Author.-Mervyn Skipper is a Melbourne writer and artist; for many years he was associated with the Sydney Bulletin. He has written two children"s books of jungle tales from the East Indies-The Meeting Pool and The White Man"s Garden.
General Notes.-Find in your atlas the places mentioned:-Singapore, Celebes, and Kualalumper. A witch-doctor among savages is one believed by them to have magic powers of healing or harming and therefore one to be greatly feared. Do you know the story of the Sun and the North Wind?
Lesson 13
LAuGHING mARy
With cheeks that paled the rosy morn
She bounded o"er the heather,
And romped with us among the corn When we were kids together.
Her mother"s help, her mother"s mate, Her mother"s darling daughter,When riper mind and more sedate The rapid years had brought her.
As pure as air from mountain snows, As dainty as a fairy,As fetching as the native rose, And always-Laughing Mary.
A little mother round about
The happy sunshine bringing-
You"d see her bustle in and out,
A-working and a-singing;
And then the soul of Casey"s place,
The love, the light, the laughter, When friendship showed its cheery face,And music shook the rafter;
And many a lad went home to find
A haunting sweet vagary
Was rambling softly through his mind Because of Laughing Mary.
But when the smiling stars were blurred,
And some one"s heart was bleeding, She flew as flies the homing bird,With balms of comfort speeding. An angel in a sweet disguise,She filled the measure over,
While tears stood sparkling in her eyes Like rain-drops on the clover;And many a head bowed low to pray,
Howe"er her skies might vary,
The years would bless her on her way And keep her Laughing Mary.
- John O"Brien
Author.- "John O"Brien" is the pen-name of the Reverend Francis Hartigan, a Catholic priest, who was stationed at Narrandera, New South Wales. His book of poems Round the Boree Log and Other Verses (Angus and Robertson, Sydney), is widely popular.
General Notes.-What does the poet say about Mary"s cheeks, her steps,her character? A vagary is a whim, a rambling thought. What is meant by"She filled the measure over"? What by "howe"er her skies might vary"?
Lesson 14
THE RACE FOR THE SILyER SkATES
[Winter-time in Holland brings happy days for the children, for then they can skate over the frozen seas and canals. Here is a story of a skating race for girls; the prize is to be a pair of silver skates. Most of the girls in the race are the children of rich parents, but Gretel Brinker is so poor that the only skates she has are a wooden pair made by her brother Hans. Another girl, Hilda Van Gleck, gives her a steel pair with which she is able to enter for the great race.]
The day of the skating match has come at last, and the frozen inlet is lined with gay pavilions and crowds of eager watchers. Twenty girls are formed in a line. The music has ceased. A man, whom we shall call the crier, stands between the columns and the first judges" stand. He reads the rules in a loud voice: " The girls are to race until one girl has won twice. They are to start in a line from the united columns, skate to the flag-staff line, turn, and then come back to the starting point; thus making a mile at each run."A flag is waved from the judges" stand. Madame Van Gleck rises in her pavilion. She leans forward with a white handkerchief in her hand. When she drops it, a bugler is to give the signal for them to start.
The handkerchief is fluttering to the ground. Hark! They are off! No. Back again. The line was not true in passing the judges" stand. The signal is repeated.
Off again. No mistake this time. Whew, how fast they go!
The crowd is quiet for an instant, watching eagerly.
Cheers spring up along the line of people. Hurrah! Five girls are ahead. Who comes flying back from the flag-staff line? We cannot tell. Something red, that is all. There is a blue spot flitting near it, and a dash of yellow nearer still. People at this end of the line strain their eyes and wish they had taken their post nearer the flag-staff.
The cheering is coming nearer. Now we can see! Katrinka is ahead !
She passes the Van Holp pavilion. The next is Madame Van Gleck"s. That leaning figure gazing from it is a magnet. Hilda shoots past Katrinka, waving her hand to her mother as she passes. Two others are close now, whizzing on like arrows. What is that flash of red and grey? Hurrah, it is Gretel! She, too, waves her hand, but toward no gay pavilion. The crowd is cheering; but she hears only her father"s voice, "Well done, little Gretel!" Soon Katrinka, witha quick, merry laugh, shoots past Hilda. The girl in yellow is going now. She passes them all, all except Gretel. The judges lean forward without seeming to lift their eyes from their watches. Cheer after cheer fills the air. Gretel has passed them. She has won.
"Gretel Brinker, one mile!" shouts the crier. The judges nod. They write something upon a tablet which each holds in his hand.
******
Soon Madame Van Gleck rises again. The falling hand- kerchief starts the bugle; and the bugle sends off the twenty girls.
It is a beautiful sight, but one has not long to look; before we can fairly pick them out, they are far away. This time they are close upon one another; it is hard to say as they come speeding back from the flag-staff who will reach the columns first. There are new faces among the leaders- eager, glowing faces, not seen before. Katrinka is there, and Hilda; but Gretel and Rychie are in the rear. Gretel is wavering; but, when Rychie passes her, she starts forward afresh. Now they are nearly beside Katrinka. Hilda is still in advance; she is almost " home." She has skated surely since that bugle note sent her flying; like an arrow still she is speeding towards the goal. Cheer after cheer rises in the air. "Hurrah! Hurrah !"The crier"s voice is heard again: "Hilda Van Gleck, onemile!"
******
The girls are to skate their third mile. Some are solemn, some wear a half-bashful smile, but all have made up their minds to win.
