The Silent Readers Part 16

"SOME UGLY OLD LAWYER"

One of the things that made President Lincoln great was his kindness in small things. Here is a story, told by a man who saw the incident take place, that gives an instance of such kindness.

You should all begin reading this story at the same moment. At the end of one minute your teacher will ask you to close your books and answer the questions she asks.

One day President Lincoln was met in the park between the White House and the War Department by an irate, crippled soldier, who was swearing in a high key, cursing the Government from the President down. Mr.

Lincoln paused and asked him what was the matter.

"Matter enough," was the reply. "I want my money. I have been discharged here, and can't get my pay."

Mr. Lincoln asked if he had his papers, saying that he used to practice law in a small way, and possibly could help him. The soldier rather ungraciously said that he had the papers.

My friend and I stepped behind some convenient shrubbery where we could watch the result. Mr. Lincoln took the papers from the hands of the angry soldier, and sat down with him at the foot of a convenient tree, where he examined them carefully, and writing a line on the back, told the soldier to take them to Mr. Potts, Chief Clerk of the War Department, who would doubtless attend to the matter at once.

After Mr. Lincoln had left the soldier, we stepped out and asked him if he knew whom he had been talking with. "Some ugly old fellow who pretends to be a lawyer," was the reply. My companion asked to see the papers, and on their being handed to him, pointed to the indors.e.m.e.nt they had received. To the soldier's great surprise and confusion, this indors.e.m.e.nt read:

"Mr. Potts, attend to this man's case at once and see that he gets his pay. A. L."

QUESTIONS

1. Why was Mr. Lincoln willing to help the soldier?

2. Why didn't he tell the soldier who he was?

3. Is there a joke in this story? If so, whom was the joke on?

ADDING THE RIGHT WORDS

Arrange your paper with your name on the first line and your grade on the second line. Do not write anything on the third line, but on the next six lines, write in the margin the numbers 1 to 6.

Below are six lists of words. All the words included in each list are related in some way. For instance, all the words in the first list name colors--

red yellow orange

After figure 1 on your paper write two other words that might be included in this list of colors. Any two color-words will be correct.

Now in the same way find out what kind of words are included in the second list and after figure 2 write two words that could be added to this list. Complete the exercise by adding to each of the remaining lists in the same manner. When you finish, wait quietly for the others.

1. red, yellow, orange.

2. wash, scrub, dust.

3. trolley car, bicycle, carriage.

4. desk, picture, bookcase.

5. Marion, Louise, Ruth.

6. harp, piano, cornet.

THE DESERT INDIANS' "FIRE BED"

You may have one minute in which to read this selection.

The Indians of our "American Sahara" are compelled by circ.u.mstances to overcome conditions not encountered by their brothers of the plains and mountains.

The "fire bed" is among the most useful and original methods employed by them to "sleep warm", in the "open", as in fall and spring the nights are very cold.

A shallow trench is "scooped out" in the sand, about six feet in length, three feet wide, and six or eight inches deep. The sand is "banked up" on the sides, and a fire is then made in the "pit", covering the entire length. This not only warms the bottom but the banked sides as well.

After the fire has burned long enough to warm the sand thoroughly, the larger unburned sticks are thrown out, but all live coals are left in the pit. The sand on the sides is now covered over the coals to a depth of about four inches. The "sleeper" will then lie down in the warm sand; and, if he possesses a blanket, he will throw it over him, thus keeping in the heat, and will sleep warm.

I have tried this out myself many times, both upon the desert and in the mountains, and have never suffered from the cold.

--"_Boy Scouts' Year Book."

Courtesy of D. Appleton and Company._

Describe to your teacher how the Desert Indians are able to sleep out of doors in warm beds.

YES OR NO?

1. All dogs have a keen sense of smell. My pet animal has a keen sense of smell; do you know that my pet is a dog?

2. It took George six minutes to finish his exercise correctly. John finished in five minutes, but most of his answers were wrong. Was George the better reader?

PIETRO'S ADVENTURE