(Copyright. 1908, by The North American Company.)
New Year's
Day in Japan
ERY. very busy was Matsu,me tbi
niornlnf . She must help ner
mother with the cooking alt day.
for tomorrow would be the beginning of
ft the New Tear, which had to be ushered
," 1rf with a great feast. She toiled at the
S'f flre and at the oven, aiding in the prep
aratlon of clam soup, rice, beans, eelt
V salmon; plcklod radish and other dishes
that would b eaten In order to bring
.' good fortune during the coming year.
Indeed. hs -sua laboring bo lndus
Irtoualy that her mither feared aba
would get tired before the 'day ended,
and. a yoa know, the JIM of December
worth fifty days In Japan, .and-If you
go to bed arly you add that much to
your age. Therefore, she told Mataume
to visit the temple. Matauma was in
"TOILED AT THE OVEN""
auch a hurrr to get the work done, how
ever, that aha ainy ran to the temple
of Bhlnto,. passing through the gateway
with hardly a glance at tha decorations
of pine branches hung with straw rings
and stuck with a drlcjl sardine, a leaf of
evergreen, pwves of paper and bits' of
edible seaweed. And I'm afraid her devo
tions to the gods were almoat as hasty,
for soon she was swiftly retracing her
atepa, pausing only to decorate the well
with a few p'na branches
. The dinner tnat night was a great
success. Just before the new' year cam
in the littl girl and her father and
mother bowed before the gods. Then
the festival of "T9sfikoshl. or "going
over the year," was begun. Once they
had eaten the feast one year was added
to their ages.
"PAS8ING THROUGH THE GATE
1 WAY"
-' -ik ' . .
While the little girl was prepartng for
. bed and was almoat ready to lay her
. head on the little wooden block so as
not to muss her wonderful headdress
her "chignon" In came Matsume's
-inother bearing In her arms a llttl
Japanese Junk, equipped with tiny rig
ging and sails, with little men for crew
and with a cargo of precious goods.
Matsumc clapped hei hands for jov.
It was the Ship of Dreams. And in
dream good dreams at the beginning of
the New Year was lucky. The VERY
beat dreams, yo-i know, are of the Fuji
mountain, an eagle, an eggplant, a
funeral or snakes.
Hut MaBiime dreamed of neither one
of these five things. In fact, she
couldn't understand it at all. She was
thinking of throwing It to the "baku."
who lives upon bad dreams, when her
lather chlded her. saying:
"Do not bo so reckless as to throw
THE FEAST WAS BEGUN"
, .:- .'. ..... . . .-.;.''.
away your drtam, because you do not
understand U. There was once a maiden
ho lost the Prince Yaritomo for a hus
band by doing that very same thing,
blm dreamed and aha did not uneer
atand. Hr sister saw the good omen
if the dream (which was that tha prince
waa about to court the maiden of the
dream), and offered to buy the dream-
r a mlrro. So the foolish maiden .
sold iter dn-am and the sister gained
1; ItahAi.d." -........
l.mm MaULtne listened carefully. She
rl;A not throw her dreant to the "baku."
nor wo-.,!)! nhe it for the world. Be-
-.t now hr pretty little head is filled '
wxh rtrtam of famous prince who
cum to wed IiER.
? I ft '.
I I.'.'MaJ'l - i J
-"nsfes xi mm
' ' . Hi, -
R
ONALD BCEIiOW. a lad ibout 14
vmii oia. la taken trom nis nome in
Now York rltv la live far while
WHn fill U11C4C nuucn, in .-."
there to gain health and energy. He ac
companies hi uncle upon a hunting ana
tinning excursion Into the forest, where
Camp Howling Wolf is established as thatr
headquarters. Ronald boains the study of
woodcraft and goes troutlng. Later, hi
ou.tti. Dourlaa. visits camp for a couple
of days. and. tcgether with Uncle Hubert,
... ... ,.. . v-... CM.t.
