Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1900-07-05
FOLLIES OF r.
r. COMPETITION.

on 1.-THE Mystery of Life" in which
he told a short parable. 1t was a
lesson for children on the follics of
competition. Many did not under
stand his application and he wrote (:
ri intended to set forth the wis
dom of men in war contending for
kingdoms, and what follows to set
forth their wisdom in peace, con-
tending for wealth." The lesson
he taught in it is Il good one for
grown up children, especially so
Just now while so much is being
said of war.
Here is the parable:
Though | am no poet | have
dreams sometimes: Il dreamed |
was at a child's May-day party, in
which every means of entertain
ment had been provided for them
by a wise and kind host. II was
in stately house, with beautiful
gardens attached to it; and the
children had been set free in the
rooms and gardens, with no care
whatever but how to pass the after
noon reioicingly. They did not,
indeed, know much about what
was to happen the next day; and
some of them, thought, were Il
little frightened, because there was
a chance of their being sent to a
new school where there were exam
nations; but they kept the
thoughts of that out of their heads
as well as they could, and resolved
TO enjoy themselves. The house,
said, was in Il beautiful garden,
and in the garden were all kinds OF
flowers sweet grassy banks fol
rest; and smooth lawns for play
and pleasant woods; and rocky
places for climbing. And the
children were happy for II little
while, but presently they separated
themselves into parties; and then
each party declared it would have
a piece of garden for its own, and
that none of the others should have
anything to do with that piece.
Next they quarrcllcd violently,
which pieces they would have;
and at last the boys took up the
thing, as boys should do, practic'
ally and fought in the flower beds
till there was hardly flower left
standing; then they trampled down
each others bits of garden out OF
spite; and the girls cried until they
could cry no more; and so they al
lay down at last breathless i'll the
ruin, and waited for the time wher
they were to be taken home in the
evening.
Meanwhile the children in tn,
house had been making themselves
happy also in their manner. Fol
them, there had been provided ev
cry kind of indoors pleasure;
there was music for them to dance
to; and the library was open, witt
all kinds of amusing books; ant
there was n museum, full of thu
most curious shells and animals
and birds; and there was work
shop, with lathes and carpenter
tools, for the ingenious boys; an,
there were pretty, fantastic dresses
for the girls to dress in; and Their,
were microscopes and kaleido
scopes, and whatever toys II chill,
could fancy; and table in the iii
ming room loaded with everything
nice to eat.
"But, in the midst of all this, i
struck two or three of the NOR,
practical children that they would
like some of the brass headed nail
that studded the chairs; and 81
they set to work to pull them ont
Presently the others, who wcr
reading, or looking ut shells, tool
fancy to do the like; and in
little while all the children, nearly
were spraining their fingers il
pulling ont hnss-hcaded nails
With all they could pull out the.
were not satisfied; and then every
body wanted some of somebody
else. And at last the really prac
teal and sensible ones Declare
that nothing was of any real con
sequence that afternoon, except t
get plenty of brass headed nails
Al 4 4 A l