The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-12-03
JEANIE'S NECRLICE.
Mother Natures Story About the Amber
Beads.


/ know a little Scotch girl, she lives
among the Highlands. Her home is hard
1v more than hut; her food. broth and
bread. Her father keeps sheep on the
hiIlsides. and, instead of wearing a coat
wraps himself in his plaid for protection
from the cold winds that drive before
them great clouds of mist and snow
among the mountains.
AS for Jeanne herself you must be care
full to spell her name with an ca, for that
is Scotch fashion,, her yellow hair is
bound about with little snood; her face
is Drowned by exposure 10 the weather;
and her hands are hardened by work.
for she helps her mother to cook and sew.
to spin and weave.
one treasure little Jeanne has. which
many a lady would be proud 10 wear
1t is a necklace Of amber beads.-"lamour
beads" old Elsie calls them; that is
the name they went by when she was
young.
You have, perhaps, seen amber, and
know its rich, sunshiny color, and its
fragrance when rubbed; and do you also
know that rubbing will make amber at
tract things somewhat as a magnet does?
Jeanies beads had all these properties,
but some others besides, wonderful and
lovely; and It is of those particularly that
i wish 10 tell you. Each bead has inside
Of it some tiny thing, encased as If il had
grown in the amber, and jeanne IS never
tired of looking at and wondering about
them. Here is one with a delicate bit of
ferny moss shut up, as 1t were, in "A
globe of yellow light. In another IS the
tiniest fly, his little wings outspread and
raised for flight. Again, she can show
us a bee lodged in one bead that looks
like solid honey, and little brlght-winged
beetle in another. This one holds two
slender pine needles lying across each
other, and here we see a single scale of
a pine cone. while yet another shows an
atom of an acorn-cup, fit for fairy's
use. ! wish you could see the beads. for
cannot tell you the half of their beauty
Now, where do you suppose they came
from; and how did little Scotch Jeanne
come into possession of such a treasurer
All she knows about II is, that her
grandfather, old Kenneth, who covers
now all day In the chimney-corner. once.
years ago. when he was young lad
went down upon the sea-shore after a
great storm, hoping TO help save some
thing from the wreck Of the "Goshawk."
that had gone ashore during the night:
and there, among the slippery sea-weeds
ms FOOT had accidentally uncovered a
clear shining lump OF amber. in which all
~--NNS +NNS NitdNuits were tUlDtlQtl. NOW.
Kenneth loved pretty Highland lass,
ana, when she promised TO be his bride.
ne brought her necklace Of amber beads
lie had carved them himself out of this
lump OF amber, working carefully to save
IN each head the prettiest insect or mess,
ana thinking, while ne toiled hour after
hour OF the delight with which he should
see ms bride wear them. That bride was
Jeanies grandmother; and when she died
last year. she said, Let little Jeanne have
my iamour beads, and keep them as long
as she lives"
But what puzzed jeanne was. how the
amber came to be on the sea-shore: and.
most or all. how the bees and MOSES
came inside OF II. Should you like 80
KNOW IL you would, that is one of Moth
er Natures stories. and she will gladly
tell 1t. Hear what she answers 10 our
queetions:--
Il remember time, long, long before
you were born,-long, even, before any
men were living upon the earth; then
these Scotch Highlands. as you call them.
Where little Jeanne lives, were covered
with forests.-there were oaks poplars.
beeches. and pines. and among them one
kind OF pine tall and stately, from which