THEY WADED THROUGH THE BOGGY OOZE
the three hunt woodcock and snipe. Not
long after Douglas' return home Inula Hu
bert and the boy go on a successful bear
hunt, and later they trail a moose oa snow
shoes and shoot It.
(CONCLUDED FROM LAST SUNDAY.)
CHAPTER VIII
WITH TRAPPER FRED.
CC Y T ow WOUI1 J0U like t0 Uke
I I trip over to New Bruns
X X ' with 'me. Ronald ?'
asked Uncle Hubert.
The lad responded enthusiastically:
"I'd be mighty glad of the chance."
"I've a mind to run over and have a
look at old Fred Gorman, a trapper, who
at this season of the year Is to be found
near the headwaters of the Miramlchi
river. You'd be Interested In him, I'm
sure. If we break camp at once, we'll
have time to spend a few days with
Fred and get back to our homes by the
Christmas holidays."
Whea Uncle Hubert made plans he
was never long In carrying them out.
Therefore, the very next day he and his
nephew wero on their way tp New
Brunswick, and two daya later they
greeted Fred Gorman
Fred was a benign -looking old man,
with kindly eyes which always twinkled
with good humor. The thought that
Uncle Hubert had made the Journey to
see him was especially pleasing to the
old fellow, and- he did Us bet to be en
tertaining. He had an unlimited fund
of anecdotes. f all of which Ronald
listened with rapt attention. Thus tha
hours of the first evening passed swiftly,
until Uncle Hubert and Ronald stretched
themselves gratefully on the beds made
for them upon the floor of Fred's cabin.
They were ail astir early the next
morning. After the few chores about
the csbin were finished and breakfast
was over, thj trapper invited his guests
to go the round of his traps with him.
"There's a funny old bear around
here," said he, while they were making
their way through '.he forest, "who
doesn't seem to want to go into hla win
ter quarters, or else he's' been disturbed
in his hibernation. He's been reaming
about for the past three days and I've
laid a trap for him.
"Ever ses a bear rap, sonny?" he
asked, turning to Ronald.
As Ronald shook his head in the neg-
Bobby sqqs the New &ar
you really see the New
car come In?" exclaimed
VJ huh
tile Robert, his eyes big
with wonder.
" "Course," responded Tom, who was
all of 6 and who, therefore,- ought to
know. "He's a funny 6le fellow that
looks like a rag doll."
"Oh. I do hope mamma will let me
stay up to see tha new year," murmur
ed Bobbie.
But Tom orly laughed unfeelingly, as
ho said. "Naw, she won't: you're too
little."
In truth, Tom found that he himself
was too little to stay up until midnight
on the last night of the old year, or at
least his mother thought so.
In the meantime Bobbie had told his
brother that he was going to try to
keep awake to see Mr, New Year. And
he had so far succeeded that when he
heard some dark-looking object batter
against the windowpane he thought at
wmcb uh ii muni oe tne isew rear try-
ing to get in
iom naa tola mm that It
w,if?.04 ,.uck to catch th New Year,
7Z 5' 'apea from his bed; ran to
i-ufT?nloS and jerked tin the sash. -
cw i ear swayed Just within h's
Teach. Bobbie made a grab for it. He
obtained a firm hold, bu. unfortunately.
H I :r .mill
fill iiiii
atlve, tha trapper explained:, "Well, you
see, I drive poles deep into tha ground
In the shape of an arc about three-quarters
of the way Around the circular In
cisure. Inside the circle I aet my steel
trap, attaching to it a good-sixed Jog.
Everything but the bait is concealed by
brush and leaves, we've almoat reached
the trap now, so you'll see it.
"Gprry!" he exclaimed the next In
stant, "if the bear ain't been caught in
' the trap and dragged the 'tog' away
with 'Im!"
