The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-03-13
DADDHSEY[NIN(
.AR TALL eli
~ MARY GRAHAM BONNER
THE ALPHABET LETTERS.


"Afy story is very sad and sorrow
ful one. If tell il 10 you 1t will make
You cry" said the letter 2.
alphabet letters don't cry" said the
letter 5. Tears are shed over US, hut
We don't cry ourselves So tell US your
sad and sorrowful story, Mr.. T."
Tell us the sad and sorrowful
story" repeated the other alphabet let
tiers.
1T shows / have good disposition.
said the letter z. I'm neither angry
nor cross"
There, there" said the letter s.
you used me twice in that last word.
which was all very well, but you need
not have brought in that word angry,
fer angry and cross mean the same"
"All right" said the letter Il. u do
so little work these days that L really
feel as il / didn't know anything"
Poor letter T." the other letters all
said
Tell US your story" said the letter
Il WILL" agreed the letter z.
Pray do" the others urged.
Its the letter S which has caused
the trouble" said the letter u.
The letter S wiggled and wriggled
and twisted and turned and said:
Il beg your pardon. letter z. 1 am
sure | have meant no HARM"
None at ALL" said the letter z. 81
know you have meant no harm. And
you needn't beg my pardon. for it isn't
Your fault. You can't rule teachers
and parents and writer's and students.
You do what you can for them, that is
oil.
But think about it, letters, and you
will understand. Just think of the
| number of words which used to need
my letter in them land now they have
put the letter in instead"
Yes" said the letter VI, that is
true, and we can think about these
things now, for il is recess time"
Think Of all the words which end
with the letters fse' They used to end
with the letters fze'"
True" said the alphabet letters;
| perfectly true.
You're sure you are not angry with
me-" asked the letter s, wriggling
neryously.
quite true" said the letter T. CAS-
| said before. il is not your fault. But
isn't my tale sad and sorrowful
one?"
1T is said the other letters.
But just then up spoke the letter 5
and the letter and the letter L.
Letter L." they said, "cOme and
join Us or we won't be a word. We
need you, letter Z we must have you"
So the letter z joined these three
letters and they all jumped around az
the word SIZE appeared, as you have
doubtless already Guessed
You're all very good to me-" said
the letter Z as il played around with
the letters 5 and | and L. Each one
kept its own place in the word. but
sometimes they made themselves look
very big and sometimes they made
themselves look very small and some
times they made themselves look lust
about medium size For, as they made
up the word size, and as size can be
small--smail size, you know--or biz.
they did everything they could and
played all the games they could.
Then other letters formed other
words and they played around, just
as they should have played TO show
, folks what they meant You can imag-
Inc what wonderful time the letters
Z and and \ had. They most GER
tainly did have fun
; But recess was soon over and the
children were going back to their
class rooms.
Hurry. hurry" said the letter S
"All the big S letters and all the little
S letters. Hurry 10 the class rooms
Il don't have to hurry much,' said
the letter z. but l will either live ia
a very old age from being lazy and do
Ing nothing to tire myself, or else III
be forgotten entirely
"Oh. no. you won't be forgottd& y
said the other alphabet letters.
well see to that" said the letters
A and B and c. I'VE have a great
deal TO do with schools and lessons
you know. and we will keep you with
us, never fear"
THANK you, thank you" said the let
D ter z. rs ii twisted itself slowly back
into the school rooms
5 And the letter $ said: "Thank yor
: for not being angry with me- YOUR,
0 good sport. letter L."