Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel], January 31, 1909, Page 8, Image 45

About Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
8
Little Boy Brown
Ventures from Home
Country Boy Hears So Much About the City, with Its High
Schools, Electric Cars and Many Other Mysteries, That He
Starts Out in Midwinter to See All These Wonders and
Also to Visit Big Brother and Sister, Who Were
There Attending School
IITTLE BOY BROWN lived in the
i<* country, ever so far from town.
■~ But Little Boy Brown had heard
of the wonders of the town, which was
really quite a city, for in its streets
were numerous electric street cars, run
ning everywhere and never stopping
anywhere. And many, many thousands
of people walked up and down the
pavements, forever walking and walk
ing, but never seeming to reach their
places of destination.
Now. Little Boy Brown had been in
another town, a town in a state far
from the one where he now lived, but
that town was a tiny place, having only
a few streets and a few people. And
for that reason Little Boy Brown was
very, very anxious to visit the big town,
of which he had heard so much since
he had come with his mamma and papa
to live in their new home.
Gertrude*and Fred Brown, sister and
brother to Little Boy Brown, had told
him about the wonders of the big town,
but hearing was not seeing. So Little
Boy Brown thought. And Gertrude and
Fred had gone to the big town to spend
the winter attending school there, for
the little district school near to the
farm where they lived hardly met with
their requirements. The fact is Ger
trude was 16 and Fred 14, and both
were in the high school in the big town.
The little district country school had
no high grade, and both Gertrude and
Fred were very, very far advanced in
f3%
. A-rvsr Wv
J"'
With a Cry of Delight Little Boy Brown Ran to Meet the Vehicle
books. Gertrude studied Latin and
Fred meant to do so in a very short
time. So, of course, being so old and
big and advanced, Gertrude and Fred
were sent to the big town to further
their education.
And that left Little Boy Brown the
only child on the farm. Not that he
ever thought of big sister and -big
brother as being children. No; to Little
Roy Brown they were quite as big and
smart as papa and mamma. .-Jut they
often condescended to come down from
their high dignity and play with baby
brother. So when they went away
from home to attend the high school
Little Boy Brown felt very, very lonely.
,And then came his great desire to see
the big town and the high school, th_
latter place a mystery to the mind of
Little Boy Brown. Owing to its being
called the "high school" Little Boy
Brown supposed it was a house in the
air somehow, high above the other
houses. Just how it was held thus sus
pended in midair Little Boy Brown
had no idea. That was the mystery,
you see, that he had to solve:. And it
could not be solved until Little Boy
Brown visited the big town and the
high school. Then he would know. All
this was in Little Boy Brown's mind as
he sat by the window one delightful
January day. Although the weather
was pretty cold the sun shone glorious
ly bright, and to Little Boy Brown,
who sat in a warm room, the day
seemed to be almost summer. Ths
chickens were running about the yard,
the old turkey gobbler was strutting
with spread wings, glorifying the bright
day with his gobble, gobble, gobble. In
fact, the whole out of doors aspect
Mas most pleasing. And so Little Boy
Brown decided it would be a good day
on which to visit the big town. -
And everything was in his favor,
too. for no one was there to say him
nay. His papa and mamma had gona
to a neighbor's farm to see the neigh
bor's wife, who was ill, and they would
not return till in the afternoon. Jans,
the woman of all work, was busy
churning in the kitchen, and as soon
as she was through with that work
she would attend to baking some bread
'which Little Boy Brown had seen her
molding into loaves for baking. And
Little Boy Brown remembered that not
one w;ord had his parents said to Jan.!
about "keeping an eye on baby during
their, absence from home." Usually
Jan|- was thus instructed when her
master and mistress left the place to
.her jtr.d Little Boy Brown. But on the"!
■.mo'rnhig.bf this story they" had "merely
snidio Little Boy Brown at parting: *
"Be a good boy. baby, till mamma and',
papa get back.". -Then, kissing him
(they, always /did that when leaving-.
LOS ANGELES SUNDAY HERALD—JUNIOR SECTION
him for a little while), they had hurried
away, calling out to Jane that they
would not return till in the afternoon.
"All day alone!" Thus thought Lit
tle Boy Brown. Then his mind flew to
the big town, where Gertrude and
Fred were-in the high school. Ah,
what a day to go there!
Half an hour after the parents of
Little Boy Brown had taken their
leave from home their youngest child
was getting into his overcoat and cap
and mittens, preparatory for a journey.
And just as Jane was fixing the fire
in the big kitchen range for baking"
the bread Little Boy Brown was going
out at the front door and running down
the lane that led to the big public road.
