Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel], May 22, 1910, Page 4, Image 64

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

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

                
4
The Herald Junior
FLOKKXCB BOSARD XA WHENCE, Kdltor ■
The Herald Junior Is published by The Her
ald com puny for the children of the south
west. It Is devoted to their Interests nnj
will publish principally their own writings.
All children of public school age are welcome
as contributors. The editor wishes to encour
age correspondence and suggestions from the
teachers.
The editor will be in her office for visitors
Monday afternoon from 2 until 5 o'clock and
Saturday from 12:30 until 3 o'clock In the
afternoon. Special appointments may be
made by telephone.
All prize winner* living tn Lou Ansr»l»«
must call for their prizes within two weeks
after the award of tame. . V." in tiers of prizes
for three honorable mentions must present
copies of the stories, lc***>:> or limericks ai
published and claim their prizes.
Prize winners living out of town will receive
their prizes by mall without request, except
for h'/norable mention, In which ruse copies
of the stories, letters or limericks must be
submitted and the prize claimed.
By a special arrangement with th*» circula
tion department, Aunt Laurie is enabled to
meke the following announcement: Whenever
a prize of a book or of one dollar is awarded
to a Junior, that prize will be exchanged If
desired for subscription to The Herald as i
)c-ws: A one dollar prize may be exchanged
for a six months' subscription, while a book
will be exchanged for a three uonths' sub
scription.
This is entirely optional with each boy and
girl, and no effort whatever will be made to
persuade any one to take the alternate prize.
If Is offered merely because of some laments
which have cc c from boys and girls whose
rents do not and will not take the paper,
find this arrangement would enable the toys or
;-irl. to have the pope- for themselves.
SUMMER PLANS
My Dear Herald Junior?:
THERE is one thins which I hope
to accomplish in June, and that
is the installation once more of
the beach trips. I -want, this year,
to have something quite different to
offer you from those trips of last year.
Those were delightful and we all en
oyed them tremendously, but I feel
sure that this year I shall give you all
such a Rood time that you Will think
The Herald Junior prizes the nicest
prizes you have ever won, T wonder
what you will all write me about the
nrw writers topic today. I wish thnt
you would each one mention some
writer whose work has interested you
especially and whom you hope to meet
this year at the midsummer frolic.
Those of you who went last yonr can
tell of some particularly interesting
Junior you met at the frolic last sum
mer, and whether or not yon have kept
in touch since then with ea h other.
There nre many delightful memories
which the topic will awaken, and many
dreams it will suggest. indulge In both
to your heart's content, and let the
letters be so inspiring that all your
readers will want to come to the Junior
midsummer frolic and will be sure to
want to meet you there.
The members of the other depart
ments will also look forward to the
chance of meeting many of their fel
low artists, rhymsters and essayists.
and I am sure that the Junior frolic
this year will be much nicer than t'.io
one of last summer. I hope that every
member of my big- group of nephews
and nieces will be on the lookout all
the time for a good place for this
midsummer meeting. Remember. it
must be within the five-cent fare.
pleasant, but not too public, and a
place where the boys enn run races
and the girls can have all the Rood
gamea they want without making'
themselves a nuisance to other persons
who may be sharing the same grove
or park. Suggestions on this subject
are now in order, and I hope to hear
from many of you on this subject
very soon.
The current topic this week ought
to bo interesting to all the bigger boys
and girls. The death of any ruling
king or queen always suggests possi
bilities of changes of government which
in this day of progression along all
civil lines is more possible just now
than under usual conditions.
Kemember that unless the writers in
this department keep up to certain
mark, at least ten letters on the sub-
Ject which I find suitable for publica
tion, I shall discontinue the depart
mi nt and substitute something else in
its place.
] want to arrange to take the beach
tripg twice each month this summer,
and shall try to take a party of twenty
each time, thus giving you all a chance
to meet and grow well acquainted and
to Mtabllah many friendships which
will, 1 hope, prove beneficial to you all.
With love to you all.
AUNT LAURIE.
LOS ANGELES SUNDAY HERALD—JUNIOR SECTION
Peasant Lad Teaches
King Helpful Lesson
Ruler who found no pleasure in his kingdom, appeals to young
fisherman for advice and conso'ation; boy refuses to leave his
position by the water's edge until offered a piece of gold, when
he urges generosity and kindness from prince to people and
thinks happiness will follow.