It was true. They followed the trap
ped bear by the easily distinguished
trail he heo left, until they came to a
backwater along" the river. The last few
days of mild weather had thawed the
ice and the party now had to wade
through boggy ooze. Rounding a clump
of tushes, they saw the angry bear, a
huge, b)ack fellow, standing upright in
the shallow water, his leg still fastened
In the trap.
RONALD KILLS THE fiEAB
Upon a wink from Uncle Hubert, the
trapper nudged Ronald, saying:
"You may put a bullet Into him."
Rons Id raised his rifle. A sharp report
followed, and Bruin fell dead with a
bullet hole a little below the eye.
The trapper ' immediately secured the
pelt and carried such meat as be wished
back to the cabin. Then he renewed his
inspection of the traps, accompanied
by the others.
"Do you trsp all the year?" queried
Ronald, when they were again on the
march.
"Only during the winter," responded
Fred. "I trap beaver, otter, lynx, er
mine, marten and mink mostly, although
I get a few sables, red and yellow foxes
and fishers, and sometimes go after
muskrats, hare and rabbits. Then I
pick up an occasional bear early in the
season.
"Now, I'm going to show you a beaver
trap," said he. when they came to a
stream. "Before you set a trap for
beaver you must be sure that the signs
are fresh. You will notice recent marks
on the slide and web-footed tracks In
the clay and sand, while the brush will
be cut and peeled, with little sticks
floating about in the water. Then you
know beavers are here, although you've
got to be pretty clever to catch the
smart fellows.
"Some few yards along the bank from
the foot of the slide I dig a hole 'about
three or four inches below the surface
of tho water and there I flx my trap.
Around it I place a few small upright
he lost his balancs and when the "New
Year" swayed outward again Bobbie
went with it.
You have already guessed that Tom
waa the rnischtefmaker who had lowered
the dummy down from the window
above. He waa now thoroughly fright
ened. To avoid giving Bobble - a bad
fall he hastily let out more rope.
Now, the boy's older sister llollle was
giving a party downstairs. - So when
there suddenly flitted back and forth be
fore the windowpane the figure of a lit
tle boy in pajamas, apparently suspend
ed by a rope, great astonishment pre-
-viuiea. noma naatiiy rescuea ner 111
tie brother, who, though breathless, was
unafraid. Still hugging th dummy
tightly,
as though fearful It mlarht -
cape,, he cried 1
"Bee,: sister; I
he cried Jubilantly: -
.' v , t . i i. iiiv aew. stir,
viia .now xii nsrv guou luca.'
-But Tom had the Ill-luck to catrti1
sound spanking.
owMm
sticks, so that Mr, Beaver must ro right '
over the pan of the trap in ,rder to
reach the scent, which serves to bait
the trap, The preparation of this scent
is often a secret among us trappers."
During his talk .Fred waa busy1 taking
out a beaver from the trap and reset
ting It for another. The boy found an
opportunity to examine the snub nose, '
chisel-shaped teeth and great flat tall of
the animal.
A little further on Fred drew a mar
ten from a trap, which had been made
by cutting a hole in a hollow standing
tree and by having Inserted the end of
a pole three Inches in diameter and flf- .
teen feet long. It being kept upright by
two small sticks arranged In the form
of a figure 4. When the marten took tha
bait he moved the baltstlck. which re- '
' leased the upright and mad tha pole
descend upon the animal, j
Many other kinds of traps had Fred. '
and Ronald learned a great deal about
trapping. Different sorts of deadfalls
' were explained to him, where a log or
weight was made tp fall upon the ani
mal. Then there were pens. The vio
tims were made to fall into pits or other
traps from which they could not get out.
The spring-pole, he was told, is merely
a stout sapling bent down and held by
a rough hook driven Into the' ground.
The trap chain is also attached to the
bent top of the sapling, so that the
struggle of the victim releases the hook
and causes the sapling to spring up-
, "I'M PROUD OF MY BOYi'i-
right, carrying the "fur" along with it
This. method always protects the catch
from other animals which might destroy
it. Slldlng-poles are used in connection
with traps for aquatic animals. When
the latter seek to escape by water they
are held under the surface and drowned
by these contrivances.