Once on that road he turned in the
direction of the big town. He had seen
Gertrude and Fred going that way the
day his papa took them in the buggy
to the big town. So he knew he was
on the right road and going in the
right direction. After walking briskly
for half an hour Little Boy Brown
came to a bridge, and after crossing
the bridge he was surprised to see two
plain roads leading from it at the far
ther end. What should he do? Should
he turn to the right or to the left? For
one road led almost directly east, while
the other turned toward the west. For
a minute he stood irresolute. Then he
decided to take the road which he
could trace to the farthest point. The
road to the right dropped over a hill.
and Little Boy Brown thought it might
end there. But the other road ran on
for a long, long way, growing so nar
row that it seemed to turn into a mere
dark thread, traceable through y the
snow.
So the choice was made and Little
Boy Brown stalked on, not going quite
as rapidly, however, as at first. The
fact was he was getting a bit. tired. He
felt that he must be almost at the big
town, for he had come such a long,
long way. At least, he thought lie had
come a long way.
He reached the top of a very long
hill, one he had unconsciously climbed.
Then he looked into a deep valley be
low, one traversed by a river, broad
and deep, and by a thread which Little
Boy Brown knew to be a railroad. Yes,
it was sure-enough railroad, for there,
coming around a wooded hill in the
distance, was a puffing engine and »
train of cars. But at the distance they
engine and train —were like mere
toys. Little Boy Brown stood spell
bound at the vast scene before him in
that great valley, which spread on and
on for miles and miles. And way down
in its very center the hedgerows, which
ran every which way, crossing each
other so frequently that the ground
looked like a vast checkerboard. But
nowhere could Little Boy Brown see.
the big town where Gertrude and Fred
were attending the high school.-
The disappointed little fellow was on
the point of crying when he saw com
ing up the long, sloping hill a top
buggy, drawn by a black, horse. He
batted back the tears and determined
to remain where he was till the buggy
should come up to him. Then he
would ask the driver to direct him to
the big town. Undoubtedly he had
turned into the wrong road at the
bridge.
BIRTHDAY LETTERS CONTEST
One prize—a book—will be given to the Junior under 10 years
of age who submits the best letter describing his birthday anni
versary. All Juniors from 1 to 10 will receive a birthday present
from Aunt Laurie upon notifying her that the birthday celebra
tion has occurred within the month:
Juniors who are too small to write the letters may have their
mother or big brother or sister write to Aunt Laurie.' -
Letters may be from 100 to 150 words in length, must be writ
ten on one side of the paper only and signed with name, address,
age and school, and grade, if any. ""A
Address all letters to Aunt Laurie, Sunday Herald Junior, The
Herald. Los Angeles, Cal.. ; and see that they" reach this office not
later than Saturday afternoon, February 6, 1909.
Slowly, very slowly, so thought the
'waiting; Little Boy Brown, came the
black horse and buggy to the top of
the hill, and soon the little wayfarer
discerned that the vehicle held two oc
cupants. One was a woman, the other
a man. And a few seconds later he
saw to his sudden joy that the woman
was his own dear mother and the man
was his own dear father.
With a cry of delight Little Boy
Brown j ran to meet the approaching
vehicle, waving his arms in ecstasy.
"Oh, papa!mamma! It's your little
boy!" he cried.
Then the buggy stopped, and in an
other second Little Boy Brown's moth
er had him on her lap, and both father
and mother were questioning him re
garding his being picked up away out
there on that lonely hill three miles
from home.
"Oh, I thought I'd co»if a hundred
miles!" cried Little Boy Brown. "I
got lonely at home and thought I'd go
to the big town and find Gertrude and
Fred at the high school. But—l'm
glad to be going home again."
"Why, dear child," said the mother,
wrapping the warm fur laprobe about
Little Boy Brown's feet and legs, "you
would have been lost. You were going
in the wrong direction to reach town.
And just think of what might have
happened to you had not papa and I
■come along at this minute. Why, my
Little Boy Brown might have wan
dered so far away that we never would
have found him. And what would
have become of him then?"
Little Boy Brown became very seri
ous as the truth of the situation was
thus presented to him, and he was
thankful in his heart that his parents
had come in time to save him from
being forever lost. He shuddered at
the thought, declaring fervently: "I'll
never, never go off to hunt ,for the big
town again 'less I have papa or mam
ma with me."
"I'll take you to the big town next
Saturday, son," promised papa. "I've
got to go there to look after Gertie and
Fred, and you may bear me company."
"Ah, and then I'll get to see the high
school," cried Little Boy Brown, clap-
ping his hands. "But just now I'm
anxious to get home. I want my din
ner. Ugh! Walking so far makes a
feller hungry."
IF I WERE A FAIRY
I wish I were ■ fairy,
A weeny, tiny fairy.
A dear I:.-,!., fairy.
I tell you what I'd Jo.
I'd guard all childrenl could see.
And close beside them.ever be;
Their little eyes would ne'er see me.
