Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-08-30

time, no matter how cheerless the day.
All around are shelves placed low
enough for the tiniest visitor to see, and
on the shelves is every curious and
pretty specimen of a character to catch
the wondering fancy of a child
In case marked Pretty Shells there
are conches with lips as pink as a rose;
prickly spirals that carry the slimmer
of the sea they come from. and brown
speckled shells that will sing YOU the
song of the ocean-if You hold them TO
your ears Then come queer, tropical
butterflies. and in this gorgeous COM
ps,ny. a pale blue worm almost as re-
markable as that purple COW. with this
difference: Nobody ever saw the COW.
There are birds of rare and beautiful
plumage. with eggs of every size aud
line Chief of these is the great condor
of the Andes. with strut and red wat
ties and terrifying glass eyes. and beside
him a tiny sparrow hawk, the largest
and smallest birds of prey.
One bird is lowering over her nest to
protect her young ones from wriggly
snake that would gobble mamma first eX-
cept that it is cast instead of real.
and off to themselves are clumsy beetles
and sober-looking ants and bees, and
ugly spiders. and brown tarantula
with furry legs that deals death with
every sting.
Before this exhibit stood child-a
tiny, thin child with holes in her stock
ings and a dress that had hiked up in
promise genius. ana her eyes gave no
flicker of any tires of fancy within. She
just stood there watching the exhibit
and chewing gum. And when a woman
paused beside her. she stopped her chew
ing long enough to say:
''Them's like people, amt they. lady?
Some of EN- all dressed UP gay aud
uothiu' to do but fly aroun an have
good time. same as rich folks with fine
close an automobiles, and some of EN-
ugly, Gravity things. like people that has
TO work an dress poor. 1t amt fair 10
make some so nice an the yothers so
nasty. If I had a made them birds an
butterflies and spiders an things. der
started 'em all even an when ever one
of 'em did somethin' bad Fder punished
him by pickin of some pretty color or
wing or somethin else that was nice:
an every time one of EN- did good
thing I'd stick on somethin' extry. But
wouldn't be SO mean as to start EN-
unfair-would you. LADY,.
Lady started to explain that Gravity
things were as happy as the ones that
flew.
No they amt no more'n am when
see children drive up here an come in
all dressed up. Them bugs just has to
stand it cause they can't help themselves,
way, LADY,?
One may expect most any question
from a domed brow or from eyes in fine
frenzy rolling, but when it comes to
m-chewing, street kiddie, with holes in
her stockings.
The woman did her best, but she went
away feeling that she had been weighed
and found wanting. 1t would have taken
the great scientist himself-he who knew
children and loved them enough to give
them the beautiful room. And even he
might have failed for:
Langley's knowledge merely scared to
the skies.
But the chud's question had gone high
er and knocked at the gates of the
Beyond.
He was a tiny child. who liked to go
places" So the young lady neighbor
who loves children promised him that
II he was good boy all week she
would take him to Sunday school next
Sunday" That was on Tuesday.
Next morning the youngster was after
his mother to dress him quick SO that
he could go to Sunday school with Miss
Cora
Mother explained that this was only
Wednesday. and that the next day
would be Thursday, and the next day
So the boy consented to wait until
next morning before renewing his de-