Ronald had occasion to observe that
not only men were skilful hunters, but
All About Dolly
Factories
(CONCLUDED FROM LAST SUNDAY.)
WE'VE left Go-many behind us.
and now we are in Paris.
Past the dark, gloomy
Church of Saint Merri we go, and
then enter a male of funny little
cross streets for all the world like a
labyrinth puzzle. The air begins to
smell painty, and delightful odors of
varnish and wood come to our nos
trils. And we know, we feel, that we
.are in Toyland long before. we see the
signs great wooden sabers, giant
drums," wooly animals that swing
from quaint windows. Each building
is a house of mystery, holding many a
secret for the fashioning of wonder
ful playthings. With a feeling of awe
we push open the door at the en
trance of the largest of these uncan
ny houses.
Here is a real doll factory. The
ceilings hang low over our heads, the
air is so mlaty with steam that, the
electric lights seem to slow feebly.
While with the red and yellow flare
of hungry looking ;furnace . mouths
and the rumbling and clanging and
whirring of. monster machinery about
us, we can scarcely believe that cun
ning, peaceful doll babies are created
in such turmoil; rather would it seem
a place for the manufacture of loco
motives or some such thing. '
WHERE SOLLIES BEGIN
We look over the edge, of a great
vat, wherein rags, cardboard and gum
tragacanth are mixed together Into
a greenish pulp. Brawny . workmen,
protected by leather aprons, stir the
mass with vigor. One of. them, how
ever, pauses long enough .to r tell us
that of this awful Stuff the arms, legs
and bodies of dolls are made. Hor
rors! Surely, this can't be true! .But'
it Is; for pretty soon we see this
green paste poured Into moulds and
the bodies and limbs come forth..
There ' is a special- machine for the
stamping out of tiny hands, which
drop from H In a steady stream. It
is a horrible sight! We can hardly
help but think that all the dollies of
the world have been killed and that
these are the discolored fragments of
their bodies. We shudder. But we
feel ever so much better when we see
the arms and legs attached to the
trunks with copper wire. And when
the bodies are stained a roar flesh
color and are passed through the
drying room they appear less horri
ble. ... .;- -. ,
Meanwhile, the heads are being made '
from finer material, kaolin being the ;
chief ingredient of the paste. After
the heads come from the moulds they
.are sent on a. journey down long ta- '
bles, where. eye sockets are made, the
cheeks touched with red and the eye
brows painted. - Now they are feakad.
so that they are unbreakable.. A ork
: is driven Into the hole in the top of
each head and to It is. tacked the wig
of Tibet wool, afterward plaited. The
heads still have no eyes. To remedy
this, defect there Is In the. basement a
animals as well. While walking along
the banks of a stream he saw a mink
a good-slsed. ' one, measuring ; at least
twenty Inches In length from the tip of
Its nose to the tip of Its tall, which,
by the way, ' was seven' ' Inches long.
It's fur was of a dark brown color
tha most valuable tint to the trapper.
FRED ILLUSTRATES THE
The mink was following the course of
the stream, prying Into every little
crevice and hollow. Presently tha boy
saw it make a leap along the bank
just above the surface ; of the water.
Mr. Mink, he then saw had caught a
big, fat muskrat. Trapper Fred after
ward told him that the mink was also
very clever in catching fish, often en
joying a fine trout, while it also cap-
tured birds. ' ;
There was little the boy did not know
about the inhabitants of the forest and
stream when his visit to Fred Gorman's
cabin was brought to a close. - An Im
mense store of knowledge he had gained
here and at Camp Howling Wolf. He
frequently earned compliments from
Uncle Hubert upon his skilful wood
craft and for the closeness of his ob
servation. - ' t
(All too coon Ronald and his uncle
bade good-bye to the pleasant trapper
and began their trip back to Uncle
Hubert's cottage on the eastern coast
of Nova Scotia.
