Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-01-18
He swept them away from tn
Intcre sting to Babies.

Will my youngest American hearers
my very youngest-please give me
their attention?
All, here you are! Well, my little
ones, as you very soon are to begin to
learn your letters. if, indeed, you are
not already learning them, it may in.
terest you to know that the babies OF
other countries, as we'll as baby Ameri-
cans. are expected to know their al
phabets at very early age: and some
of Them. because there are more let
tiers in their alphabets, have even a
harder time than you do. Some,
again, have less to learn. For in.
stance, as sprightlv and learned cor
respondent inform this pulpit, the
Sandwich Island alphabet has only II
letters; the Burmese, 10; the italian,
90; the Bengalesa, 81; the Hebrew,
Syriac, Chaldee, Samaritan and Latin,
% each: the French, %; the Greek,
"a; the German and Dutch 26 each !;
the Spanish and Slavonic, ~ each.
But, on the other hand, the Arabic
has IS; the Persian and Coptic, 80:
the Georgian, 35; the Armenian, IS;
the Sanscrit and japanese, so; the
Ethiopic and Tartaric, 202
II this information bewilders you,
my poor little letter-learners, don't
mind it. 1t will keep. One of these
days you will be big and able to play
tag, and, later on, baseball in all these
languages. Then, few letters, more
or less, in any ona of them, will be a
matter of small consequence to you.
Even now, I dare say, after what
have told you, you'd be able to play
with the letter-blocks of any country.
In truth, if I were you, I think ]
should prefer box OF Ethiopic or Tar
taric letter-blocks to begin WITH
Jach-iq1-thc-P,tlpit, IN st. Nicholas.
Uncle Johns Return.
The almshouse stood upon a small
hill on the outskirts of the little village
of Westbrook. 1t was large old house,
painted white, with green blinds. In
front was broad lawn and small flower
garden. At the side, veget able gar
den, and at the back, beyond the old
tumble-down barn, was splendid
orchard. The apple and pear trees
were laden with blossoms: the cherry
trees had already shed theirs, leaving
soft white mating on the ground.
1t was bright, beautiful morning.
Scattered over the orchard, seated on
benches, were several old people, in
habitacts of the almshouse.
Beneath the apple trees played a
small group of children, quietly enough,
indeed, for they We're little afraid of
the sharp-voiced matron, whose keen
eye seemed to be on all their move
ments.
A little apart from the group stood a
girl and boy. The girl was about ten
years old, a pretty, pale, thoughtful
child, dressed in plain wooden dress.
over which was stiff black bingham
apron. Her pretty brown hair was
braided tightly in two braids, and tied
with black ribbon. She was talking
earnestly to her brother, little boy
not more than four years of age.
Yes, Harry" she was saving, 81
really believe my dream will come
true" And for the third time she re-
peated her dream to her brother.
A dreary, lonely year had been
spent at the almshouse by 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 thew
prayed God that he might come soon
Last night Edith had dreamed that
Uncle John had rstlrned at last. and
carried them away to live in his beauti-
full house in the city.
"Oh, it was such Il lovely house ~
Edith exclaimed. "There was a bean.
tiful lady there whom we called Auntie
And oh! there were such lovely met.
ures and rooms where we playsd all
day. Oh, Harry, darling, we we're SO
happy!"
The little boy would raise his brown
wistful eyes and say, "Pleathe tell i
all over again, Elie," and the little
girl would obey. She loved to linoer
over this pleasant dream ais we'll rs "a
Harry. ~ ~
Presently they were interrupted nv
the appearance Of Kate, the servant
who said, Come, little darlints. thera,s
ddy in the parlor as wants to see
We a minute" w
"Pleathe don't go, Eaie," lisnad
Harry, who was n little af,,;d or r.