The Arizona sentinel., 1889-06-22
SAVED THE CITY.

 Boy.
 The country of Holland in E urope is almost surrounded by the sea- To be sure there is nothing strange in that, for all islands are entirely surrounded by the sea But Holland is low coun-. try, and if the people had not built high banks to keep the water of, whenever there was 8 storm, or very high tide, it would wash right over the whole land, and sweep away all the houses and drown the people. The Holland folks built the banks many years ago. They are called dykes. They are not only high. but so thick through there is room for broad street on top. Trees are planted along these streets, and it is a pleasant and airy place to walk. Men are chosen whose business it is to watch these dykes and see that the water, which is always trying to break through, never does. It is necessary to be very watchful, for if there comes break ever so small, it must be stopped at once, or it will grow bigger and bigger, and it would take but few hours to bring on dreadful flood. And even the smallest Dutch child knows the danger of being careless about the dykes.
 One evening little boy in the city of Haarlem was on his way home. He walked fast, as it was getting late. It was a quiet part of the city, and there was no one but himself on the street Every thing was quiet, so quiet that presently he heard a soft gurgling sound like that of running water. An. Hans knew in a moment | what that meant! it meant that some where the sea had made a little road through the dyke.
 He stopped and looked carefully and eagerly, and very soon he found it-a tiny stream, that rippled and ran as though it meant not the least bit of harm to any body, or to any thing.
 But Hans knew better than that, and the first thing he did was to look about for something to stop it. He could find nothing What should he do? Should he run into the city and call watch man? but before he could get one, the little stream might become a great river. He looked up and down the empty street.
 Well, there's one thing 1 can do," to the great dyke. and put one of his fingers into the hole. It just filled it! 'Isn't that lucky?" thought Hans ''And now I'll stay here till somebody comes." And he did.
 The twilight passed and the night came on; the stars shOne out one after another; by and by, the moon came up in the east; very slowly the hours went by; it seemed to little Hans that never had there been so long a night; once he saw man walking along on the dyke, but too far off for. his voice to reach him.
 He grew tired and cold, but he did not give up. He thought of the stories he had heard of the damage done by the floods in times past, when the dykes had given way. He thought of the little brothers and sisters at home, and of other happy homes that might be swept away should he leave his post And so be bravely staid by, though it seemed to him sometimes that he should drop down, he was so tired.
 Every once in awhile he would call out, and early in the morning watch man heard him and hastened to the spot. And it was not long, you may be sure, before others came, and the little break was stopped, and Hans was carried to his home.
 The Dutch are brave people, and have fought many battles in the past to save their country from its ene- mics. But among them there was never a braver hero than this little boy, who, through the long hours of that lonely night. saved the great city from the sea.-Pamela McArthur Cole, in Our Little Men and Women.