Norwich bulletin., 1914-05-02
THE MYSTIC SEVEN

Written Specially for The BuIletin.)
 They were a merry group of girls dwelling in one of the many towns named Mystic. from which they named number to conjure with From the days of the seven sleepers to our own time, seven enters into so many Of our calculations Do we not have seven days in the week. and seven colors in the rainbow? Have we not all heard of the seven wise men, and the seven wonders of the world? And above all. Wordsworth endears all young folks to him with his poem, we are Seven"
 Now my girls were not a great wonder to themselves, but did any one need an eigth wonder, I suggest his looking up those girls. They were certainly not seven sleepers. All who knew them could, testify that they were wide awake. Neither could any one frighten them out of their seven senses.
 They did not call themselves Sum- shine club, but they well might have done so, for, like the rainbow, they brought promise of light and hope to many a sad and over-burdened heart What will those girls do next?" was the frequent exclamation over some escapade, but more often there was some thangful heart full of gratitude for a kindness shown to them under cover of bit of fun. They often fell back on Wordsworth's We are Seven," when one of their number was questioned as to the responsibility of some adventure of the kind.
 Merriest of all was Millie Eldred, their leader in fun and frolic, and of- ten first in planning kindness to oth- CTS. Hers had been a happy life. She was the idol of her parents, and the only child save for a brother older than herself, who was now in college, and as fond of his sister Millie as can be possible to a youth affectionate and manly as Tom Eldred had all | ways been. Proudly he boasted of all her pranks, and equally of all of her kind undertakings, and she became a frequent topic of conversation, when | a group gathered in Toms room, as often happened for he was popular in college as elSewhere.s
 Many a box of goodies did Millie | send him to be shared with the other | boys, and soon her name was a famil- | jar one to them. Girls do not realize | how much pleasure college men take | in recalling home affairs, and con- | pairing and contrasting the associa- l tions they have left behind them, and l surer safeguard cannot be found thar | happy memories of loved ones al | home Some of Toms friends were | not blessed with sisters, and to then Tom was an object of envy as he re- | ceived a letter or some token iron Millie.
 "The best of Millie' boasted Tom il | the pride of his heart, ''is that sht | always keeps a clear head. Why, tha girl will run a half-dozen plans at th'
 same time, and never get them mix | ed"
 All the Mystic Seven were friends O
 Tom, and helpful in any plan proposed to them for his pleasure, so wheneve box was filled for him, all the sever
 usually had a hand in it. On Tom
 birthday Millie proposed to send hin
 smoking outfit for his present. Tn
 family knew his preferences, and hi
 father made sure that tobacco an | cigars were of his favorite brand. shall send him something more sub
 stantial from his mother and me-" an
 nounced MT. Eldred, but you girl
 can have lark over the smoking out | fit, if you want to do so." So the
 bought a fine new meerschaum, an 1 trimmed it with the rainbow color.
 and carefully packed it, and despatch 1 ed it in time for Toms birthday.