Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-12-27

lack had arranged the PJlyOpticon-hls
amusing and instructive wonder camera
mon the table all right. 30 MIS-. Lee
secured the white screen TO the heaEy
cnrtains in the bay window, nghleu IuS
lamp. and then the show commenced.
But lust before Mrs Lee put cut the gas
she was astonisned by having nifty cents
in fve-cent pieces slipped into her mana
bv the little dOor-keeper, VINO hau
offered his services for the occasion.
"Wbat is that for, Roberts" she asked.
'sXVell YOU see. Mrs. Lee" Robert DaSn-
fully answered, "Jack said TINS was 20 Dc
a free show. but he told US that Lhe oIllei
dav that his papa was not very "eli' S4lI
he 'sposed he was kinder tired WOrklh
so hard. and Jack SAID he wished ne
could help him out; so me ana " III 4
Jones made it up to charge the Tlch boys /
five cents apiece for coming into inns /
Dartv. but don't you be uneasy we l6L /
| The girls and the poor boys IN for nom |
/ ing; and if you please, Just use LLe |
money I gave you to help Jacks papa
out a little" -~
And these were the two very boys Mrs,
| Lee had often spoken of as bad boys,
| but she took it all back as she stopped
and kissed the brown forehead.
What a pleasant time the little folks
had
1t was real amusing to hear their Orlgl-
nal remarks as odd shadow pictures
| were thrown one after another upon the
white screen. Never had the PolyOpu-
con worked so delightfully."-. and 1t was
( such a surprise when the baby bIO,heTs
aud sisters of many Of the children ap-
peared in various attitudes before them.
! That, too, was Roberts thoughtful work;
| he had secuI ed the photographs because
! Jack had told him that his magician
! tern did not have to have glass 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
lot as enthusiastically greeted as were
| the bright colOred illustrations OF nursery
! RHYMES and fairy stories, the hues show
ing on the white background, and the
! pictures standing out quite as clearly as
those in black and white. The connie
Autographs and chrome cards were all
! we'll received, while the pictured STORY
of Joseph" was made more entertaining
by the word description of Sunday
school children.
"His coat was worse than a crazy
quilt" remarked one of the enlightened.
"That was an awful mean trick OF his
Notwithstanding Joseph down the
well, and staining his coat with blood to
scare his poor ola father WITH re-
marked another.
eyes, it was" said the third, "and just
to think! he didn't keep the money
when they played him such a mean
trick Well, he could afford to be good"
Ten o'clock came all too soon, but a
few simple refreshments served as con-
ISOLATION, and after a vote Of thanks to
Jack and his mother, the young folks
said goodnight and went to their various
homes.
Two days before Christmas, only few
short weeks after Jacks first POlyOpti-
con surprise party, and he was destined
to have another very sad one. Every
boy and girl on the street was in q state
of excitement, for little Jack Lee was
missing from his home, and his poor
mother was nearly wild with anxiety.
Still, she had such faith in Jacks prom
Use, that she felt only an accident could
j have detained him.
Jack promised not to 90 far, and said
that he would be back before dark;
something has happened to my baby!"
she walled, as she joined the search
ers.
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 a moment at the foot Of
every slide. Oh, it was cold, and she
was so weary!
But harkl
Surely there was a moan, sounding
from the freshly dug-Out cellar for a new
house. How Mrs. Lee got down she
never knew, but IN a moment she was
beside what seemed a mass of earth and
, snow. She had found her boy, but was
he dead?
, 1t was Jacks call for help that brought
the searchers to them q few moments
later, for in the agony of JOY and grief,
or fear, his mother tainted. Jack was
! not injured; he had gone too near the
. edge of the cellar and 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
r sleep. But as he had large lump on his
head, the doctor rather doubted his
sleeping naturally.
Poor Mrs Lee! They carefully carried
her home, but all night and ell the next
day she mOaned.
There is no hurt" said the kind doe
tor; "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 POlyopticOn
party" suggested Jack, the innocent
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 declare that eff 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 soon ready; the guests We're
hidden and little mother was placed
upon a sofa before 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 fore
head, and give one of your unearthly
yvoY- u norc