The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1899-12-01

YOUNG FOLKS COLUMN,
Witch Haze.


Witch Haze.
The witches that live in the STORY books
Are father unpleasant In temper and looks.
But my little witch Of the autumn wood
Is bOnDy and CHEEKY and bright and good
Like IL little scrap OF sunshine gay
In the sober forest bnre and gray,
And she stiews her perfume along Inc air
When the summer flowers have none to
spare.
It Ii cas-! enough to br sweet you know.
When others are swret-1ow isn't 1t so:
And It's not very hard to be blithp and
In June, with scarcely cloud IN sight.
But my little witch has found the way
TO brighten and sweetpIi dull. dark day,
And that Is the thing ] should Like to do
This drenry weather. now wouldn't yOut
-persiS Gardiner In Youths COmpa MON.
Tom Thun,b in England.
In the November ST. Nicholas Mary
Shears Roberts recounts the successes Of
the famous dwarf Tom Thumb. There
have been smaller dwarfs. but none
brighter or more intelligent than uur'tiny
Yankee who was Drvpr more than 3 feet
tall. He was born in bridgeport. Conn.
i'll 1882, Or thereubUuts, Of poor but hon
est parents His real mamie war Charles
S. Stratton, and although his relatives
always called him Charley. he was
known to the world at large as the one
and only Zen. Tom Thumb Under
the management Of =. II. Barnum, our
small hero Travelled all over and all
around the earth. making two colossal
fortunes, one for himself and one for his
manager. On January IL. 1874. he set
sail for Europe to try his destinations on
kings and queens and princes
Fifty years ago voyage across the
Atlantic was Il much more important
event than it is now, and you may rest
assured that Mr.. Barlium made great
capital Of this nineteen days journey
The party consisted of the manager. the
general, his parents, his tutor and a
French naturalist; and a brass band es-
was duly heralded i'll the London news
papers. to which was added the state
ment that ION leaving New York. the
dwarf was escorted to the packet by no
less than ten thousand persons"
Soon after arriving in London. Mr.
Barnum and his charge called at the of
fee of the Illustrated London News. The
first portrait of Tom Thumb taken in
England appears in that journal, dated
February "a, 1874. There are two cuts.
In the first he is seen standing Oh Il chair
y Ii
diminutive size. The second picture is
very good. and is called THE American
Dwarf at the Princess Thcater.' He is
represented as being OH the stage before
the footlights, parodying the walk and
manner Of Napoleon. Tom Thumbs per
formances at the Princess theater made
such a hit" tina Mr.. Barunm next en-
gagged Egyptian hall, Picc;ldilly. whittier
thronged many visitors Of rank and fash
ion
The American minister. Edward Ever
cit, was very kind to his countrymen.
and it was at his house that Mr.. Barnum
! met a certain Mr.. Murray. master Of the
Queens household. On the day follow
ing. one Of the Queens Life Guards ap-
pcared before Mr.. Barnum with note
containing an invitation from the Queen
to Gen. Tom Thumb and his guardian
Mr. Barnum, to appear at Buckingham
palace on a specified evening.
In retiring from the. royal presence
Mr.. Barnum attempted to follow the ex-
| ample set by the lord in waiting by
backing out. The gallery was of great
| length. and the gentlemen with long
| strides made rapid progress: but Tom
| Thumbs short legs left him far behind
| or before. Seeing that he was losing
| ground, he turned and ran a few steps
| then resumed the process of 'backing
! performance. to the great amusement OF
the royal spectators. The Queen soon
sent another summons. and the general
| with his guardian, made a second yiSi,
to the palace, being received i'll the vel
low drawing room. \ third visit was
soon paid to Buckingham palace, and
this time the Queens uncle. Leopold
King of the Belgians, was present. and
was greatly amused. asking many queS-
tons; and Queen Victoria. desiring the
general to sing. inquired what song he
! preferred. Yankee Doodle was the
prompt reply. All present laughed heart
| lily. and her majesty said: That is a
| very pretty song. general: sing it. if you
please and he did
The British public was now fairly ex-
cited. From March 20 to July 20. the
! levces Of the little general at Egyptian
hall were continually crowded.
| One afternoon. attired in court dress.
| consisting Of Il handSonlely-e mbroideretl
velvet coat. short brooches. white satin
vest. white silk stockings. pumps. wig.
| cooked hat and dress sword. he went
to Marlborough house. the residence of
Queen Adelaide. widow of William ".
| why. general" said the Queen Dow
| ager. Il think you look very smart to-
day Il guess l do he answered con-
tentedly. Before he left. the Queen took
him up on her lap. saying: Il see you
| nave no W;tcH. Will you permit me
give YOU cne?' Il should like it very
much" was the answer: and few
weeks after he was again invited tc
Marlborough house. where many chill.
drCn Of the nobility were present. and
Queen Adelaide gave him beautiful
but tiny watch and chain.
He received many other presents from
various people. and these were all placed
under Il glass case and exhibited at the
receptions. The Duke of Wellington fire.
qucntly looked in upon the little man;
and on one occasion. when the small
general, with folded arms and knitted
brow, was Strutting up and down. imi-
tating Napoleon. the big general. Wei
lingtcn. laughingly inquired: "Of what
are you thinking. my little mani: Il
am thinking. sir. of the battle of Water,
loo," was the prompt reply. the little
features never losing their serious OK
preston.