Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-04-19
LITTLE sUNBEAMs.

A gentle touch of tenderness may
make the weary glad,
A word, smile oft rendered, along
our daily way,
May change some sky now darkened
to an eternal day.
To bear another's burden may make
our path more bright,
Painting the storm-clouds over with
soft and tender light;
For love is like the sunshine that
beams on all around,
Kissing the tallest flowers and the
smallest on the ground;
So each tiny straying sunbeam plays
Its part in this world of ours.
It's the little things that help us unto
the noblest life,
And the kindly deeds that Danish so
much of the worlds sad strife;
The little wistful sunbeam that fits
across the way
May enter hearts deep center End
there forever stay.
Anna Y. Hickman in Philadelphia
Record.
BILLIE is GLAD TO GET HOME.
Little Billie is a pig that would
constantly run away from home. and
one time when he did so he met a
goat. Most grown pigs would have
known a goat when they saw it, but
Billie did not and was greatly fright
ened and ran home to his mother,
telling her he had met and lawful
monster"
After Little Billie had somewhat
recovered from the scare caused by
his meeting the white billy goat. he
decided to go through the hole under
the pen again to see more of the
great wide world which lay outside.
His mother. after his last escapade,
had kicked and pushed the dirt into
the hole he had dug, seeking TO keep
him from crawling forth again, but
Little Billie remembered the spot,
and as the dirt was soft there, he
easily dug out enough to admit the
passage of his wee body.
Again taking advantage of the heat
Of noon and MS mothers nap in the
mud, ne once more fiattened himself
out, and was again in the unknown
land.
He ran up the path as he had done
hn RI ro;,
keenly ahead on the LOOKOUT for dan
ger, and ready at moments notice
to turn and run back to the shelter
ing arms of mis- mother.
He ran on and on long time, meet
ing no one and hearing no sounds
to bring terror to his littl heart. At
last he came out of the woods into
an open place. All around as far
as he could see was fine, short grass.
Away in the distance he saw large
white object reaching to the sky and
looking for all the world like white
box, though it was many hundred
times as large as any box he had
ever seen. and it was covered all
with green lashes. His acquaintance
with boxes was not very large. to be
sure. being confined to the one in
which Farmer Brown usually brought
the corn down to the pen.
Little Billie did not go any closer
to the great box, for he thought it
might be trap of some kind. Leav
ing the path, which if followed,
would have taken him to the box, he
struck off over the smooth grass and
presently came to great sheet of
glass. He knew it was glass at once,
for his mother had pointed ont to
him small sheet of it which was set
in the side of the barn against which
told him she had heard one could see
right through it, as if it was not
there. He concluded that he would
go near the great sheet Of glass and
look through it, as his mother had
said could be done, and maybe he
would see many strange things on
the other side.
So he ran on and on until at last
he stood on the edge of the sheet of
glass. He peered over the edge in
order to see through the glass, but
all he could see at that distance was
waving trees. He could not see
through it very plainly yet, SO he took
a step forward. Horrors? He was
In, frt
was gone. and in its place was an i'm
mense sheet of water, and he was in
1t. He found he could just keep his
nose high in the air by kicking his
little feet very hard. This he did for
several minutes-it seemed hours to
him-when at last a big, black object
came close to him in the water. He
felt that his last hour had come. for
he could no longer turn and run back
to his mother as before. Suddenly he
felt himself raised bodily in the air,
quite out of the water and he saw
the kindly face of old Farmer Brown.
"It's pig! For goodness sake
where did it come FROM" he heard
some one say.
TT looks remarkably like the lit
tie black Berkshire I'm raising" re-
turned Farmer Brown, "but how in
the name of the Great Horn Spoon
did he come out here in the lake"
Little Billie had nothing to say, but
ne snuggled down in the bottom of
the boat amongst some sacks. be-
cause the water had been so cold
and he had been so scared.
So little Billie's second return to
home and mother was made in the
arms Of Farmer Brown, who set him
over in the pen beside astonished
Mother Hog.
Where in the world have you
been, you naughty, naughty piggie?"
she said, as soon as she could get
her breath.
After Billie had told her his won.
derful adventure of the glass which
turned out to be water. and Of his
miraculous rescue by Farmer Brown,
she sat back on her launches and
fairly gasped.
You are a wicked little pig to give
mo cuch ccara' Che cofd "and don 4