The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-03-15

UN.- NOW, poys, Will coLi ""
how we can have some fun, said Charlie
to his companions, who had assembled
one bright moonlight evening for sliding,
snow.balling, and fun generally.
"What is 2" asked several at once.
"You shall see," replied Charlie.
"Who's got wood-saw % have"
$50 have T." replied three of the boys.
"Get them, and you and Freddy and
Nathan each, get an ak, and | will get
shovel. Let's get back in fifteen min
utes.
The boys separated to 60 on their sew
eral errands, each wondering of what use
wood. saws, and axes and shovels could
be in play. But Charlie was favorite
with them all, and they fully believed
in his promises, and were soon assembled
again. =,
snow" said he, "widow M has
gone to neighbours to set up with sick
child. A man hauled her some wood to-
day, and heard her tell him that unless
she got some one to saw it tonight, she
would not have anything to make a fire
of in the morning. Now we could saw
and split that pile of wood just as easy
as we could make snow man on her door
step, and when Mrs. M. comes home she
will be most agreeably surprised"
One or two of the boys objected, but
the majority began to appreciate his fun
and to experience that inward satisfac-
ton and joy that always results in well
doing.
1t was not long and wearisome job
for seven robust and healthy boys to saw,
split and pile up the widows half cord
Of wood, and to shovel good path.
And when they had done this so great
was there pleasure and satisfaction, that
one of them who, objected at first, pro-
posed they should 60 to a neighbOring
carpenter sshop, where plenty of shavings
could be had for the carrying away, and
each bring an armful. The proposition
was readily acceded to, and this done,
they repaired to their several homes more
than satisfied with the fun of the evening
And the next morning, when the weary
widow returned from watching by the
sick bed and saw what was done she was
pleasantly surprised, and afterward,
when a neighbOr (who had, unobserved,
witnessed the labors of the boys) told
her how it was done, her fervent invo-
cation, "God bless the boys" was itself,
If they could have heard it, abundant
IeWdTu IOT IuclT ldD0IS.
KITE.FLYING IN JAPAN.-Of all the
sports at which the boys in Japan amuse
themselves, kite-fying seems to afford
the most fun and enjoyment. Japanese
kites are not plain coffin-shaped bits of
tissue paper, such as American boys fly.
They are made of tough paper stretched
on light frames of bamboo, and of ali
shapes-oblong, or oval. They are also
made to initiate animals. ] have often,
in my walks in Japan, seen whole
paper menagerie in the air. There were
crying babies, boys with arms spread out,
horses, fishes, bats, hawks, crows, mon
keys, snakes, dragons, besides ships, carts,
and houses. Across and behind the top
of the kite, thin strip of whalebone is
stretched, which huns, buzzes, or sings
high in air like a hurdy-gurdy or a
swarm of beetles. When the boys of a
city are out in kite-time, there is more
music in the air than is delightful. The
real hawks and crows, and other birds,
give these buzzing counterfeits of them
selves wide berth. In my walks, l
often was deceived when looking up,
unable to tell at first whether the moving
black spot in the air were paper, or real,
living creature, with beak, claws, and
feathers.
The japanese boys understand we'll
how to send messengers to the top of
the kite, and how to entange each
others kites. When they wish to, they
can.cut their rivals string and send the
proud prize futtering to the ground. To
do this, they take about ten ieet Of the
string near the end, dip it in glue aud
then into bits ofpowderd glass, max
ing multitude of tiny blades as sharp
as a razor, and looking, when magnifej,
like the top of wall in which broken
bottles have been set to keep of
climbers. When two parties of boys
clouds, they raise their kites and then
attempt to cross the strings. The most
skillful boy saws off, with his glass saw,
the cord of his antagonist.
The usual size of kite in Japan is
two feet square, but often four feet; and
l have seen many that were six feet
high. Oh course, such kite needs very
heavy cord, which is carried in basket
or big stick. They require a man, or
very strong boy, to raise them; and
woe betide the small urchin who at
tempts to hold one in stiff breezel The
hummiDg monster in the air will drag
him of his feet, pull him over the street,
or into the ditch, before he knows it.
Tie such kite to dogs tail, and no
Janpanese capnie could even turn round
to bite the string. If the Government
allowed it. boys and young men would
make kites as large as an elephant
Prof. W. E. Gr6ins, 81. Nicholas.
MAKING MAPLE SUGAR.-A little
warm breeze crept through Farmer
Cheery's maple forest, awoke the trees
from their long, long sleep, and they all
began to shake hands and nod toward
each other, whispering: GOOD Good
Here comes the spring!"
Soon the warm air made them feel
thirsty and faint; the tiny twigs COM
planned TO the branches; the branches
told the trunks, and the trunks carried
the news down to the roots Maple.trees
keep all their provisions In an under
ground cellar; 30 the roots finding that.
sure enough, the ground was no longer
frozen and hard, began to feel about.
and send out little rootlets that gathered
up the good thiDgs-just the kinds they
knew maple twigs loved best. Don't
it seem funny that they can tell The
naples take one kind of food, the pines
another, the birches another, and for
each the rootlets pick out just the right
kind from the same GROUND. As fast az
the rootlets gathered the food, the y sent
it up to the branches-a very delicate
sweet drink and still they sent more
and more, the little twigs always TAX
ing the freshest, and sending back what
was left over. The branches felt very
much revived as they were fed, grew very
social, and began to tell of the pretty red
dresses they would put on before long
red for the cool spring days, and after
ward green for hot summer. They were
planning their new warjrobes, / assure
you. and you could have heard 1t i
you had had the right kind of ears.
Farmer CHEEKY came in from his barr