The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-02-05
THE CHILDREN'S HOUR.
EILEENs CAMERA.

When Eileen handed across the
counter in exchange for a new camera
the ten-dollar gold piece that Grand
father Harper had given her for Christ
mas, and the five-dollar gold piece that
had been Uncle Toms gift, she Justi-
fed what she could not help feeling
was an extravaganza by the excuse
that she might be able to sell some
OF her pictures after she had gained
experience
In the months that had passed, she
had learned to take very attractive
pictures, but the credit side of her
camera account showed only one pic
ture sold, while on the other side
there was a discouragingly long list of
expenditures for supplies. She was
feeling just a BIT unhappy over the
showing as she hurried through the
park one bright August morning, and
that may have been the reason why
she was blind to the antics of the
children at the bathing beach near the
big open-air sanitarium. Suddenly she
felt 4 tug at her skirt, and turned to
look into the appealing brown eyes of
a young girl who carried a heavy eyed
baby on one arm.
Please, Miss, would We be so good
and take a picture of the children
yonder?"
"The children?' Eileen repeated in
some bewilderment. But she under
stood when the girl beside her pointed
to three children who were frolicking
about at the edge of the water.
Eileen hesftated. She had two ex-
posures left, but it was noon now, and
if she stopped for any more pictures
she would certainly be late for lunch
con.
Please, Miss" the girl urged again
in her, soft voice, with it's slight for
eign accent, which Eileen could not
quite identify. 1--WE be all wanting a
futtygraph of the children, but we have
no money to buy one with"
The appeal in her dark eyes was
irresistible. Eileen quickly adjusted
her camera, and the older sister STUN
bled through the sand to the waters
edge where the three children were
still at play. At her command they
clasped hands and started UP the slop-
ing beach, but Eileen halted them.
Wait, stay where you are Don't
novel" Then, with quick under
standing Of the disappointed look on
the face of the older girl, she said,
I'll take a picture of you and the
baby by yourselves r II
The light was perfect, the lake love-
", the beach atthat particular point
almost deserted 4. AS Eileen waited an
instant with her hand on the bulb, a
wave scurled softly about the bare
toes Of the children, whose faces dim
pied with delighted smiles. Instantly
the shutter clicked.
"All DONE" Eileen laughed, and then
posed the girl with the baby, and took
a second picture. Jotting down her
name and address, Eileen hurried
away,
A day later Eileen was scanning
with delight two of the most attrac-
tive pictures she had ever taken. The
three children had been caught at just
the right instant; their faces were full
of roguish fun as they watched the
foamy water swirling about their feet.
In the other picture was all the pathos
of the little mother"
Eileen was still studying the two
pictures when her friend Leila Trent
came in. She, too, exclaimed over the
little groups, the one SO full Of pathos,
the other so full of fun.
I'll tell you what to do with those
pictures, Eileen! Send them to that
new magazine, Child World They're
advertising for attractive photographs
of children. They're offering prizes
for the best ones, but they will buy
anything they can use"
A few days later two carefully
mounted prints were on their way to
the magazine which had advertised for
children's pictures. Eileen had not
forgotten her promise to the little
mother" however. In one Of the de-
partment stores she found a pretty
double frame of the right size, in which
she mounted the original prints, and
on the following Saturday she started
out to deliver them.
In the narrow court between two
towering tenement houses she found
the brcwn-eyed girl with her mother
hanging out a variegated washing. IN
slant recognition flashed across the