"•<â- â- ?', t THE BIRB'S CHRISIMAS TRffi It was tb«> week before Christmas and real Chriatmaa weather. Young people in the country like snow and ice. They don't complain if Jack Frost does nip their noses and their fingers, for ha brings coasting and skating, and he malies wonderful pic- tures of mountain^ and castles on the windowpanea. The Weils children were at the front window watching for the station wagon. "Oh, why doesn't it come!" cried Susie, one of the ten-year-old twins. "Perhaps Auntie Martha can't come," said Mary, the other twin, who was always the desponding one. "Of course she'll come," cried George, a sturdy boy of twelve, "She always comes for Christmas. There she is!" The five children rushed to the door. "Do let your auntie get in out of the cold," exclaimed Mrs. Wells, as she held out a welcoming hand to a smil- ing young woman who stood in the doorway surrounded by children. "Oh, I'll get in all right I'm so glad to be here. I've been looking for- ward to this all through my fall term," said the newcomer. "We've got all sorts of surprises for you," said Emma, a bright little girl of eight. "Don't try to tell your auntie every- thing before she gets her hat off," •aid Mrs. Wells. "Let her go up to her room and rest before your father, gets home." Martha Wells, with the twins still clinging to her, went up to a sunny room which her brother had furnished for her when her home was broken up after her mother's death. There was a cheerful fire in an open fireplace, and Martha sank into her favorite chair with a sigh of content. "Now we are going to have a happy week together," she said. "Every one of us has got a Christ- mas gift for you," said Susie, "even Billy-Boy." • "And R<».x, and Mr. Tommy-Cat," added Mary. "We're going to have the biggest tree we ever had," shouted George, putting his head in the door. "Just come to the window and we will !;how it to you," cried Susie, drag- ging her auntie to the window. "Father is going to cut it down for us the day before Christmas." "Cut that beautiful young evergreen tree down just for a Christmas holi- day?" exclaimed Martha; "why it would be cruel." "Cruel? What do you mean?" cried the children. "Let us not talk about it now," said Martha soberly. "Run away and let me rest a litt'.e while, then I will come down and talk to you." n. It was after supper and the chil- dren, excepting Billy-Boy, were sitting around their beloved auntie in the parlor. Mr. and Mrs. Wells were with them, also Rex and Tommy-Cat. Georgfe suddenly spoke up, â€" "Father, auntie says it would be cruel to cut down our Christmas tree." "I rather felt that way myself," said Mr. Wells, slowly. "I was wait- ing to hear what your auntie would say about it. Speak up, sister!" . "I shall begin by telling you some- thing about my work," said Martha. "When I first began to teach school, five years ago, I soon realized that the children had not been tauprht to think. I saw that a good deal of the trouble and the suffering in the world was because older people as well as chil- dren did not stop to think whether what they wanted for their own com- fort or pleasure was going to hurt anybody else. When I say anybody else, I mean any creature that lives and can suffer. I have always felt that we have no right to cause suffer- ing to others for our own selfish com- fort. "I began to have my pupils commit to memory poems about birds and ani- mals, and flowers and trees, and it was surprising what a difference it made in that neighborhood in a short time. The boys stopped robbing birds' nests and firing air guns at living targets. They unchained their dogfs, but did â- not let them chase after their bicycles, â€" or cats. They did not desert their poor cats and kittens and let them starve. The grocer's boy no longer whipped the poor horse he was driv- ing. All this I did without interf«"-ing at all with my other k-ssons, and any teacher could do it if she felt sym- pathy for suffering animals. "Then I began to teach them to love the flowers too much to tear them up by the roots, and to love trees. I thought about this very tree you want to have cut down. I have watched that tree in my vacations and seen it grow from a little baby tree to what it is now, and I loved it. I called it the 'birds' tree'." "We