Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-12-04

mao .
II was real amusing to hear their
original remarks as odd shadow PIC
lures were thrown one after another
l3oon the white screen. Never had
/ the Polyopticon worked so delightful
1 lv. and it was such a surprise when
the baby brothers and sisters OF many
of the children appeared in various
attitudes before them. That, too, was
Roberts thoughtful work; he had Sc
cured the photographs because Jack
had told him that "hls magic lantern
did not have to have e lass pictures,
but would show up any kind of paper
pictures, even to colored ones"
After the baby pictures, the great
men of the day were shown, but they
were not as enthusiastically greeted
as were the bright colored illustra-
tons of nursery rhymes and fairy
stories, the hues showing on the white
back grounds, ard the pictures stand
ing out quite as clearly as those In
black and white The comic litho-
graphs and the chrome cards were all
well received, while the pictured
"story of Joseph, was made more en-
Pertaining by the word description of
Sunday school children.
ellis coat was worse than q crazy
quilt" remarked one of the enlight-
ened.
'eThat was an awful mean trick of
his brothers throwing Joseph down
the well, and staining his coat with
blood to scare his poor old father with, "
remarked another.
Yes, it was, said the third, land
just to think he didn't keep the money
when they played him such trick
Well, he could afford to be good.
Ten o'clock came all too soon, but
few simple refreshments served as
consolation, and after vote of thanks
to Jack and his mother, the young
folks said goodnight, and went to
their various homes.
Two days before Christmas, only a
few short weeks after Jacks first
Polyoptcon surprise party, and he
was destined to have another-a very
sad one Every boy and girl on the
street was in a state Of excitement,
for little Jack Lee was missing from
his h0mo, and his poor mother was
nearly wild with anxiety. Still, she
had such faith in Jacks prom ise, that
she felt only an accident would have
detained him.
"Jack promised not to go far, and
he said he wo uld be back before
dark; something had happened to my
babyl" she walled, as she joined the
searchers.
Every house where Jack was known
was visited, but the mother knew
Jack was in no house, so, through
snow and dark on she went from one
vacant lot to another, hating mo-
ment at the foot of every slide. Oh,
it was so cold, and she was so weary
But bark
Surely, that was moan, sounding
from the bottom of freshly dug-out
cellar for a new house. How Mrs.
Lee got down she never knew, but in
a moment she was beside what seem
ed mass of earth and snow. She
had found her boy; but was he
dead9
1t was Jacks call for help that
brought the searchers to them few
moments later, for in the agony of Joy
and grief, or fear, his mother tainted.
Jack wos not injured, he had gone 100
near the edge of the cellar and the
edge of the snow and earth had caved
in, and the boy was dazed by the fall
indeed, he said he could not get out,
and so he went to sleep. But as he
had a large lump on his head. the
doctor rather doubted his sleeping
naturally.
Poor Mrs. Lee They carefully
carried her home, but all night and
all the next day she moaned.
"There is no hurt, said the kind
doctor; 'the suspense and shock has
been more than the little mother
could bear. We must do something
to rouse her from this stupor."
"Spose we give another Polyopti-
con party" suggested jack, the limo
cent cause of all the trouble.
"A splendid idea, said the doctor,
who was perfectly familiar with
Jacks Peculiarities, and withal was
something of wit; so no one was
surprised when he was heard to de-
clare that 'if Jacks hands were
smoked a little it might help TO wake
up the mother which caused Jack
to almost burn his hands, holding
them over the glass shade of the
lamp, which was sooa ready; the
guests were hidden and the little
mother was placed upon a sofa be-
fore the screen, and the performance
commenced.
Laugh and talk as loud as you
please, children, " directed the doctor,
land here, Jack, stand by your
mother, put one Of your smoky hands
ON her forehead, aud give one of your
unearthly warwhoops.n
( Jack tried to obey, but the yell"
was by no means one Of the healthy
sounds that so often terrified Mrs.
Lee and her friends, but perhaps the
pain in the cry reached her heart !;
anyway, her eyelids quivered and at
last opened, and the little mother
saw about her anxious, loving, youth
full faces--her boy aud his friends,
and as she clasped Jack in her feeble
arms and wept tears of gratitude, one
after another little form left the