Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-12-11


weke they when new beck came
from the publishers and they were per
mitted to read it and TO look at the
nictures. knowing that 1t had been
written by their own mother. once
when her ocuIist had toIo her that
she must not use her eyes for many
weeks the children could go in and
out of her room whenever they pleas
ed. for she liked their company and
thew did not disturb her when she was
not writing.
But the happiest time was in the
evening after dinner and when il
was too early to go to bed. Seated be
fore the crate fire of swapping coal.
thew listened to stories tcld them ny
their mother, for it seemed that she
knew great many which had never
been written.
Rettv thought she knew her Moth.
er Goose" very we'll, indeed, but it ap-
neared from what mother said the Old
.ay, who when she wanted to wander
Slte on a very fine gander, instead OF
vhirling over the streets and people
in an automobile as people do nova
days, only gave the outlines OF her
stories like the headlines OF asneWs-
paper Take, for instance, that Itti7
affair of the Queen of the Hearts, We
know that she baked the tarts III
warm weather, that the knaVe stole
Them that he was beaten by the KING
and made ia fetch them back, but as
to the why's and wherefores of all tins
excitement we have not Whisper.
II is as if newspaper should prlhs
lot of startling headlines and Tor
get to say anything more upon the
subiect. 1t is not usual occurrence
for queen to go the kitchen ana
bake A queen is hish-stepplnS lady
who scorns even to pin her own COZ
lar and dear old Mother Goose men.
tions the baking of the tarts as care
lessly as if it were the most hatuiai
thing in the world for a queen 10 90
.o~ own housework. Well, the emit
rNrao, Amother explained the whole
,a,.x,,er, .;l and this is how she sald 1t
was:
#There once lived in the fair King
dom OF Hearts poor charcoal burn
81. who had but one child, a daughter
named Elena. She MAS so heauitu
that the well in the front yard Was
almost drained dry by the. young men
Who came TO get drink from il II
the hope of catching a glimpse OF
her. face. But Elena cared for noAa
of them, and devoted herself TO her
tasks of keeping the little cottage u
Nv and cheerful and OF learning and
recitine her lessons 10 tho cid priest.
One day an old man WHO WAS very
III came to the door FER help. and E'e
na who was very kind-hearted, took
MIN in and cared for him until he was
VIII again. AS he was taking leave OF
her ne cave Elena little box, saying:
aIyl this box is a ruby ring winch oe-
N,nr to the Witch of the Desert
The level is charmed and will BRING
v.a, IncL 10 the woman who wears
M#but it must remain on her lliSe'
A1 Aas1onp AZ she lives. or she will be
Nery unhappy and will be driven away
MxNthose who should love her most.
NHe slipped the ring on her thiro
sisS X9sa or Of her left hand cautlonlnS
al the same time never to toueh
&53n fruit with that hand. else the
rel would disappear.
M&#any kind and she was very mucn
MSe esed with this ring, which was
A@ with a ruby in the shape of
art, a gem which glowed like a red
nhae. But it was inconvenient not
@ be able to touch fruit with her
hand, especially as her father was
ID Of pies, and she found it awk-
fd to make them with one hand,
u9h, of course one can endure a
pd deal when one is constantly eX-
ting something to happen.
hen she heard the sound of horns
g through the forest one bright
Fning Elena felt that something
pderful was going to occur and She
F not mistaken. a beautiful youth
kh brown curling hair and eyes as
PIP blue as the velvet of his silvor
Pldered hunting suit rode up to the
H. followed by company of richly
essed huntsmen. Elena was about
dip cup in the deep bucket to
Re him drink when the young man
the velvety blue eyes leaped from
horse, and taking the cup from
hand, declared that a maiden So
should be waited upon instead of