didn't know you cared about that tree, or we would not have asked to have it cut down," said Georife thoughtfully. "I love all the trees, Oeorge. Just before I came here I had my class learn that beautiful poem of Joyce Kilmer about a tree. Surely you know that." "I'm afraid they don't," said Mrs. Wells. "I ought to have read it to them." "Shall I repeat it?" asked Martha. "Please do," they all said, and she began : " 'I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree; " 'A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth's sweet flowing breast; " 'A tree that looks at God all day And lifts her leafy arms to pray; "'A tree that may in summer wear A nest of robins in her hair; "'Upon whose bosom snow has Iain: Who intimately lives with rain. " 'Poems aie made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree'." For a moment no one spoke, then Mary said, "What does a 'nest of robins in her hair' mean? A tree hasn't any hair." "When I was here on my spring va- cation a robin was building a nest in that very tree you want to cut down. Do you remember you wrote me, Mary, that there were five little birdies in the nest and that they all came off the nest safely, and that Mr. Tommy-Cat did not try tx> catch one of them?" "Of course he didn't," said little Emma, fondly stroking the head of the pretty cat curled up in her lap. "Tommy never catches birds or chick- ens. We talked to him when he was little and told him he mustn't." "It seems strange to me," said Mrs. Wells, "^hat so few persons under- stand cats. They think they can teach a dog anything, but do not know that with a little patience and with- out harsh treatment, a cat can be taught to mind. Plenty of cats live in the room with birds and when the birds are out of the cage never think of touching them. They have been' taught better." j "Sometimes my cat and my dog! mind me better than my children,"! said Mr. Wells, with a smile. "I don't' think Rex ever disobeys me." '• Rex, -who was lying on the floor by | Mr. Wells' chair, hearing his name ' called, lifted his head and thumped; hisitail on the floor. | "To get back to the tree," said) Martha, "That is just the tree fori birds to take shelter in when the cold â- winds are blowing and the snow fall- ing. I am sure you would not wish to | take away the birds' comfortable 1 house?" I "Oh, no, auntie," the children alll cried in chorus. "But our presents â€" it'll sort of spoil our fun, won't it?" said George. "Not a bit of it," answered his aun- • tie. "I have thought out a fine way! to give the Christmas presents." "Tell us!" cried the children, so! eagerly that they jumped up fromj their seats and set Rex to barking. ' "Let us go back to the tree again,"] Martha. "Suppose we make our first Christmas present to the birds." "How can we do that?" asked, George. "We can begin right away to get' the presents for the birds. We will' buy two pounds of beef suet and cut it into squares, or any shape you like, then make little wire baskets that we can fasten on the branches and the' trunk of the tree. That will be a great attraction to the wood-peckers and chickadees. The blue jays will be, greedy and get more than theij- share, but we can't help that â€" we don't want them to starve. If the squirrels, or' the sparrows, are very hungry, they, may take some of it, but we will pro- ' vide other food for them. Then we will ; bake two dozen large potatoes lonp: enough to make the skin hard so that' we can cut them in halves. Each po- tato will make two baskets. Fill them ivith a mixture of bread crumbs and Vitamines. The two subject^s that are en«;aglng the attention of medical n.en more per- haps than any others at the present time are vitamines and the Internal secretions, or hormones.. And the two are in a manner one, for It has been found that the proper action of the . J c ,. ^u 1 ii. u t. . mi- 11- , u • â- • T â- . 1 . i glands that give orlglu to the internal gram, and fasten them to the branches The crows were caa'ng to each wriggiing gre^jii woims. I should hate Nations depends tereely upon a suf- .11 .â„¢- .u„ .V «„„ .