The Newtown bee., 1909-07-16
THE OLD STOVE.
From the Academician Kindly
 Loaned The Bee By w. II. Prindle.

On my way to and from school, l pass an old stove, which l think might be a great acquisition to any one wishing to collect relics of an- 'iQulty, It stands upon q hard substance usually called rock. As the surface of the rock is somewhat uneven all of the feet are n0t able to touch it at once. This gi"es it
 ne appearance of being just ready to dance polka. ! presume 1t has no idea Of performing such q deed, for, on account of it's extreme age. l do not think 1t would endeayor to trylany such feat of agility.
 The pipe av some misclanre seems to have strayed from its proper place, but where 1t Is this compo- sition sayeth not. In It's place a venerable tea-kettle stands with as much audacity as though 1t really belonged there. That tea-kettle is with its saucy little spout turned up so cunningly. The lid, l am grieved to say, is lost. The kettle is placed over the opening left for the pipe in such a manner that one of the legs is left on the outside and the other two are inside of the open- ing. l presume it would not fit or else there was very little pains taken in putting the kettle on. When it boils l suppose we can all take tea.
 l should think from the bright vermillion hue of the stove that it never had an introduction to black ing, or even if it had it was so long since that it had entirely forgotten 1t. o, ye stoves with your mirror like faces, who as yet bid defiance to the corroding touch of time! Can ye boast of having done half as much good as this old box stove which may have been an heirloom for cen- turies? l have a particular rever- ence for this aged stove, and why should not. An, we'll do remem- Der when puzzling at Those seeds of Science, called A, B, G." in the cold winter, what blazing fires we used to build in it to keep ourselves from freezing. Then we used to gather close around it, pursuing mischief and study with great assiduity as a bright idea entered the mind of that venerable object. When, To! the bottom parted and with a terrible crash deposited all the contents of the stove upon the floor beneath it.
 Methinks I live OCT that scene again. Consternation is for a mo- ment depicted on every face, some calculations uttered, and the glow ing embers lay scattered on the floor. The scene changes. Some laugh, some cry, some express hope that the old schoolhouse will be burned, some run for snow to put out the fire (for in those days we were dependent upon the neighbors for water.) In the course of a few days the old stove was menued and in its place again, just as good as new" It is long time since this event occurred, put,
 Such scenes and such days.
 Though past and afar,
 Will live in the blaze
 Of bright Memory's star" The old schoolhouse has been for saken and the old stove, after pass ing through many changes, has reached it's present position. It really makes me feel sad to see it stand there without any protection for it's venerable form. But such are the ways of the world. Ever ready to turn off it's most faithful servants to take care of themselves, when they are no longer able to serve their interests.-[Mary Jane herman.