 314 the name Edith Price is unclear |
| |
| p. 314 "7801 Rosey Ansley" has been changed to "47801 |
| Rosey Ansley" |
| |
| p. 314 the age 9 of L. Creighton is unclear |
| |
| p. 314 the name Chas. Hoddson is unclear |
| |
| p. 315 E. J, Norton has been changed to E. J. Norton |
| |
| p. 315 48570 was originally printed with an a with a |
| circumflex instead of the digit 8; it was changed to 48570. |
| |
| p. 315 Fredk, Muskett has been changed to Fredk. Muskett |
| |
| p. 315 the number 48680 William Wood is unclear |
| |
| p. 315 the number 48804 E. G. Brunker is unclear |
| |
| p. 315 the number 48810 Jessie L. Aimers is unclear |
| |
| p. 318 "will, as announced, from the Winter Competition" has |
| been changed to "will, as announced, form the Winter |
| Competition" |
| |
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