Oh, that's what I'd do.
I'd -watch o'er them when they slept;
I'd comfort them when e'er they wept;
I'd follow them where dangers crept.
Yes, that's what I'd do.
I'd teach them the right path to tread;
That leads to happiness, instead
. Of that who:-.- lurk temptations dread.
Oh, that's what I'd do.
I'd have them good: each girl and boy
Would be at home a very joy,
Doing nothing that would annoy.
Oh, that's what I'd do.
I'd make them loving, kind and true.
Gentle, humane and tender, too;
Ready gracious deeds to do.
Yes, that's what I'd do!
• Fanny Alricks Shugart.
BIRTHDAY CALENDAR
(First Prize) .
OCEAN PARK, Jan. 19.
Dear Aunt Laurie:
MY seventh birthday was January
17. My papa gave me a post card
album and my mamma gave me
a book. Beryl gave me a bank, and
for a treat mamma took me to the
city Saturday to the Brackett theater
and to see you, but you were not in
the office.
I had my picture taken.
I didn't have any birthday cake,
because mamma did not have time to
make it, but will make me one some
other time.
I enjoyed my birthday very much.
Mamma helped me with this letter.
WINFIELD S.UPSON.
Grade A, Washington school. Age 7.
• a a
Dear Aunt Laurie:
I had a birthday on the 12th of this
month and so did my brother Hollister
on the same day. Mamma says our
birthdays are so close together most
to give much, so we had a big cake
and 10 cents, and we had a good time
in the evening singing songs and speak
ing among ourselves. Mamma writes
most all the pieces we speak at school.
We lost the Junior this week, so we
cannot write, only mamma remem
bered about the birthday letter.
The studies I am the best in are
reading and singing. I read all the
story books I can get hold of. I got a
boox for Xmas named "Only an Irish
Boy." and Holly got the "Swiss Fam
ily Robinson." Mamma says she will
give us another book every time we
win a book, and if we win a dollar
she will give us another. Your loving
nephew, LENO TARNE
San Pedro, Cal. 10 years old.
• a a
Dear Aunt Laurie:
I am 10 years old, and am not sure
but what I am too old to try in this
contest, but I am gong to tell you
about what happened on my birthday,
which was last month. I expected to
have a quiet day, but after I had
been spanked soundly by all the fam
ily and rolled under the bed there was
a knock at the door. Mamma told me
to open it,' and there was my chum
and her brother!
Pretty soon four more children came,
so I had quite a surprise party. We
played all the games we could think
of before dinner. We had our party
dinner at about 2:30 or 3 p. m., and, oh,
what a dinner! I tell you, we couldn't
play for a while after we had finished
eating some of everything that was
on the table.
After dinner we made candy, looked
at pictures and read fairy tales. My
company left at about 5 o'clock. Every
body said they had a good time, and
I know I certainly did. ;
In the way of presents, I got a postal
card album, three postal cards, a large
picture, a- nice handkerchief, a hair
ribbon, and a "new dress for my larg
est doll, Edna. I wish you much suc
cess with The Herald Junior.
RUTH E. FERGUSON.
3246 Emmet street, East First street
school.
" J ' '--..
I am glad to have your letter, Ruth,
although only the boys and girls under
10 are eligible for the prizes. The
others, including you, may easily win
prizes in some of the other contests.
Let me hear from you in the writers'
contest. -
JUNIORS APPRECIATE
THE HERALD PRIZES
Dear Aunt Laurie:
I received "Two Royal Foes," by Eva
Madden, this morning. I was very
glad to get it, and though I have not
read very far in it as yet I think I
shall like it.
If I continue as I have begun I shall
soon have a "junior library," won't I,
Aunt Laurie? I should surely like to
have one like that.
I thank you very much for the book,
Aunt Laurie, and wish you every suc
cess with the Junior. i
I am glad that you have introduced
the drawing contest, for I like to draw.
From your niece,
FERN BROWNING.
• a a
Dear Aunt Laurie:
I thank you very much for splendid
hook. "Old Man Coyote," by Clara K.
Bayliss.
I shall always prize it very much, not
for the stories alone, but for the way
in which I received it.
I remain your loving niece,
GLADYS GERVAIS,
Anaheim, California.
* * » - ~^~\ :
Dear Aunt Laurie: •
I received the check for one dollar as
first prize in writers' contest, and wish
to thank you for it. Wishing success
to The Herald Junior I remain your
niece, CECELIA C. BISCH,
775 East Seventeenth street. ■> -
& 'ill CHILDREN'S ,
S^' /j^i'S Infants' Outfits
ggi_&»!.'*' "»«S>'^ij an'l Ladies' Wear.
f < %k 1 Mrs. E. W. Kinney
Um<y, .?£ ->-^teig^i Cor. .th and Spring St*.