The Warwickshire Herald. — 1899-08-24 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

PRIDE MUST HAVE A FALL.  -The buttercup faories were giving a tea-party. Ter a whole week they had been busy sendilig cut invitations. The daisy-fairies, the ragged robinfairies, and the danoelion-fairies had all accepted; only one fairy refused. She Wad the marguerite fairy. Now, it was not the first time that the margueritefairy had refused their invitations, and the other fairies were becoming very indignant. They knew that si,e held her head very high in the air, and considered herself more important than any of the other fairiee, because her home in the heart of the, marguerite was gramier and more imposing than theirs; but they ttought it very absurd and spiteful of her to refuse i their kind nvitations on that  account. 'the day of the tea-party arrived at last ; such • glorious day. The buttercup-fairies isi ttttt wnced their preparations quite early in the morning, before Ito sun was up. They knew whit' a thirsty old fellow he was, and that he would drink up all the dew that they Isal so patiently collected during the night if tiny P.l lint hasten to take some of it away in little golden pitchos ready for the teaparty in the aiterinsm. A ;sidle breeze was blowing, stirring the blades of glass, and whispering messages sent by other fairiis living in meadows far away. The daisy-fairies were still asleep; they never woke until the sun canie out, because their houses were always securely shut up during the night. and opened by the avitheams in the morning. At last all was in readitlbss. The fairies started the party with a little dance ; afterwards they played gsmes, running, skipping, laughing, and thoroughly enjoying themselves. The tea, made from the dew-drops collected in the early morning, proved delicious, and after tea they had more dancing and more games. The marguerite-fairy sat on Ow edge of one of the petals of her house watching them, with her little nose held high in the air. She tried to imagine that she was ilitlch happier up there on her lofty perch than her neighbours down below. "I am far too grand to play with them." she said to herself. "It would be beneath my dignity to play with fairies who live in houses so very interior to mine." But after the party was over she went to bed feeling very discontented and unhappy in spite of he: dignity and pride. Iwo days later the mowers came . into the field with their long scythes rea4v to cut the grass. All the fairies trembled, because they knew that their pretty homes would be cut down. But the marguerite-fairy:said: "Oh ! my hullie IA far too tall and beautiful; they will not dare to destroy it." But her !UMW was in one corner of the field, and coming towards it was the tallest and strongest' looking mower, with Ids long scythe extended. One sweep and the marguerite fell to the ground; buttercups, dandelions, followed in swift succession. But the marguerite-fairy, who had been the proudest of them all, was the first to fall.  District. I learn from Mafeking. in British South Africa. that the Imperial Police t'orce, urder the conmand of Colonel Goold Aaarns, is recruiting and obtaining reservists with the utmost activity, and that preparations foe war service are in full swing. Phe corps has just had Lee- Metford magazine rifles issued out to it, in place of the old Martinis; but, with that extraordinary capacity for bungling which seems to be inseparable from any arrangement of the Ordnance branch, it appears that the new rifles -- cannot be fired, as no caustic oil has been supplied Affectionate little girl, on heariug, her father's to clesn the breech gear, and common oil is useless personal appearance quizzed: .•‘‘ hatever you may for this purpose! It is to be hoped that someone say about dear liana's face, he has a very nice will get his tail well twisted over this piece of Inside, I am sure. oeglect ; even though it may be easily remedied. ---- Some batteries of seven-pounder mountain guns "Papa,. said Tommy Tredway. "Now, Tommy," bays also been improvised upon the spot, a godly replied his father, "I shall answer only one more number of ex-artillervmen being in the police force or question to-day, so be careful what you ask." otherwise locally available. With these men and guns "Yes Papa." "Well, go on." "Why don't they excellent practice:is being daily carried Olt with corn. bury 'the Dead Sea ':' " in shell against targets. I hear that the men are -- very keen en:fighting, and that the shooting powers Little Arthur had been examined by a doctor, a of the Hoer marksmen do not command anything stethoscope being used. Sonic time after he was like so high a degree of respect as they di 1 some seen with a piece of rolled-up paper between his rears so. The killing 0f( most of the big swear and the cat's chest, and, on being asked what n the Transvaal and its svroundings has dept.'s. he was doing, relied that he was "trying to she goers of the sport which eve the. their shoot. magnify the listen." big instinct, and they will at be the formidable prospective adversaries that 11 hey were twenty years One day, while a little girl (two years old) was being bathed, she felt her heart beating. s• a • I41°• En It • al purring like Fluffy " (the kitten), she said, turning istbusimmo always Engraenar This tow o,Now. proottyf and pithy to her mother. Her mamma explained that it was tom of it: • fair American Sjolint her test weeks her heart beating, and she was much amused. "It's like a little watch ticking in my throat," she la England this summer, and then her husband= answered, and wanted to know if other people had i \sr "on the Continent" for a month. I met them. On being satisfied on that point she puzzled I ell their return to London the other day, and asked her how she had enjoyed thl hip: "I guess the her mother by asking., "Wily doesn't it slip down cher/sem,s eh very wen,„ id the pretty 'lady intl. tnr lee ?" ....---, - -.............iii"----- Viiit New York; "but God Bers As Qteisa/. . , aannintst=kerlido=lll2 Suicide while temporarily insane was the verdict 41:111111-1\11101 at Leigh (Lanes) on Thomas Filder, seventy-six, ......... found drowned ill the canal. wombs OW =WOW PA Cca Inuri' It is announced that, in addition to the other Osdirector who 1.118 resigned. Earl Grey has now also lobs a imp severed his connection with "Savage South Africa." *was bwe 01 have been away," he told a reporter, "and until the last day or so have known nothing about the Er