New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-28
Playing in Sand
BY Natalie Thomas.

your surprise" so away all six O. 81,
scampered 10 the shady, cool corner %
the yard that for the last two hours had
been Enclosed BY a big screen. What
can DO back there7' they all wondered
rs 1t an elephant" asked May.
Come, John and Ned, help me to In
this out Of the way" And when tss
screen was folded UP there was a mos,
wonderful sand pile. "Oh, suntie, yhere
did you get that fine ssnd?" the children
cried In chorus.
The vorkmen over at that new b!lild.
Ing let me have II, and hauled Il h.r.
IN Johns wagon"
The children all sat down about the
| sand. Look" said Bess, how fine /, I,
and cool It's great fun to let Il .lip
through your fingers"
Just like an hour glass; cried Ned
We have little one in the kitchen to tell
how long the eggs should boil" But IN
| the mean while Nell had been experiment.
| ing, and presently she showed us her hand
neatly pressed In the dry sand.
OF course, then, all Of US had 10 try
and one did the back OF the hand. cne the
palm and one the fist all doubled up. Oh,
what a jolly time we did have! We found
some shells and sand moulds and We
made all sorts Of pies and cakes.
Then suddenly six wide necked bottles
appeared and six old spoons, and We set
10 work to MI the bottles. "Oh," raid
May, mime is full already; l beat you
ALL" 80 then we carefully enpted all
of our bottles and started together 10 MI
them as fast as VIE could, but, Of course,
We were very careful not 70 let the sand
dy about, for II hurts when It gets Ia
your eyes.
"I think il would be great fun II wa
could have the sand heap like II Is at the
seashore," said John. we could make all
sorts of things then" So wo got bucket
of water. and very slowly poured little
over the sand. Then we mixed II UP and
poured a little more water and stirred Il
again till at last Il vas Just wet enough
10 hold together.
Now, see my hand" said May. 1T
looks fine, and I can see the lines in tt
And we all set TO work TO press our hands
I'm the sand, and they were really very,
distinct and natural Then We saw Ned
working away, shaping and patting and
poking little mound Of sand. See what
I've made" be called ITS an Indian
wigwau,, and I'm going 10 make whole
village
GO ahead" cried Nell; "out am go
ing 10 make a different sort Of village;
Esuuimaus live IN mine" Then We
81 tnts 10
four sided and ended In peak, while
Nelrs were long and low and Lad
curved roof. with a long tunnel leading
M 10 the door. Presently Ned began
searching about until he found some
trig. and straws from broom. "Al
the wiswan1s have seen I'm pictures"
he explained, have the poles sticking out
. OF the top, 80 am putting these strs"s
in. but have 20 be very careful or the
sand will crumble away" Ned said
John, you can keep on making Indian
villages but am going 10 make farm
"Oh, lot me help you" cried Bess eX'
citedly: Il know some tne things 70
make. First We will have 10 have
level place for the farm house to stand
on" SO they set 10 work pstting ano
pounding the sand until il was quite
smooth, and then they shaped the farm
house. II was long and low, with the
doors and windows outlined with bits OF
wood While John was building Bess
had been collecting lots OF pebbles arc
little stones, and these were for fences
the barnyard was TO be separated from
~. ND horses
and these were all 10 be inclosed WIN
fences. now" said John, 81 shall build
a barn. and shed for the cows, ana
house to keep the carriages and wagons
in" There were such nice things 70
make. They laid out i whole orchard 10
straight rows with twigs from the trees
and they planned roads and paths
oh" cried Ned. Il have a spleadid
idea. Take that old tin basin and SINK
II into the ground, and when It is hlle'
with water Il will make a splendid axe
and then the Id Of baking powder can
will be the watering trough that STANDS
In the barnyard always full OF fresh 60"
water for the animals 10 drink
"I'll get my wooden horses and cows
said John. And I'll get my duck and
swans TO iost upon tho lake." exclainse
Bess. ''Oh, but they will look lovsS
swimming about In the shade OF tnss'
trees that we planted
Another afternoon We had the best TINS
out on the sand pile, laying out httie
railroad system. We built tunnels ana
they weren't easy TO do, for we heape'
the sand over our hands and patted II
down smooth and then gently and care
fully drew our hands away SomeuiHe'
the wall would crumble and fall away
and then we'd have to begin all o'e'
a.ain. Then besides the tunnels thsl'
y.-e bridges TO construct, and those "a"
trestles that the trains go over some
times. We had regular signal posts sHO
telegraph posts and everything you cas-
imagine. II wasn't easy to make the s'a
tions, but We worked hard and careiuI''
and il was such fun to play With "hel
we had everything finished.
Ned one day surprised us by making
park. II was really beautiful th' INV
WAYS we're so smooth and stralgh1 aH
there were cunning little bride pains ~
And the flower beds were lovely ~.
see the flowers that mother took out "
the vases were not so very much WIZ"
cred, and I broke OF their long s,o
and stuck them in here and ] do 'HDr
they looked very nice AM VIC -
agreed with him. All OF the roads Sr.
we'll shaded with tNigs and bits Of s'''~
and even ferns.
Nell ran away from Ms one att'I"V
ILL. fn,Irh her ahC W..