„; other^backof thc^bajn. where cracked to see any bird or animal go hungry, I g quantity of vitamines In the ABANDON S-51 SALVAGE FOR WINTER Due to the fact that the lives of the divers wme imiieriled through the freezing; of the air lines, the work of raising the sunken U.S. submarine from 129 fatJiom« off Block Islnnd has been pos'tptmed to the spring. Photo sihows till.' llnal descent into the icy waters being made. all over the tree with fine wire or cord for handles. Next, get your father to give you some of his cracked corn to spread under the tree for blue jays, squirrels, and perhaps pheasants, if there are any about here. That The Glory of the Conunon' place. How the gku-y of the comMonpiM* aillaeB upon our wayip! Tliat wel<x>me telltale cMek of til* ciwiuHlng garden gate, The huraey sound of pine-knoM bum- lug In the open grate. The ring of childish laughter thai: cornea floating Uuwu the stair. And that sUeut, hoLy moment tluit !â- kept for evenlug prayer â€" The nightly rounds of tucking in the quUts of litUe heda. And the soft kisses pluued on sleeping gulden heads â€" The glory of tins commonplace casta u lialo round our days. â€" Huth Holway. Faith. If on this night of still, white cold, I can remenil>er May, New green of tree anr undorbush, A hir.Blde orchard's mounting fluAh, Tho sc4!nt of earlli and noon's blue hush, A robin's Jaunty way. If on this night of bitter frost, I know .such things ojin be. That lovely May Is true â€" ah, well, I shall believe the taln.s men tell. Wonders of bliss and asphodel. And Immortality. â€" Hortenae Flexner, corn had been placed, and bhe was al- most sure that she saw a pheasant. IV. "I can vouch for that," said Mr. [ „nd winter is a hard time for English Wells: "I saw three pheasants come| sparrows, as well as other birds in the out of the woods and enjoy our Christ- j pj^y qj. country." food. It Is difficult to give a satisfactory definition of vitarainesv for their chemi- cal composition has not yet been dis- covered, and we know them and can the English .spai-rows," said George, "I am two reason "one is, that the (freatest lesson the world to teach children is to be substances contained in small amounts In fresh foods, and that they are es- pened they all exclaimed with delight =„.,„ .»,„ i,„„M =.„ tv„f fr.^ ^^*^ ^^^^"^ '^^'â- ^ covered like a coun- ,^ „^^„ ,„„,„ „^^ ,„„„ ,„„^ ^,„ , sorry she shou.d say that for. ter in a store, with ail sorts of delight- entlal to normal nutrition; they are sons. sai.l Auntie Martha, fu> things. To each i.rticle a narrow] different from the energy-producing '" ribbon was attached and carried across the table to hang over the sides what a joy it is." "Auntie, that is splendid! We shall love to do it," said Susie. "Indeed we will," echoed Mary. "It's surely a fine idea," said Mr. Wells, and his wife added,â€" "indeed , kind to every livin? creature. If we jj^g ^ fringe, the ends finished with a It IS." once begin to teach children to do ^ ..^^^^^ shining button. There were five I anything to hurt or frighten any kind different colors, a color for each child. in. of bird or animal, we can't tell whei* ! gusji^ ^y^^ invited to begin by drawing Christmas morning dawned bright, it will end. We are teachi.ng- unkind- j (-o^-grd her any one of the blue rib- and cold. Snow covered the ground , ne.=R and hardeninf; their hearts so that ^ (,^,„j._ .,„jj thu article at the end of the and thP children shouted with delight | that first thing we know they will be , i,;yg' Gibbon "was hers. The children when looking out the window they saw' cruel to each other, or to unfortunate f„,,i. )â- „_„» oanh ^i.i^ino- n-no, r.f tVio the Birds' Christmas Tree alive'with ; dogs or cats that have no one to care ! Son "ends. a^'S ^rfull/TulUng it r^lse'^sL'^' '^' "''''''' '"''"' '^' birds. Susie, who had been making a j,/or them, ami they wtll get air guns ; (.^^jj^j them. If tlie present at the study of birds, announced proudly that and shoot at any kind of bird." j p,,j qJ )-|,e ribbon was large and she had seen the winter chippie, jun-i "It is strange that so few persons i,^^,.