New-York tribune., 1901-05-26
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1cHllDRENS CORNER.
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THE NOISE TREE

In the rear of of the houses in West Twenty
htth-st there grows a mouse tree, and Mandy a
big cat with beautifully shaded coat black and
gray, lives in the yard There is something
altogether improbable about a tree, but it
is just here where the story in. for Mandy
Is as surprised anybody at the phenomenon
or course, every expects tree to bear fruit,
and Mandy knew we'll that 1t often yielded birds
She had seen them perched on the branches of the
mouse tree and had frequently studied how she
might secure them for her own. for Mandy loves
birds. She considers them the rarest morsel that
life offers Mandy has scruples whatever about
, birds, and would claim for her prey the yellow
songsters in gilded cages belonging to her neigh
bors if she could only reach them
Mandy's life has been made up of sunlight and
shadow. She used to belong to the people next
door to the mouse tree yard and then she wore
a blue ribbon and her sleek satin. Her
playfelow little girl. to whom she doubtless
belonged, and the two frisked and gambolled in the
back yard as If there such thing care
in the world. One day, however. her people packed
all their furniture into and with her and the
little girl moved away, but Mandy. loving the place
better than the people. came back. She had inner
tied the trait from long line of ancestors and she
couldn't help it.
Then adversely began About two weeks after
her return the woman in the third fiat noticed her.
Poor Mandy! She had grown emaciated and fororn,
and the ribbon bow that once looked so beautiful
and had been so becoming to her was gone She
was indeed. quite a shadow of her former self
Mandy the fence. when the woman discov-
cred her. quite the picture of despair The woman
happily lover OF cats and she regarded Mandy
with pity. Surely. one" she thought, must
befriend that homeless cat The most respectable
people sometimes get into reduced circumstances"
Then she remembered her mouse trap and II seemed
very minute she raised the window and called
Now Mandy had quick perceptions and when she
the window Here is where the tree comes into the
story: The tree grew in the yard below In about
half minute after Mandy heard the window go
UP and her called there a futter through
it 81 ,a 80 an e rlIs.'' ~ ,,er5 1,r+I, u ~
Itse. 44Ne mouse stSu across IIie ysru u1teCtIy
under the tree! Mandy never missed ANYTHING.
She had remarkable range of vision. but she
almost missed that mouse. Such a chase as 1t gave
After that Mandy lived beneath the mouse tree
because there was no telling at what moment fruit
And the mouse tree has borne fruit for Mandy
many times since-the ripest, choicest fruit-fruit
that never drops until it Is fully ripe And Mandy
camps out under the mouse tree all the ivelong
day, waiting for the signal The signal is the lift
ing or the window When Mandy hears II go up
she longer looks in that direction, but she fixes
that in an instant following the mouse viii drop
through the branches and she never fails to re-
fiat finds mouse in her little trap Mandy need
not lose faith in the mouse tree. OF course Mandy
Probably the tree in this story is the only mouse
tree IN the world. ANY living in the vicinity
may notice chestnut tree with grand spreading
foliage ~ me cray anu o.aGA cay canning ~ % out
The cat Is Mandy, now grown contented and ex-
pectant with an established OBJECT IN hie-tti n l.
The following poem contributed to the Chill
dren's Corner by Florence I. Miller. ten years Old
and IS the arst one she has written:
sPRINGTIME.
I think the springtime is lovely,
With all the birds and the flowers,
And out the daisies and buttercups.
And the with their beautiful bowers
think the springtime is lovely.
When green is every tree,
And the violets and jacks-ln-t the-pulpit
Are as pretty as they can be.
think the springtime Is lovely.
When the sky is always blue,
And the birds sing their sweetest songs TO
on! l think II is lovely, don't you?