The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1889-09-28
FAITHFUL TO EARLY vows,


way, to encourage children to write
poetry and we have printed enough
of the product to show that our eff
forts have not been in vain. But
there are children who cannot write
poetry. They are rare, perhaps, but
there are SUCH There are children
whose minds do not run to song,
who do not think in numbers and
who have no poetic fancy. This is
not their fault-at least if it is their
fault they are not to be blamed for
it-and it would be cruel for us to
leave them out of our considera-
ton. If they cannot write poetry
perhaps they can write stories. We
will try to be reasonable. We will
not expect a child of seven to write
a powerfully dramatic tale demon
strating and exemplifying the beau
ty and grandeur of esoteric Budd-
hism. We will leave that to the
older children. We will also try to
be decent and not urge the child,
especially the girl child, to write
one of those stories that sizzle when
you touch them with a wet finger
We should like to encourage the
rising generation Of prosists to
write good, quiet, old-fashioned sto-
ries of home-life--stories that touch
and thrill the affections rather than
the passions-something, for in
stance, like this:
Once upon a time there was a
good young man who loved a beau
tiful Princess, and she loved him.
But he was the son of a poor, though
honest, parents, and the King would
not let his daughter marry him.
"John Bolts must never come to
this place again." said the King to
her one day, sand you must not go
out to meet him."
"Oh, papa," cried the Princess
in deep dismay, 81 love him."
Rats" said the King, for he was
a cruel, cold-hearted tyrant.
When John learned that the King
objected to him merely because he
was poor, he resolved to go to Amer
lea and make a fortune, so he hired
as cabin boy on big steamboat and
set sail for the land of the free.
When the Princess heard that
John was gone she made a vow
never to marry, but always to re-
main true and faithful to the man
--No had won her maiden heart.
Time rolled on. John was no
richer than when he left home, but
his heart was true to the Princess,
and, although he never heard a word
from her, he knew she loved him
still. He had gone west and taken
up a claim, but it was hard to make
a living, for he did not know much
about farming and the grasshoppers
ate all his crops for many summers.
After several years, however, he
managed to build house by mort
gaging the land, and after several
years more he managed to pay off
the mortgage and was then the sole
owner of the 16O-acre farm worth
So per acre.
Thus thirty-fve years had been
consumed. John was now an old
man of sixty, and, although he did
not despair, he feared that he might
die before he could amass enough
money to claim the hand of his
beautiful Princess from her proud,
exacting father.
One day as John sat on the porch
under his own vine and fig tree, he
saw a beautiful young lady coming
mp the path from the road. She
was dressed in rags, but John saw
that she was very beautiful, and
there was something about her sweet
young face that was familiar to him,
even though he had not his glasses
on. "Who can it be?" said John.
why, John, don't you know
me?" said the young lady throwing
her arms around his neck and wet
ting his long gray beard with her
tears.
"Can it be?" said the old man.
"No; yes; that is the same pretty
cheek | kissed when l left home.
Yes, it is, it is my beautiful Prin-
cess" and his thin, horny hand
trembled with suppressed emotion
as he stroked her rich, glossy, brown
hair and asked his darling to tell
him how she had come SO far and
why she was there in rags.
They sat down together and she
told him all about herself-how she
had waited faithfully and patiently
for him to come back until she be-
gan to fear he would not come;
how the horrid fear had flashed
across her mind that may be he had
forgotten his VOWS to her and learn
ed to love another.
mo; no." said John; II could
never love any but you. | have
been true to you in every thought"
And SO have to you," said the
beautiful Princess, laying her pink
cheek to his; land l have followed
you and found you and we will
never part again; will we, darling?"
Never, darling"
The next day there was quiet