The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-12-21
TALE or GFRISTnAS JOY in THE FaR1LAND OF WTSHWLL E
Magic Spectacles Made a Mans Hear
Hard, But Finally Led to Great
Joyous Christmas.

T HERE was a boy named Ny
ron Holmes. who. with his
sister Bessie, lived with a
guardian, who was a very
hard-hearted. cruel and mean man.
His name was George w. Granitt. Be
fore he was made the guardian of these
children he had been a kindly, we'll
disposed man, but suddenly he was
transformed into one of the most vim
dietive, unfeeIing creatures that have
ever seen. The awful change had been
caused by a pair of magic spectacles,
which came into his possession. Look
ing once through these spectacles
caused one to become hard cruel and
mean; wearing them constantly or fire.
quently made the heart grow callous to
all suffering, full Of hate and envy, and
made the wearer take a delight in CIV
ing pain TO everybody. Mr.. Granitt
wore the spectacles until he was the
meanest man in the world. He was
constantly considering how he could
rid himself of the two children, for he
hated them more than he did anything
In all the world.
Every day he pondered over the prob
lem, but he was afraid of the police,
and wished to destroy them in some
way that would be safe and easy The
children were so kindly and loving that
IL angered him to see them feed stray
cats or dogs or throw crumbs to the
half-starved, almost frozen birds, or
bring them to the fireside to warm
them, and he would kick out the poor
cats or dogs into the cold, or wiring
the necks of the birds and throw their
bodies out upon the snow, smiling a
smile of fiendish delight as he did so.
Many astear had Bessie shed as she
watched him commit some act of cru
city. but she never suspected the aw-
tui purpose Of her guardians wicked
heart. so when one day he told her to
look through the magic spectacles she
obeyed him without hesitation She
was not conscious Of any change. but
instantly her heart hardened, and she
lost all her tenderness and pity for
helpless animals, and felt at once a
cruel delight in seeing her guardian
kick the dog Her pretty blue ewes lost
at once their soft, kindly light, and her
mouth took sharp, hard curve. Her
brother, Myron, was amazed to see her
when he came home throw scalding
hot water upon the cat, and he stared
at her as if she had been transformed.
Her guardian smiled grimly, for he was
pleased. Then he took Myron out for
a ride in his automobile, and when they
were far up the riverside road he tossed
the boy out suddenly, and without
waiting to see what became of him he
dashed away in the darkness.
Fell Into wishville.
MyrOn fell not as the wicked guar
dian had expected, into the roaring
river to be drowned at once. but by
great good luck upon a raft of logs
Heating along near shore. They drift
ed along with him without touching
the river bank. and before morning he
was many miles away from home, so
that when the sun rose he was in a
strange land
on the shore. strange animals stared at
him from the forest, and strange trees
and flowers grew along the banks. At
home the snow lay deep on the ground.
but here all was as fresh and green as
in June, and the air was warm and
perfumed with flower scents. Nuts
and fruits grew and beautiful butter
Hes lifted in the air. The raft coming
close to shore, Myron sprang on land
and walked along the riverside for a
distance. None of the animals seemed
10 fear him at all, and even the birds
sat undisturbed on their nests when he
passed He ate some fruit and drank
from spring among white rocks. and
strolled farther on until he came TO a
clin that shut off all passage along the
river. Here he paused, and was about
TO turn back, when a large snowy owl
new up and, settling down on a tree
trunk, spoke TO him.
suppose" said the owl, blinking.
mat you are one Of those things they
call boys. What are you doing here.
pray?"
ron.
Nothing is lost here. You are only
out OF place. If you wish to leave take
the tissue paper route to WishvilIe"
What IS that?" asked the boy.
The owl pointed with its claw at the
wall OF rock and Myron saw there a
great circular sheet of tissue paper
spread against the bluff. looking exact
~ like one of those big paper hoons
through which the bareback riders
jump. The owl added:
Who dares to break through this
paper falls into Nashville at once"
Don't it hurt?" asked Myron.
1 don't know" said the bird. Never
tried it. I've always been satisfied here.
put as no one has ever come back by
TINS route 1 imagine they were either
killed or else too pleased to return
sure 1t lands you in WishvilIe7,
asked Myron, obviously. 'TWhat sort NJ
n place is it?'
Cant tell you anything about if
Everybody must try il for himself
You cannot stay here, anyhow. so Won
might as well try it at once
Myron rejected but an instant. and
then threw himself against the tissue
paper. He fell through at once. and to
his surprise, the great rocky wall was
only about a foot thick, so he landed
without injury on the other side find
ing himself in a great garden filled with
statutes and fountains, where many
O&OHO1oAOA~ -