^ jji^^ ^ t^ain of cars or a box of different from the principlea In food â€" proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Perhaps tlie best ex- planation is that given by a recent English writer, who likens them to the spark that ignites the fuel mixture of a gasoline engine, Uie spark, he says, Is of no use without the fuel, or the fuel without the spark. There are at least/ three different that the lack of them causes. Rickets result.s from the lack of \ vltauiine, beriberi from the lack of B vitamine. and S'curvy from the cos, blue jays, chickadees, woodpeck- know how uspful English ers, a lame blackbird, cedar birds, and are," said Mr. Wells. "1 ha' English sparrow^ at difl'erent Mmes, , them feed their little ones and s&3n i„^j,,„ Viic ^cUi- a voH rihhr.n nil i ._ j ., , n . . ^ , .*'...., ,,-.,., /,..,. . lowing nis coioi, a lea rinoon, an i caused by a deflciuncy of D vitamine '^-.i^MrWo Is "fh.v/wn7crH '''°^'^'^' '' '""'*^"'' '^' '""'â- ^ ^""- "^''^"^ '^^'^^ °f C vitamine. It is thought that since she first began looking out her ^ them fly to their nests again and window as she \vas drossin.cr. 18 3 43 25. 'o .1 1; .fX '13 .35 - 37. .36 •! 79 • 27 *^\ 38 »*'• ;i6 25 33' '^^ ^'^ \S .7 •lo-iin with tbni,- litt'n h^.,Us fn'l ..f ^^ross the tab.e, found that it led to a | but that is pure speculation aa yet. ^e=*'".;\\'.'L^»'^'L.''"'°. '»'"'<•'' f"' ^f'new sled that was hidden under the Vtomines are not manufactured in table, .\nothor smaller table had the andmal body, and such of them as gift.s for the older ones with pretty I are contained in fresh meat, milk, but- cards, and still another table, when a | ter and eggs are derived 'from the .snowy cover was lifted, displayed a } vegetable food of the animal cr the feast of sandwic'nes, fruit, candy, cake, j fowl. The diseases above mentioned sot out in readiness for the children's are not the only oiie.s caused by a de- supper. ] ficlency of vitamines; they are seen So the day ended, and as the chil- : only occasionally when there is an al- dren were going to their night's rest most total lack of the essential vita- Geiirge said, "I think this i.s the be.st mine. The usual manifestation is 111 and tnorriest Christmas wo l.ave ever ; healthâ€" poor appetite, headaches, dys- had, and I'm awfully glad we gave the' Persia, intestinal indigesUon, neural- 'oirds our Chri.stnia.s tree." j gja and neuritis., .sleeplessness, fatigue "It will nialie us all happy when we' after slight exertion, anaemia, neuras- ii.-ten to the bitter wind that is blow- thenia and eo on. ing to-night to think of the dear little | The prevention or cure of the trou- birds and the crows and squirrels that bles that are traced to lack of vita- will sleep warmer and better becau.se mines is a change to protective foods they are not going hungry to their in the dietaryâ€" whole-wheat broad, cold beds in the trefs," said tender- eggs, milk, butter, fresh fniits, ealads hearted iiltlo Emma, and Mrs. Wells, and fresh vegetables cooked rapidly, a.s she led tho little ones upstairs, re- 'for prolonged boiling or even simmar- * If- »o 16 li i^^ [leated: -"'He 'lirayeth best who loveth best All thi}igs both great and sTnall, I For the dear God who loveth us, 1 He made and loveth all'." â€" Anna Harris Smith. ..<. 1 ing deistroys tho viLamineis. Tonin- ; toes have all the vitamines in fair ; amount and so ars very useful, but , they can sehloni he eaten in large . quantities because of tho acid they I cont.aln. rannirig moats and vege- : tables destroys the vitamines In large 1 measure. I Early Marriage Rite. I Ilytiiea â- .;;!« piel)nl)ly or:gina;od by ;tho Greek.-'. In the oldan .lays it was j Ilyiiieii who led the torch dance, as he <Hn-!pil the real "wedding torch" nt the "I want ID learn skiing, skating;, ilimliliip aii:! j iiiieijr.p." salj Whew.s. "How ; front of tl:e proces.sion which conduct- much do you charge?" "C'ha.rgo/' reiiiicd the Swi-s fiulde. "I'll loach you all | wl lite bride to tJie home of the groom, without pay if you promise to hU'trucl me in tluit ^aiiUt'i' â- you are now exhibiting." (Kindly draw straight lines between tho nuiiilieio). Canada is the chief talc producer within tho British Empire. Talc and stone, are found in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Nova Scotia. Eycglas.ses enable about sixty p3i stiiflt j In Kcme a.s late as I.SOO Hymen and cent, of our business and professional Ihi.s ioi-cli-be!>rers v.ere alway.? part cf in?n to continue working after middlc» I roval niairiages. age has been reached. MUTT AND JEFFâ€" By Bud Fisher. Jeff Want.'? to Have a Mutual Und-^vsianriint? W>N Mr. Tiger â- 1. i_jm , I i n a ra *