Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1889-01-26
Interesting to Babies.


VIII my youngest American hearers
my very yO ;ngest-pl 'asa give me
their attention?
All, here You ar! Well, my little
ones, rs You very soon are to begin to
learp your letters, ii, indeed, you are
not already learning them, it may in
terest you to know that the babies of
other countries, rs well rs baby Ameri
cans, are expected to know their al
phalcts at very carly age: and some
of them, because there are more let
ters in their alphabe' $, have even a
harder time than you do. Some,
stance as a sprightlv and learned cor
respondent inform this pulpit, the
Sandwich Island alphabet has only Il
lett RS; thu Burmese, 10: the Italian,
-; the Is ngales@, II; the Hebrew,
SYRIA, Chaldee, Samaritan and Latin,
- each the French, %; the Greek,
u; the German and Dutch, 26 each;
the Spani Ii and Slavonic, - each.
But, ON the other hand, the Arabic
has Is: the Persian and Cortic, -:
the Geor gian, %; the Armenian, IS;
the Russian, Al; the Muscovtr, Az !;
the Sanscri. AMI japanese, 80; the
Ethjopi' AMI Tartarir, 202.
If this information bewild rs you,
my poor little lettcr-learners, don't
mind it. 1t will keep. One of these
days You will lie big and able to play
tag, and, later on, baseball in all the Sc
languages. Then, few letters, more
or less, in an on OF them, will lie q
mlttcr of small con ,uence to you.
Even now, | dare say, after what
have told YOU, you'd e able to play
with the letter-blocks Cf any country.
In tluth, if | We're you, | think
should prefer lox of Ethiopc or Tar
taric letter-hlocks t. begin with
Jack-Ut-Ne-Puipd, IN ST. Nicholas.
Unr:e Johns Return.
The almsh )use stood upon small
hill on the outskirts of the little village
of Westbrook. 1t WAS a large old house,
paint, Il whit, with green blinds. In
front was a broad lawn and small flower
garden. At the side, veget able gar
den, and at the back, beyond the old
tumble down barn, was a splendid
orchard. The apple and pear tree ,
were laden wi Ii blossoms; the cherry
trees had already she'd theirs, leaving
q soft whit mating on the ground.
1t was o bright, beautiful m ,rnin%
Scattered over the orchard, seated on
b ,uche5, We're several old people, in
habitants of the almshouse.
Beneath the apple trees played a
small group of children quietly enough,
indeed, for they We're Il little afraid of
the sharp-voicel matron, whose keen
eye seemed t. be on all their move
mcnt1.
A little apart from the group stood n
girl and a boy, The & ri was about ten
years old, a prettr, pale, thoughtful
child, dress d il plain WOODEN dress,
o,er which was a stiff black bingham
apron. II,r pretty brown hair was
braided tightly in two braid ;, AMI ticl
with a black ribbon. She was talking
earnestly to her brot er, a little boy
not more than four years of age
eyes, Harry" she was saving, Il
really believe my dream will come
true And for the third time she re-
reated her dream to her brother.
4 drcary, lonely year had been
spent at TIL almshouse 10y these or
phans, but they looked forward with
hope to the time when dear Uncle
John would return from sea, and take
them away. Mamma had told them
before she died that some day he would
come home. SO every night they
pa ed God that he might come soon.
Last night Edith had dreamed that
Unc,c John had rtturaed Mt last, and
carried them away to ivein his beauti-
ful hous in the CITY.
ooh, it was such Il lovely house,
Edith exclaimed. "There was bean
tiful lady there whom we called Auntie.
And oh. there were such lovely pict.
ures and 10 lbs whore We PLAYED all
day. Oh, larry, darling, We Were so
happy
The little boy would raise his brown.
w,stful eyes and say, "Pleathe tell il
all over again, L iie," and the little
girl would obey. She loved to linger
over this pleasant dream as well as did
Harry.
Presently they were interrupted by
the appearance of Kate, the servant,
who said, Come, little darlints, there $
lsdly in the parlor as wants to see
We minute"
"rleathe don't go, Edie," lisped
Harry, who was little afraid of the
lsharp-voiced matron and her visitor.
Don't be afraid, dearie; old Katie1l
niver let thin hurt ye.
Thus reassur,d the little boy clasped
his sisters hand and they entered the
almshouse.
In the parlor, seated on the sofa, was
a richly dressed woman, who surveyed
the children with cold, critical eyes.
iii take the boy" she said, after a
moment. MY husband is fond of
boys, but, as r me, Diet st children.
But You know how it is, Mrs. Burns"
Mrs. Burns assented. Edith, putting
one arm tenderly around her brother,
stood looking in diSmay from one to the