Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1896-09-11
YOUTHS DEPARTMENT.
The Honeybee's Quest For Food - Eu.
gene Field. the Children's Friend.
" Topsy and Her Dollo.

gene Field. the Ch1ldren's Friend.
Topsy and Her Dolls.
Spring had come at last! The SUMS
warm rays had melted the snow on the
mountains, the green grass blades had
pierced through their withered sheaths,
and the buds began to burst on the trees
and let the young leaves peep through
And now little bee awoke from it's
long winter sleep. It rubbed its eyes
and then reused it's fellow companions
Together they opened the door and
peeped around to see if the ice and snow
and cold north wind had all disappeared.
Yes, to their great joy everything was
bright and beautiful in the warm sun
shine
So they slipped out Of the hive and
dressed their wings and tried to fly
again. Obi how delightful it was-but,
dear me, how very hungry they found
themselvesl So off they few to a gnarl-
ed old apple tree and piteously begged
for something to eat.
"Oh," said the apple tree, ''you have
come too soon. Ny blossoms are all hid
den away in the buds still. But go to
the cherry tree; there you will very
likely find food for hungry little bees. "
So off again they lew-only, how
ever, to be again disappointed, for the
cherry tree said:
"Not today; my buds are all fast
closed. But come again tomorrow: only
too gladly may you feast when my BIOS
SONS are opened
What could the bees do further, for
their appetite grew keener? All, see
yonder, across the garden, is beautiful
and lovely colored flower, and so large
too! Flying to it, they sought diligently
for honey in its calyx. In vain! The
tulip had none, nor sweetness, nor per-
fume either. Oh, poor little bees, and
so hungry too!
Saddened and tired out, they were
just turning homeward when they saw
tiny blue foweret under the hedge. 1t
was violet; and it welcomed them
gladly to the repast it had in store,
opening wide it's fragrant calyx and sat
isfying the hungry little mouths and
generously giving them honey beyond
to carry to their nome.
Eugene Field.
The late Eugene Field, who wrote SO
many charming poems for children, to
the day of his death had the heart and
impulses of boy. He loved animals
and those mechanical toys which wind
up and go with clickity noise just as
a child loves them. His home was q
small toyshop, the toys being of all
kinds and descriptions, but he loved the
mechanical toys the best. A writer in
St. Nicholas tells that every Satur-
day morning Eugene Field went home
laden with toys-not alone for his own
babies, Roswell and Ruth, but for
number of child friends living at Buena
Park, Chicago. For the girls he bought
dolls by the dozen, and his little boy
Roswell, whom he nicknamed Posey.
lad more elephants than were ever shot
~ African travellers. Shortly before he
died, Mr.. Field bought big elephant
and a big brown bear for Posey. Every
time any one called upon him lit made
no difference who it was) the elephant
and the big brown bear were wound up,
and away they would go, their heads
nodding back and forth as if they were
alive. But today they stand quiet and
still in the library.
Eugene Fields own childhood was
unspeakably dreary. His mother died
when he was very small. His grand
mother. who lived at New Fame, VT,
was a very good but an exceedingly
rigorous woman.