The Washington weekly post., 1900-03-13


sydney, where is FraueeT'
France Is the capital of England -
Yes. but where is i,?" Miss Greene
would continue. Sc really seemed to
take pleasure IN laaG.0s Sydney on
Is II in Ireland?' he would ask doubt
fully.
No, ii isn't. What are its chief pro-
ducts?'
Products" would start Sydney off:
Tar, pitch, turpentine, and lumber" h
would say with unusual speed. and amid
the laughter Of the class he would sir
down and Bob would get up and bound
france end tell her chief products and
something about her form OF government.
and yet he had only dipped into his gecg-
raphy between classes
But 1t was in reading that Sydney Jared
worst He could not reai the sin plest
words without stumbling along
once Miss Greene gave him this verse
from Longfellow:
The shades OF night were falling fast,
When through an Alpine village passed
youth who bore. mid and ice.
bansr with the strong device,
Excelsior
Sydney rose at his desk, held the book
close to his face, for he was near-sighted.
opened his eyes wide, and, frightened,
dropped his lower lip, and very slowly
read:
The shads Of nigt we're falling fat
When ttog an All Pine villag paced
yowt who bore. mid snow and ice
banner with the strong device
"Ex-Excellent"'
Very excellent, said Miss Greene,
but I'm afraid not excellent enough for
you to get an extra in reading"
When Sydney sat down he was in tears.
but that did not cause the singers and
smiles of his classmates to subside, nor
DID Miss Greene make any attempt TO
stop the scholars.
Little Sydney felt humiliated and hard
ty knew what happened the rest OF the
day. He was kept in for an hour and
had to read that verse out loud fifty
times and then write it twenty-five times
II was late in the afternoon when he
hnaliy left school and started for home
his way lay along the seashore. and he
shuf1ed through the damp sand. half
wishing that big wave would come and
bear him away 10 a land where there was
no such thing as school
Il wish | could learn. don't want TO
grow up a Ounce" he said to himself.
but everything is so hard, and Miss
Greene doesn't think I can do anything.
and then | can't I read that verse all
right to GRANDMA. but she kept strokine
my hair and that made the words look
easier
So he talked out loud to himself and
shuffied along until his foot unearthed
or rather unsanded. a bronze jar OF
very curious shape. Little Sgd had never
read any fairy stories. of course Read
ing was too hard thing for him to do
more in il than he had TO do And his
grandmother, although a lovely old lady
and devoted to her little grandson che
only one left OF a large family Of chill
dren and grandchildren, was no beliersr
in fairy tales. It's a waste Of time"
she had said 10 a caller who had asked
her whether she read Alice in Wonder
land 10 Sydney. ''It all seems very nom
sensical 10 me. What is the use of filing
the poor boys brain with stories that are
not only untrue, but are silly? 1t Isn't
easy for hin TO learn. so / believe In read
ing only those things that will do him
good"
Yes" the visitor had said. but IL you
don't exercise his imagination you are
going 10 give him cherries old age"
But grandma had laughed in her CHEEKY
way and had said: well, I'm old enough.
conscience knows, and I've had enough
to try me, but / find lfe pleasant and
that without any fairy stories. either
So the caller had changed the subject
You see. therefore, that sydney did rot
Immediately wonder as an imaginative
boy would have wondered what the lar
was good for and whether It was one Of
the kind told about in the Arabian Nights.
But 1t Is peculiar thing about fairies
and their ways that Il doesn't make a
bit Of difference TO them whether you be-
lieve In them or not. - they think that
you need them they viii come to you
and force you to believe in Them.
As soon as Sydney kicked the Jar he
stopped and picked IL up and began rub
bing the sand from II, an6 10 End be-
hold! beautiful fairy came ort OF II ard
new before him like a butterfly, talking
as she few
What do you want OF me. my dear?"
she SAID IN tie sweetest voice imagin-
able.
But Sydney only stared in amazement.
You called me- my dear and here am.
| can do anything for you that you wish
oone- Make you rich. make you wise,
make you good"
Now, there are a number Of boys In the
Maieurh school who would have said:
oh, make me rich" but dear little Syd
hardiy ever thought OF money. He d.d
want 10 know something, SO he said.
i wish that l could learn easily"
You see, he didn't even ask 70 tnou
everything without study; he merely want.
ed 10 learn easily, and as he had asked
so he received
The fairy futtered up to him and t,ssAa
him on each cheek, and he told M af,Sr-
ward that Il was as II a warm snoxfaks
had touched him. which was no, q 80
idea for fellow like Sydney.
Then the fairy and the lar vsn,sn.d
out sydney wa...ed home as happy as n
he had never been bothered al sebooI u
had his school books under his arm ,ar
he had determined 10 have good Iessans
-ext day II II took him all night to learn
them.
L think that he fancied that H.. grand
mother would not believe thai he bsS -,
4 rairy. so ne said nothing to her sbou, tr
but. eager 10 test his new power. he "a,
loWn at the center table in the sitrinz
loom ard began TO study his hiStorv -
ron. The boys had studies Tar heyond
9nly ten, and. as you have seen. ne COLA
hardly read, and yet he had history. geo.
sraphy. spelling, arithmetic, grammar and
Wen. the history lessen for the next day
vas about the battle or Concord. and
sydney began TO read IL out loud. as Was
Ills habit, and 10 his great astonishment
Iead IL as glitly as Bob Addons. ana 70
ais greater asionlshment he remembered
every word OF u, and when he had shut
ne book up he found himself repeating
Ihe whole chapter, word for word. and
Si.n ar much expression as Lorfmer Hal
''ead pat into his reading. and Lortrner
Was the star 'e!OcutIonIst" OF the sehoal
Grandma came into the room Just as he !
waA finishing his recitation. and she va.
.sionished enough. Why, nay hos. Won
are improving great deal ] always aid
fon had II In You. Your dear father vas
As smart as steel trap. and I knew
you'd Inherit soEe Of his snar,nes.
That's an interesting part OF history. Nv
Was al The battle OF Concord |
De was a cousin OF Paul Revere. DO vo, |
6rOM afnuf pauf srk~.~