IN the very, very long ago there
dwelt in a country across the Bea
a king who was very, very un
happy. He often felt so tired of life
as ho lived it that he sometimes wished
to die. Ami he would sit on his throne
and sigh deeply. And hia courtiers
would vie with one another in trying
to make their monarch's existence leas
unbearable. Hut they fawned upon
him and llattercd him, ami bowed down
before him in the humblest manner.
And all the time the king hated them
for their humbleness and servility. But
being a king he held himself aloof
from his fellow-beings and retained a
haughty reserve.
One day while driving in his coach
of gold and silver, the king beheld
a little peasant boy on the banks of
a river fishing. The child looked UP
at him, smilingly. Then, without re
moving his cap and failing to bow re
spectfully before his monarch, the boy
returned to his work, pulling: out of the
water a line fish. The king was so
deeply impressed by the boy's happy
"YOU HAVE AN OLD HEAD ON YOUNG SHOULDERS," DECLARED THE KING
fare that he called to his coachman to
stop, as he would speak with the peas
ant boy.
As the coach stopped, the king called
to the lad: "Come hither, youth."
But the lad sat quite still beside the
bank, holding to his fishing rod. "Come
hither, I command you!" So spoke
the king in imperious tones, beckoning
tn the peasant, boy.
"But I must not leave my rod, sir,"
explained the boy. "I have a tt»h nib
bling at the bait, and I must watch
the line."
"Do you know who I am 1;* questioned
the king in a severe tone.
"Yes, sir. You are the man the peo
ple call king. I would not km w you
but for your coach and retinue." The
boy spoke in the easiest manner possi
ble, without the least show of embar
rassment. The coachman and outrid
ers trembled tor the child's fate, for
they feared he had offended his king
and would be made to suffer the pen
alty Hut to their great surprise, the
kin's smiled—for the first time in
months—and again spoke to the peas-.
"If 1 pay you a golden coin for the
fish you haven't yet caught, will you
come and speak with me? I. the king,
big tliis favor." And again the king
smiled in an amused way.
"Oh, if you are willing to pay me
for my lost time, why I will come and
speak with you, sir," agreed the peas
ant boy. And he arose and approached
the king's touch. The outriders open
ed an avenue so that he might walk to
the side of the coach. To their utter
astonishment the king made room for
the boy inside the coach and bade him
be seated beside him. The boy looked
up and shook his head. "No, sir; a
peasant boy is not fitting company fur
a king. 1 prefer to remain afoot on
ground and talk with you."
"You an a strange and bold boy,"
declared the king, a bit out of temper.
•'And why do you dnre to refuse me—
your king?"
"If you are my king, then I am ynur
subject," said the boy. "And we each
owe the other certain liberty. I must
live my way, and you your way."
Now It was the kind's turn to bo
astonished, and banishing the frown
which had begun to gather on his
brow, he said: "You Interest me,
youth, and I shall get out of my coach
and sit beside you while you fish. Will
that please you—my subject?"
"I haw no Objection to your sitting
on the banks of the river, for it in
yours as well as mine," explained the
boy.
The king laughed outright. "Why,
youth, don't you know that river—and
•il! I lie land about it—belongs to me,
the kin;; and ruler over this land?"
The boy shook his head. "That river
is not yours any more than it is mine—
even though you be a king. You can
not bridle it or change its course. You
cannot Stop its waters or cause them
to flow. It is God's river, and so is
the land all about it. And you are
God's creature as 1 am God's creature,
and when he bids us leave this life you
are as powerless to disobey as I am.
So I am as much a king in God's eye
as you arc a king in the eyes of yon
der courtiers."
"Ton have an old head on young
shoulders," declared the king, motion
ing to a servant to throw his cloak on
the ground ,that he might sit on It.
"And I shall chat with you an hour-
Just as though I were a peasant like
yourself."
"Or I a king like yourself," smiled
the boy.
"Ah, you are a strange youth," said
the king. "Come, tell me. Are you
always happy?"
"Always vt-ry happy, sir," declared
the boy. "In the first place, lam very
busy all day long helping my father
and mother in the work of earning an
honest living. I am too busy to bo un
happy, sir."