CHAPTER IX
HOMECOMING.
Whether or not by the intention of his
aunt and cousin, Ronald at lust found
himself in the company of only Uncle
Hubert. It was late In the evening, but
despite the fact that they had com
pleted Just that afternoon their tiresome
Journey from New Brunswick, Ronald
felt no weariness. His thoughts were
too busy with the morrow, when he
(( MOMENT, birdie;
A do not flee,"
Whispered
Father Time,
And poised upon tho up
turned finger
A dove, disdaining long to
linger;
Impatient to be off was he,
This messenger to eVry
clime. i
The first of monthly cour
tiers Sent by Father Time,
Like arrow loosed from bow,
went speeding
Toward earth, his master's
warning heeding
To scatter
the words
score of young a-lrls .blowing beautiful
eyea from globules of .milky white
: glass, the pupils of brown or blue be
ing deftly inserted with the blowpipe.
(These youthful workers are in dark
ness, save for the light which comes
from the Ares.
Firmly fastening the eyes In their
sockets with plaster,- hundreds of dol
lies' heads are now sent to have their
bodies given them. This is accom
plished In a Jiffy, and soon dollies are
seen standing smilingly on shelves
rows and rows of them H Joyful to
have passed through the trying or
deal. 'Thus. 16, 000 dollies are made'
each day. Nor do they seem the least
bit worried over the fact that as yet
they have no clothes. Perhaps some
was to return to New York, there. to
take up the thread of school life. The
thought was very - distasteful to him
But his comradeship with Uncle Hubert
had taught . him . one great lesson not
to shirk any duty ' or - hardship.
Removing his eyes from the glow
ing coals In the fireplace, he turned to
MAKING OF A BEAVER TRAP
his uncle, who had been steadfastly
regarding him through clouds of to
bacco smoke.
"Uncle." he began, flinging back the
coat (grown much too small), and reso
lutely squaring his shoulders.
"Well, my lad," responded Uncla
Hubert, quietly.
"I only want to promise, uncle, that
I'm not going to funk. , I I Und I want
to be something more than a savage,
after, all. and hanged If I'm going to
'let a few simple lesson books get the
better of me."
Uncla Hubert grasped Ronald's' hand
tightly In bis own. "You'll do. lad."
aid he. "You'll succeed as well with
- those lessons as you have succeeded in
learning what I've tried to teach you
In the forest and . there you've dona,
"nobly; yesnoblyl" .
So it was that when the train sped .
sooth through .New England,, bearing .'
him farther and farther away from the
forests he loved. Ronald's courage, was
upheld by his uncle's encouragement and-
belief In him. Nor was r Uncle; Hubert:
alone In his belief that Ronald was go
ing id strive for and accomplish ambi
tious things, for when his mother folded
him ' in " her arms, and then, still hold
Ipg. her hands on his .shoulders, stepped
back to get a look at him,, and ex- '
claimed fondly, "I'm proud of my big,
fine boy," Ronald was sure that no
longer did she consider him a "perfect
savage.."
THE END.
far and . wide
nrl 1 rt tr IfinvAAil frt avwv
ions UVXVVU V. W 'J
: , . clime." ,
Twelve such messengers
." there fly . '
. Adown i'' throughout the
year : ,.:;"
Twelve," the months from,
i Father Time 1
Bestowed on people here.
fairy has told them that at the end of
the lane of Montempoive, In the Quar--;'
tier Pictua, women are laboring in
' dustrioualy upon . fashionable dollies'
frocks and hats. . .
But not all Parisian dolls are so ele
gantly clothed. Simple little dollies
are made by convicts and sold for a
, penny apiece along the boulevards. '
All little girls want dollies, you know;
and the daughters of , peasants .love
their dollies 1-st as much as the
daughters of kings love theirs.
