Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-04
HAPPY VACATIONS


and are all remembering that every
boy and girl who submits letters, linn
erieks. stories or pictures at least
twice within the four weeks immedi-
ately preceding is to be included in the
good time. This will probably be held
the last of July or the very first of
August, and the plans for your enter
tainment are now well under way, but
1 shall withhold the announcement un-
til the letters making suggestions con-
cerning this frolic are all received.
Many questions come to me on this
subject, and I wish all the boys and
girls to know that the date is not yet
announced.
Meantime 1 am sure that all the
boys and girls are having a very good
time themselves and that the vacation
will be as happy as each one can make
it. not only for themselves, but for
others in the household who have
heavier cares and more arduous labors.
I wish could make it plain to every
one of my nieces and nephews just how
much time and thought they ought to
devote to their parents now while they
are free to do so. 1 remember receiv-
ing a letter from one of the Junior
boys last winter in which he related a
list of things which he would like to
give for Christmas and after enumer-
ating each member of the family he
concluded that is all except father
and he will understand" That is so
perhaps, but it is my opinion that IA
ther will be very much more delighted
if he receives something more tangible
than merely the affectionate remem-
brances of his family. Make a fuss
over him, tell him your little secrets
and plans and when he has birthday
make an event of it.
Boys and girls, spend your good
times with your fathers and mothers
and be as happy and light-hearte1
about the house as possible. Children
are often referred to as trays of sun
shine' or spirits of happiness in
the household, but I am afraid if we
would all stop and think carefully
about it we would remember many oc-
casions when we have not realized
Now, 1 hope that each one of the Ju-
niors will deliberately try to bring
pleasure to those older persons with
whom they are most closely connected,
and will do all that is in their power to
make this vacation quite as happy for
those grown-ups as it is for the chill
dren upon whom they lavish so much
care and effort throughout the year.
The new topic announced today will
give each Herald Junior a chance to
write of his or her own celebration of
the day. This treatment of the sub
ject will be quite within the limits of
the topic. If any of you can find out
from mother of any unusual incident
of her girlhood celebrations of "Inde-
pendence day or if grandfather or
great-grandfather can tell any good
stories of the way in which boys and
girls held their youthful jubilees in the
times when the signing of the Declara-
ton of Independence was fresh in
every ones remembrance, such stories
will be infinitely more interesting and
will have a historical value as well. Of
course you boys and girls all know
that the boys of a few generations ago
did not have all the delightful noise
making materials, firecrackers, torpe-
does and things that children have in
this period, and some boy could make
a capital letter by telling just how the
boys did make "the big noise which
then, as now no doubt formed such an
important feature of their celebration.
| hope that none of my boys and
girls will suffer any burnings or other
injuries from the use of their fire
works today and that each one will
stop some time between the Volleys Of
firecrackers and think of the patriotic
spirit which is behind this celebration
and of the many brave men who suf-
fered and died in order that the Amer
lean boy of today might have his own
free, beautiful country in which to
celebrate. Affectionately,