• • •
««tfVhy do you not call me 'Your ma
jesty?' " asked the king.
"I like the plain title better, sir.
Only God Is my king."
The king knit his brows, then said:
"Suppose I should command you to
call me 'Your majesty?' And if you
should refuse, suppose I should order
your head cut off?"
"Then you would be a cruel king, and
committing a very grave crime, sir,
for in having me killed you would be
committing murder. My life belongs
to my Maker, not a man of the earth."
The king rat silent for a little while.
Then ha said: "Tell me, boy, where
have you learned all that you say?
There must be traitors In my realm,
and they must have talked In your
hearing."
"A good king need fear no traitors,"
said the boy, putting some bait on hi«
hook. "Only an evil ruler fears ene
mies."
"You are right, youth," said the king
fervently. "And you have set me to
thinking of many things new to my
mind. I shall beg you to come to the
palace and visit me. I can learn from
you, though I be a king and you a
peasant. Hut—do you angle all nay
Ions?"
"Oh, no, sir; doing one thing all the
time would make ma very unhappy.
Now. were you to have more variety
In your life, Sir, you would be loss dis
content. I have heard it said that our
king never laugh*, that his subjects
are far happier than he. Thai is be
cause they fln<i much beneficial em
ployment. The kin:,' but rules. And
ruling is a heavy work, and a tliank
tesi one, though paid for in gold, Gold
doesn't love one. Gold doesn't offer
the hand of friendship, it never lends
a helping hand to the one in need, nor
kisses and caresses the brow of the
aged. Gold ll very hard, and is a fit
ting companion only for a haughty
and unhappy king. And i am too con
tent to wini more of it than Is needed
to buy the necessaries of life."
The king sat still and looked across
the river for a moment. Then he
bowed his head in his hand and sighed.
"You are rtght, youth; gold and king
hood go hand in hand. Neither has
feeling nor love."
"But a king can love and be loved
if he wishes," declared the boy. "If he
enters into the life of his peasant!—
his subjects—and knows them, and lets
them know him, he will find much to
live for. Also, he will tin.l RIUCh to
make him smile with pleasure, to laugh
with merriment, to weep with sym
pathy, and to give for sweet charity's
sake."
"I shall try your prescription, youth,
said the king, rising. ■■Tomorrow all
my fawning courtiers shall be tlia
missed, and in their place shall he put
men from the country—uncouth, platn
spoken fellows who will toll me things
for my own good."
"And for the good of your subjects,
sir," interposed the boy. "Do not for
get others—if you would be happy.
Happiness cannot be found in one's
self, but in the love and sympathy of
others. That Is the reason you have
never known happiness, sir. You have
thought only of self, and had about you
a lot of cowards who protended to
think only of you, also, but who in
truth hated you an<l livrd a life of
hypocrisy. Have fearless men about
you and you will get strength from
them, and, in time, will become a mon
arch all men will love. Think less of
your position, and more of the people's
position, sir, If you would be a real
king."
The king took from his purse two
golden coins and offered them to the
boy, who took the smaller one, saying
that the fish he might have caught
would not have been worth more than
that amount. "And I cannot take
more than I can earn," he observed in
a straightforward way.
"You are a true philosopher," avowed
the king emphatically, "and I must see
you often."
"I am only a peasant boy, and you
are only a king," smiled the boy. "But
perhaps you are poorer than I. If so,
I shall gladly share my riches with
you. But now I must hurry homeward,
for my parents will be looking for me.
I wish you more happiness In the fu
ture than you have had in the past.
Goodby, sir, and may luck attend you."
And the king, his hands clasped
across his breast, stood watching the
boy as h<- ran nimbly across the hill,
disappearing on the other side. Then,
turning to one of his courtiers, he said:
"A king may learn from a peasant
boy."
"Mamma," questioned 5-year-old
Nettie, "am I as tall as you are?"
"No, dear," was the reply. "Tour
head only comes to my waist."
"Well," continued Nettie, "I'm Just
as short, anyway. My feet are as far
down an yours."
"Now, Willie," said the teacher to a
small pupil, "can you tell me what dy
namite is used for?"
"Yes, ma'am," answered Willie. "It's
used to blaspheme things with."