The independent., 1907-01-31
SHORT STORIES.

III HERE are many stories told of the
- queen Of Italy's acts Of kindness
To her poor subjects. The following,
however, shows that even the good
intentions of queens are not always
fulfilled
Her majesty recently noticed
pleasant faced little girl and spoke to
ner There was a short conversation
and the queen asked the child what
she could do in the way of needlework.
can knit stockings, signora," re-
piled the girl
DO you know who I ann" continued
the queen.
Yes, signora; you are the queen"
We'll, then, make me a pair of
stockings and send them to the pal
ace."
A few days afterward the articles
arrived, and the queen in return for
the gift, sent the child beautiful pair
Of silk stockings, one filled with
sweets, the other containing money.
Next day the queen received a letter
from her little friend, as follows:
"Signora, your gift has caused me
many tears. My father took the
money, my big brother took the
sweets, and as for the stockings, why
mother took them for herself"
Apropos Of misses and masters the
''only child" has always been pitied
because he is lonesome; and because
he has been pitied he has also been
petted. Petting is not good for any
body and consequently hundreds of
reasons have been advanced in support
Of the theory that large families were
preferable to small and that children
should be taught their place. and
have the selfshness drummed out of
them by other children a trifie older
and stronger However, the hero of
this stor" put in a new plea for
numerous progeny when he returned
the other noon from an institution of
learning for beginners. He was evil
IDENTIFY in abysmal spirits.
Whats the matter with you now"
queried his mother. mi in arith-
metic again, or did you get your hem
stitching and clay modelling wrong"
Nope" he replied dejectedly. II
amt got nobody to catch anything
from. It's funny I can't have no
brothers nor sisters like the rest of the
scholars. Richard Latin, who sits in
the next seat to me, has caught the
measles from the twins in his house;
he's got 'em double and he amt got
to go to school for two weeks"
She was reading a paper before the
mothers club.
"And here I will insert" she said,
"a half dozen questions of the sort my
little boy asks me every night before
he falls asleep:
"rWhy does Santa Claus give chill
dren skates when there amt any ice?
When I drink water, why don't 1t
run down into my legs?'
rs 1t his very best medicine that
the druggist has in them big green
and blue bottles?'
Why is it I breathe out smoke
when I'm cold, and not when I'm
warm?'
"rWho cooked dinner when all the
big folks was little boys?'"
Speaking Of the objection in con-
gress to adding legislation to measures
when 1t Is not germane reminds me
that there are more curios cCmbina-
tons than are found in congress" said
Senator Knox to one Of his associates.
IT was riding along country road
beyond Yonkers one time and came
across a little frame dwelling on
which was displayed this sign:
Bull Pups and Violets for Sale.
I.
..,..........
'Tt struck me that this was going
beyond anything l ever noticed before
in stretching the application of the
word germane."
A travelling man says that he once
had OCCASION while I'm Maryland, to
make a business call upon the proprie
tor of general store" in town on
the eastern shore. Now, this propric-
tor was known on all sides as Hitter
ate. Nevertheless. he would never con-
cede the truth OF the general impress
sion.
The travelling man says that. when
no entered the store. the proprietor
was engaged In a business converse
tlon with a customer, who. as he
turned TO go, said:
by the way. | believe l owe you
some money. don't t?''
Just a minute" answered the pro
prietor, turning TO slate on the wall