Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-01-23

law BUTT isn't In the biggest city of that odd country
there is great bcltowc This beethoven had several
bells in it. very sweet toned splendid bells made
pressly to ring the Joyful occasions when Princess
was born who would be Queen day And the great
tower built expressly for the bells to ring in. So
you see what lot they thought OF Queens IN that
country.
voices that you hear when the bell rings. All that
about being the clappcr OF the bell is nonsense
and would hardly deceive child don know why
people say such things. Most Bcll-peoplc very
energetic busy folk who love the sound OF their
voices. and hate being id!c--and when nearly two
hundred years had gone by and no Princess had been
born they got tired of living in bells that never
rung So they slipped out Of the Befry fine frosty
night and left the big beautiful bells empty and went
off to find other homes One of them to live in
dinner bell and in school bell. and the rest all
found homeS-they did not mind wherc--Just any
where. in fact, where they could find any Bel-pcrson
kind enough to give them board and lodging And
surprised at the increased loudncss and
sweetness in the voices of these hospitabc bells For
of course the Bell-people from the Befry did their
best help in the houscwork polite guests should
and always added their VOICES to those their hosts
all occasions when bcll-talk called for And
the seven big beautiful bells the Bclfry lett
hollow and dark and quite empty except for the clap
pers who did not the least about the comforts
of home.
long especially when there rent to pay. and
very short time the bells all had tenants-and
they all the kind of folk that respectable Bell
people would care to be acquainted with
They had been turned out of other bels--cracked
bells and broken bels the bells OF horses that had been
lost IN snow storms or OF ships that had gone down at
They hated wor.- and they gum. silent.
about anything they were pleased TO live bells that
never rIIngin houses where there nothing to
do They sat hunched up under the black domes of
their houses. dressed in darkness and cobwcbs-and
their only pleasure dlcncssthcir only feasts the
the bells ring. They hardly spoke. to
each other and in the whispers that good Bell
people talk among themselves and no one can hear
but the bat. whose for music very fine and who
has himself particularly high voice. And when they
did speak they quarrelcd.
And when at last the bells rung for the
birth Of Princess the wicked Bell people ~.
were furious OF course they had to ring 60
bell can't help that, when the rope IS pulled
but their voices ugly that people
quite shocked.
What poor taste our ancestors must have hadl I"
they said ITO think these good bellsi"
Dear mel said the KING to the Queen. what odd
ideas people had the old days! always understood
that these bells had beautiful voices. but | cannot
imagine anyone having such poor for thu he
would call the noise they make anything but ugly"
They're quite hidcous'' said the Queen. And so
they were
Now that night tho lazy Bcll-fok came down out of
the Belfry full of anger against the Princess whose birth
had disturbed their dleness. There anger like
that of lazy person who made go work against
his will.
And they crcpt out OF the dark doncs Of their houses
and came down in their dust dresses and cobweb
coaks and crept the Palace where everyone had
gone to bed long before and stood round the mother
of-pearl cradle where the baby Princess Law asleep.
And they reached their seven dark right hands out
across the white satin covcret and the oldest and
boarsest and latest said