Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-09-19


''All right, I'll be around after sup
per to take a trip to the MOON"
laughed Fred. Then, forgetting his
tell his mother about the telescope
and to ask her for the required sum
to look at the moon.
And hardly had the moon come out
clear and fine in the deep blue of the
night Sky when Fred ran to the corner
where the telescope was placed, and
paying the owner the fee, took a good
look at the moon through the magni-
flying instrument. How grand it was
our lunar body! Shining like gold, and
it's surface so plainly visible! The
range Of mountains on it's right hand
side stood out as though they were
only hundred miles distant from
where Fred stood instead of so many,
many thousands. ooh, It's great"
cried Fred. Gee, I'd like to go there
in balloon"
There is no life on the moon,
lad exclaimed the old astronomer.
"The brown spots you see about its
surface are the dry sea-beds. No wat
er is there on the moon; consequent
ly there is Oh atmosphere. So, were 1t
possible for you to reach the moon,
you would die there for want Of
BREATH
"Oh!" said Fred. Then, his tfnrs be-
ing taken up, the owner of the tele-
scope asked him to step aside, that
others might have their turn to look
at the moon
But even then Fred hung about the
telescope, listening to every word
that the old astronomer said And
the more he heard the more he longed
to know of the moon and the other
celestial bodies that tloated through
space.
That night after going to bed he lay
thinking of what he had seen and
heard mo water, no atmosphere, no
life on the MOON he reflected. Then
a voice spoke to him from the depths
of the darkest corner Of the room:
"Of course there is life on the moon,
boy it said. "Just hustle into your
clothes and come with me, and I'll
show you if I'm not speaking the
truth.
Fred arose on his elbow, looked
into the corner whence the voice pro-
ceeded and TO his utter amazement
there stood the old astronomer who
had been at the street corner with his
little telescope.
why, sir, you are she very person
who told me there was no life on the
moon, and no atmosphere or water
either. What do oyu mean now by
saying something directly contradic-
tory to what you told me- this ryer-
ing?" exclaimed Fred.
"Ah ha, my son." laughed tne CID
man. "And SO you just believed the
first thing you hear, do your Well.
that's like a boy who hates school
What can you ever know IL yon
won't read and learn, eh?'
and how do you know / hate
SCHOOL," asked Fred, now sitting on
the side of the bed. 81 never had
any conversation with you regarding
school,"
THAT doesn't matter" grinned the
old man. "In the first place, you
were ignorant of the condition of the
moon-our own lunar body; you might
say, part Of u.s. And when I told
you there was SO and sothere-or not
so and there, you believed me. Now,
how do you know I was telling you
the truth this evening? Maybe l am
speaking the truth now-and maybe
Pm not, eh?" And again the old man
grinned.
Fred's face burned with shame. He
was proud boy and hated to have
anyone think him ignorant. And he
felt not little surprised that this
old stranger should have struck upon
the truth. He had never given the
thought Of education due consideration
before. But now he knew what 1t
meant
"Well, my boy, was much like you
as I grew up" said the old man,
breaking in on Fred's reverie 81 hat
ed school. | hated work the same
way. just wanted to roam about and
have good time. And now I'm suf-
fering the consequences I'm old and
ignorant and poor. All l have is the
little telescope instrument which you
looked through at the moon tonight
And 1t brings me very poor live
hood. There are stormy nights when
| can't get glimpse of a star. There
are the seasons when we have no
moon. And even in moon-time there
are cloudy nights that cut off my in
come. So you will see how precarious
my living it. All, 1 loved to hear
about the heavenly bodies when was
young, but l would not apply myself
to study Had done so, might now
be professor of astronomy in a fine
university, instead of tramping about
the country trying to pick up a few
dimes in this uncertain way All, if
only youth knew its possibilities, its
advantages!" The old man sighed
heavily. Then he rose TO depart 81
must be going, for the night is clear,
and we have a fine moon. I'll get a
few coins to keep body and sold to-
gether."
Then he went to the window and
stepped out through it upon the lawn.
F'red's heart throbDed with pity for
him-a sad, disappointed old man. He
ran to the window 20 call him, to tell
him he would ask his parents to as
sist him if he We're ever in distress;
but when he attempted to put his
head out of the the window he felt a
Keen blow and fell back holding to
his head Then he upcned his ewes TO