And so you see where SOME little
.' girls' dollies come from not yours, of
course, for, as Polly Evans has al-
ready said. YOURS was , created bv '
' Santa Claus himself, or by a kind
r fairy.: . ; -.
V
if i u r
D
angerbus
1
'"jST
r OW, fellers, 'since It's the be-
ginnln , of the year when we
OllBrhtfl.' Via rnnlrln' ffArtil rm
olutlons. wouldn't It be a dandy thing
if we'd try to be friends with tha
. "Pirates'? ; You :' know? they say ws
should love our. ennerrales ' .
" "Gosh; ' BlUle talks like a Sunday
, school?-' Interrupted. Ike Jones. Cap
tain Bill ': Mumfora, of the "Bloody
Robbers," paused an instant,' until Ike
was properly smothered by an ava-
, lanche of cushions. Then he resumed.
; earnestly: X
, "Thi nk b" the dandy games we could
have together, If we both, played fair
stead'of always fightin,-
1 Tha other "Robbers" looked rather
dubiously at one another, Somehow they
thought It would seem funny not to
be warring; with their old enemies, the
."Pirates." But Blllie had grreat ln-
fluence, and finally it was vpted that
the attempt should be made-to patch
up a year's truce with the Pirates."
At the .same time this .melting waa
being held there was another gathering
of boys in the Woodshed attached t
Mike Flannlgan's house, Mike Flan
nlgan, as every one knows, was cap
tain of the "Bloody Pirates," and he
, ' A ' TREACHEROUS PUSH
It was, who was speaking to the "tel
lers of, the gang."
4You. . Reddy; ain't you the feller
that went aroun' sayln' it was time
to eleo a , aptin? .Well, we're here
now an' we're bavin, i our meetln".
Who is it yure goln' ,to elec'T All I
got to say is -that whoever else you
want for captln -win have - to down
me first before he kin hev the, honor!"
; Mike waved hi flat , threateningly,
whereapon the look Of defiance upon
Reddy's' face disappeared and he cow
ed before' tho powerful Mike as did
the other "Pirates." There was no
doubt that Mike would be captain, all
right , ..." , .. .;' , ., . . ' ,
"Since we're havin' a nieetln' " 'con
tinued Mike, when all question of the
captaincy was settled, "I think we
might pass a resolooshum to lick, the
stufflns out of them 'Robbers' the com
ing year."
Amid frensled cheering the vote was
made unanimous.
Both meetings were finished at about
the same minute. Thus It happened that
a group of 'Pirates" , met : a similar
number of "Bobbers" not far from
Mike Flknnlgan's home.
Captain Billy, who was among ths
MIKE WAS MADE A TARGET
"Robbers,", saw his opportunity. Ad
vancing 'toward Captain Mike, he ex
tended bis hand peaceably. The latter
was disturbed for: the moment. Was
this some trick of the "Robbers"? They
would see that they: couldn't fool .HIM.
As this ; thought passed through his
mind he saw that just behind Billle was
a snowdrift,- The temptation was too
great. One sudden, strong push from
Mike and BlUle' was floundering up to
his neck in the snow. :
. But this .was too ranch for the other
jrtoDoere. f orgetting tneir gooo reso
lutions, thev chareed the "Pirates" so
; savagely that they were utterly routed.
Then they deliberately tied Mike, whom
they had captured, to- a lamppost and A
n .... U J 1 1 1 1 1 avi 1111 , i i hi. . i piivn-
balls until tha poor "Pirate" began to
despair of escaping with his life. .
That evening Blllie told Lieutenant
Skinny of the adventure. In conclu
sion, he said to Skinny, confidentially:
"No decent people could ba friends with
thorn 'Pirates.' They ain't got any con
sciences at an."
Would Sell Hl Chancac
Patriotic Gentleman My lad. every
American boy has the chance of be
coming President, Just -as every Eng- '
' lish boy has the opportunity of being
prime minister. -
Small Boy (thoughtfully) Wall. I'll
sell my chance for a dollar. ;
'