The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-11-13
JUVENILE coLUnN.
THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.,

f., VAouoveT 90 I'd SEQ Gn0 Aan0 C0udr0
Iney expect me to bring story along
But last Thursday, wheu strolled up
their house, mo- story had I, either in m,
pocket or in my brain. They all surround
ed me, and soon we were of for walk il
the woods. What lovely wreaths we mad,
out of myrtle! At last, all crowned, W,
sat down on green bank, and Frank Ian,
declared the girls were wood nymphs.
"Now for the story" said little Ella, and
che crossed her hands in her lap, waitins
for me to begin.
II can't think of one," said I. "Ihave
been reading about the Ichthyosaurus, and
the terrible monster has driven all the
stories away"
"The IchthyOsaurus!" repeated Frank.
"Dear me ~ said Sue Lane. ~ couldn't
say such hard name. The Lob MOI /
never could cay It."
But after Frank had repeated it several
times, Sue managed to say it, and even
"Ichtbyo! Ichthyo!"
"But what is it Z" asked Sue.
"Didn't you hear I" said Frank. ga
monster-a terrible monster. DO tell us
all about it."
"Ugh! don't" cried Sue. 81 don't want
to hear about monsters"
"Oh! girls are such cowards," said
"Wel," said /, "even a brave man might
be excused for shuddering at sight of an
1chthyosaurus. But, fortunately, there are
none to be met nova days except in q
fossil state"
ssWhat does fossil mean Z" asked Sue,
ooh! know" eaid Frank, drawing him.
self up proudly. THAT word was in my
lesson last week. A fossil lie q substance
dug out of the earth"
"Then stones are Fossils" said Sue.
Frank didn't know. He had never heard
stones called fossils.
4 Ill
there are whole mountains made
of them. Fossils are the plants and ami
mails Of the first ages Of the world, that |
have been buried in the earth and turned |
hard like stone."
chow could they turn into stonef" said
Frank. 81 don't understand it at all. Our
plants only decay, and bones when buried
all to dust"
"But you know" said l, tive can turn
wood into charcoal, and keep it in that way
my length of time. Now the coal from
mines is the substance of plants. Very
,ften in the black coal there can be seen
he. tracery of leaves as delicate as fine
ace. and sometimes the miner comes upon
tut FPS that prove the coal he is working
way at with his pick and shovel has once
,een great forest tree"
"But how did the trees get away down
70 deep Z" asked little Ella.
"Oh, I KNOW said Sue. "There was a
:reat dsluge,, and everything got turned
:'Oh, yes" said Frank, 81 have read of
bells being found on the tops of noun
aims"
eyes," said I, "in many places they are
ound buried deep in the soil. Travellers
ften find them on the high mountains of
he Alps; and if you should ever visit the
ems of thousands. There are, indeed,
fountains six Thousand feet high formed
lpost entirely of Shells"
"What q nice place this is for a story,n
aid Sue. "and yet we can't have one. It's
DO bad!"
"Dou't mind her." said Frank. "she is
little tease. I'd rather hear about the
,h-- There have forgotten the name."
II don't know what they want to make
lch hard names for" said Sue.
"The Ichtbyosaurus he's another name,"
id I; " the fish lizard"
ooh, that's easy to remember" said Sue.
[ should always call it tish-liz..Iu But
en-"
''And should call it Ichthyosaurus,"
id Frank. 81 am not afraid of hard o
INES, nor of lizards, either"
"He is brave" said little Ella, "i lie
lied snake that was coming after us the
her day." "a
"Oh, it was only little one," said Frank.
killed it with a stick" &c
NIt' would have taken many men and F.
my sticks to have killed an Ichthyosau-
81 said 1. "Many of them were thirty
It long, and their jaws were often six ]
It in length
'.Whew six feetw cried Frank. "Why, an
ats as long as papa is tall" ne
'And they had hundred and sixty
Sat teeth, and eyes as big as breakfast E
Ltes."
ella clapped her hands. Nc
{ Now you are making up a story"
No." said L, "this is true. There is
,leton of one in the British Museum. 1t Sir
q found by country girl, who made her
ing by searching for fossils. One day Sir
saw some bones hanging out from a
f. She cleared away the rubbish, and,
lold there was this great creature i'm
lded in the stone. That was the first Gel
found, but many others have been
nd since. They must have lived in the
n sea, but it is supposed that they OF
wled on the sea- shore from time to time.
,rmous appetites they had; for the big A
10, not content with swallowing great con- con-
and reptiles alive, often gulped down =
young Ichthyosaurii." O.
Oh, the ugly things" said Sue.
they were very curious crea-
,s," said /. 'Quite as curious as the
gon the poets tell US about" or
Oh said Frank, ave read q story of SA1
dragon. 1t was a horrible reptile with
rs, and it breathed forth fire. But it's
made believe about them, isn't it9"
The biologists haven't come across any
yons yet" said /. eyes, Frank; think IL
may set down the dragon as fancied
Of fho Inf