American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-03-13
THE SPIDER AND 1.
BY HENRIETTA ELBON.

| BY HENRIETTA ELBON.
| "IM tired and sick and out Of all pa
tience!" said the other day, as threw
myself on the old lounge in my cubby
house. My cubby-house..is corner OF
the attic, partitioned off from the rest
which is my playroom and reading-room
| and sometimes a workshop. There is my
| precious ragged old lounge, which l have
wheeled from the attic; there are all my
dolls-mostly rag babies-and my favor
lite story-books, and there, just then, was
my worsted work, too; it was with that
l was out of patience.
Almost mammals birthday, the Gath of
July, and that pretty little tidy wasn't
finished yet! I'd been sitting by the
one small window which lighted my lit
tie den, trying and trying to get the Dor
der right; but it wouldn't come like the
pattern. 1t was rather a hard piece of
work for little girl to do, but l did So
want to surprise mamma with it that
wouldn't for the world so and ask her to
show me.
So unraveled it, did it over two or
three times, then in despair threw myself
on my old lounge and, looking up at the
rafteIs overhead, counted them over,
wishing could think of anything but
that tidy. Just then a stray sunbeam,
fat little spider trying to swing himself
from one rafter to the next by tiny line,
which shone in the sunlight like thread
of gold
l Tau ghed aloud and said to myself
Mamma will think don't know how to
keep house very well if she comes up
here and sees spiders webs between the
rafters. l wonder what spiders are good
for, any wayi 1 can't think OF any use
fheu in ha tn
and it seems to me the flies are getting
thicker and thicker every day in spite of
them" While l was talking aloud to
myself in this way the spider was trying
again and again to swing himself across,
and, although rather sleepy, l kept my
eyes open to see if he would succeed.
"What a patient little thing he isl" be-
gan l again; he keeps trying over and
over: only wish | had been so perse-
vering with my tidy"
At last he fairly swung himself across,
then, steadying himself on the beam.
fastened his tiny line, and to my great
surprise walked out to the head of
large nail just over the lounge and
looked down at me.
$50, little girl, you wonder what
spiders are good fOr?" began he in the
thinnest and tiniest voice you ever
heard.
afterward she said: - suppose his voice
seemed to you as attenuated as his web?"1
said: g Yes, it did remind me of his
web, but don't know what attenuated
means"
at means drawn out very fine and
thin" said she. And that is just the way
his voice sounded.
$50 you wondered what spiders were
good fer" said he, again. Yes, sir"
said l, for was so surprised to hear him
speak that it made me very respectful,
although he was only a fat, roly-poly lit
tie insect, and it seemed to bother him a
good deal to keep his balance on the
head of that nail. ! didn't know but he
would fall over on me, and found myself
humming over:
Little Miss MutIet, she sat on tutiet,
Eating of curds and whey,
When there came a little spider,
And sat him down beside her,
Aud frightened Miss Muflet away"
But | wasn't a bit frightened; l only
wondered if my lounge were tutfet,
for am not quite sure what a tutfet is.
"Oh, not" said the spider, recovering
himself after severe wobble. You are
not like Miss Mufiet at all, but you make
me think of Robert Bruce"
Robert Bruce!" said |.
"Why, yes" said he; :. have you never
heard of him?'
"Well, l have read "A good deal about
him in my Tales of Grandfather but
| don't see how | can put you in mind of
such IL great Scottish chicflain"
Well" said the spider, ''once after
he had been fighting hard and had lost "A
great many battles and been driven out
of Scotland he was lying in rough
Irish cabin, on miserable old bed
much worse than your ragged lounge)
looking up at "A spider, Just as YOU were
watching me. He noticed that the
spider had tried six times to swing him
self from one beam to another, and t
reminded HIM of his own six lost battles
against King Edward. SO he said to
himself: am tired out and discour
aged, hut il the spider succeed the
seventh time | will try once more To re
gain my crown. If he fail, however,
shall leave Scotland forever and go to
fiaht the Siracens.' The spider sue
ceedcd and Bruce, taking courage again,
gathered his troops together, and going
forth once more IL fight his enemies won
the battle and became King of Scot
land
Well. that's IA very interesting story"
said !. "Do you know any more, Mr..
Spider?'
Yes, indeed" said he. Il could tell
you stories about spiders all day. Did
YOU ever hear of Mahomct2"
'tWhy. yes" said !, " mamma has told
me a good deal about hin. That he pre-
tended 10 be great prophet, and that
many people, Turks and Arablans and
o'her nations, believe that he was one ct
Gods prophets. Mamma says they call
God Allah: and when they wish to praise
Him they say, God is Allah! and Ma
homet is His prophet And instead of
having our Bible, they have book
called the Koran, which they look upon
as sacred but of course il doesn't com
pare with our blessed Bible"
Well, l don't know much about the
Koran" said the spider, " but I'll tell
you story about Mahomet."
''Oh, do, Mr.. Spider said |. " And
will there be anything about spiders III
it,
"Of course there viii, Well. while
Mahomet was upon the earth his most
powerful enemies were A tribe OF Arabs
called the koreish, who were always
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