The Southern herald., 1885-12-05
OUR BOYS AID GIRLS


dear! 5sari NeI-s-dayF
What b ths mattsr9 ssked ths
bath-tuh Have yog been squeezed Z
TOO haFd. o. has ne nurse rubbed soap
On you AgAina I know soap never
sgress with you"
II am rather exhausted by the
squeezing, l confess. replied the
sponge; but il is not for that l sighed
/ am gradually getting used to these
daily tortures.
But was thinking about the past;
about ny beautiful home. from which 1
was 50 cruelty torn, and about the
happy. happy life ! led there"
TEL me about il. said the bath
NIB "You have told me before. but /
always find il interesting. My home
was in q tin-shOp. as you are aware.
The society was good. but it was rather
3 dull place. on the whole. You lived.
you say
On the coast Of Syria" said the
sponge, with a sigh-''the coast Of
beautiful Syria There i a tiny bay.
where the shore Is bold and rocky. The
rocks are above the water, but down
below they are covered with lovely
plants, and fringed with gay MOSES.
beautiful to behold The bottom of the
sea is covered with silver sand. and
over il move the crimson and gold-eol-
ored jelly-fsh the scarlet star-6sh. and
. thousand other brilliant creatures.
making the neighbOrhOOd always at
tractive and delightful On a certain
ledge Of rock. close by the bottom, l
lived. as happy an animal as could be
found in the Mediterranean Sea."
What do you meanf" interrupted
the nail-brush. which was new, and
very ignorant "You. an animal? l
don't believe it. II your back were
bone. and your hair pig-bristles, like
mine, you might at least call yourself
an animal product; but you have no
back that ! can see, nor hair either"
"You are extremely rude, 4" said the
sponge. "But you know no better. and
ignorance should always be pitied rath-
er than blamed. / was an animal my
young friend, though now, alas, / am
only the skeleton Of one
II lived, as l said, a very happy life
on my rocky ledge. | never moved
from it had no occasion to do So,
even if had been provided with legs,
as many animals are Inever had any
fancy for rowing life. To draw in the
warm delicious water through the thou
sand small holes and canals Of my
frame, and spout it out again through
my large holes, was my chief occupa-
tion, and one Of which l was never
weary. The water was full Of tiny
creatures Of all kinds, and these formed
my food, and gave me plenty to eat.
In the spring was always busy with
my maternal duties l brought out
hundreds Of lovely little young eggs,
yellow and white-the prettiest eggs
you ever saw. In a short time they put
out their tiny feelers, sort of fringe Of
waving lashes, like those things on the
nurses eyes; as soon as they appeared
knew my babies were ready to come
out and, sure enough, they soon broke
through the egg-covering, and waving
their lashes, swan out into the sea.
AT first they staid near me, de
lighting my heart with their pretty
tricks; but very soon they felt the neeC
Of homes Of their own, and went off Il
fix themselves on rocks, or coral-trees
and become, in their turn, full-growi
spolges, like myself. l could not com
plain, for | had left my own mother il
the same way. never saw any of then
again except one dear child, who mad
his home on the she'll Of large crab
He grew finely; and became a nobl
sponge; but the crab never seemed +
mind him in the least, and carried hin
about with him wherever he went L
this way he often passed near my ledge
and as the crab was a friendly and sen
sible fellow we often had pleasan
chat together
Zone day, one DIRE adful, dreadfr
day, / was talking thus with my so
and his landlord. when suddenly some
thing huge and dark was seen above us
swimming slowly downward throug
the clear water. At first | paid no al
tention to il, supposing it to be shark
OF some other large fish; but as it drel
nearer saw that it was no fish, but
strange and horrible monster, the lik
Of which had never been seen unde
the sea. It had four long arms, som'
thing like those Of a cuttlc-fish, onl
much less graceful, and divided at Ii
end into five claws, or feelers. q haV
since learned that two Of these arm
are called legs, and that the feelers al
fingers and toes.) 1t had gleamin
eyes, and in one claw it held som
thing bright and shining. All! it maxi
me cold to think Of it. To my horr'
tie monster fixed his shining ey'
On me. and swan directly toward n
ledge. The crab scuttled off with n