Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-25
THE TRAVELS OF A PENNY
WORN BY WEIRD EXPERIENCES

fitting through the little golden head
as she proudly took her seat at the big
piano.
Up and down the keyboard went the
little short fingers: one, two, three,
four; one, two, three, four; over and
over until her head was in a whirl, her
arms were so tired and her eyes winked
till she could scarcely see.
Ihat Will do now for a while' said
her mother, who had entered the room
unawares and was standing behind the
piano stool.
"Mamma's dear little girl has been
very persevering today. Here is pen
ny. You may go over to the store and
get some of those little chocolate teddy
bears you like so we'll"
Thank you, mamma" said Mary,
and she picked up her little sunbonnet
and started across the lawn to the
store.
The dusty road looked so hot and the
shade of the big palm tree on the lawn
was so cool that Mary sat down to rest
a moment on the green grass in the
shade.
Il wonder if all the musicians get so
tired" unused the little girl.
Two bright-hued butterflies chased
each other into the shade, then out into
the yellow sunshine, darting swiftly up
and down, then sailing gracefully away
until they were lost to view.
A little mockingbird dropped noise
lessly into the grass not far from Mary
and she was almost afraid to breathe
lest she frighten the timid creature.
He picked up a piece of string, looked
all about to see if he were watched,
then darted away like little gray ar
row.
A tiny ant picked his way lab9riously
through the matted grass. In his mouth
he carried a seed of some kind, and
Mary knew that the all-wise Creator
had taught even the little ants how
to care for themselves and FIJI their
underground granaries from summers
abundant Storehouse.
She toyed idly with her penny and
wondered where it had been, and if
the other little boy or girl who owned
it before had bought teddy bears, or
sucker, or perhaps marbles.
If pennies could speak," thought
Mary, Il know I should hear story
more interesting than Little Golden
Locks and the three bears or Jack the
Giant Killer. or-or-"
Hal ha! hal" laughed the penny.
DO you think because we pennies don't
talk to everyone that it is because we
have not the power of speech? That is
all a mistake, my dear-all a mistake.
I'm order to understand penny Ian
guage your life must be pure and true.
Il have never had an owner before
who could understand me-"
Mary's eyes opened wide with aston
ishment.
''Why-why-" stammered the little
girl, Il never knew pennies could talk
ITO prove that they can, / am going
to tell you a story" said the penny
zone day l was taken from draw
er with a lot of other change and
dropped into great hard brown hand,
eha int a
jackknife, piece of tobacco, nail or
two and a leather string.
'WheW!' l said to my companion,
What kind of a mixture is this?'
Never mind said the ten-cent
piece. Weren't you ever on a farm
before?'
FARM I querled. What is that?
"'Why, a place in the country, away
from the noise and smoke of the city,
where the air is pure and sweet and the
people are healthy and happy.
The hand that put us in here has
grown hard from coming in contact
with the plow handle and the hoe, but
the heart of its owner is tender and
true.
.''Are all farmers as upright and hon
est as he is?' I asked my friendly COM
panon in an awed whisper.
Sorry to say, they are not, was the
reply. But the pure, fresh air and the
duciye to a healthy mind, which is
synonym for honesty
BY that time the farmer had reached
home and a bevy of laughing boys and
girls came out, shouting:
Here is daddy! Here is daddy
1.-The farmer was literally pulled into
the house by the smaller children, while
the older boys took the horses and
wagon to the barn.
"Soon supper was served. ihen II
was nv time to be surprised.
Boiled potatoes, sliced tomatoes,
fresh peas, string beans, and so many
other things l can't remember them
all.
after supper the girls washed the
dishes. the boys went to the barn to see
that everything was right for the night
and the farmer and his wife strolled
about over the farm and garden, PLAN
ming the work for the future, express
ing their delight at the we'll filled gran
ary. the heavy crop of hay, the laden