PART II

COMMUNITY OCCUPATIONS

Stories About People Who Minister to Our Daily Needs

These stories develop very simply, the fundamental ideas of service,

dependence and interdependence, and reciprocal duties. They also teach

incidentally the civic virtues of thoroughness, honesty, respect, etc.,

which form the subject matter of Part I of this book.

STORIES ABOUT PEOPLE WHO PROVIDE US WITH FOOD

THE BAKER

I. An Early Call

“Good morning, children,” said Mrs. Duwell, with a bright smile—so

bright that it seemed as if the oatmeal she was stirring smiled too.

“Good morning, mother,” said Ruth. “My, but we are early this morning;

it is only seven o’clock.”

“Good morning, mother,” said Wallace, sleepily. “May I go back to bed

again?”

“Yes—after supper to-night,” replied his mother. “But I am glad you are

up, for I am expecting a caller to knock at the door any moment.”

“Who is it?” asked Ruth.

“Oh, he is a very important man,” said her mother. “The strange part of

it is that he never rings the front door bell, but always comes to the

kitchen door and knocks.”

“Please tell us who he is!” cried both the children.

[Illustration: TELL A STORY ABOUT THIS PICTURE]

[Illustration: THE NEXT TIME A LOAF OF BREAD COMES TO YOUR HOUSE, WILL

YOU LOOK INTO IT AND SEE IF YOU CAN FIND PICTURES LIKE THE ONES IN THE

LOAF ON THIS PAGE?

HERE YOU WILL FIND PICTURES OF HARVESTING, GRAIN ELEVATOR, BAKERS AT

WORK, AND BAKER WAGON.]

“Yes,” went on Mrs. Duwell, “he is going to bring us the most useful

and wonderful article sold in any store in this city.”

“Oh, mother, tell us what it is,” begged the children.

Just then there came a heavy knock at the kitchen door.

“There he comes with it now, I believe,” whispered Mrs. Duwell.

“Wallace, you may open the door.”

Wallace ran quickly to the door and opened it, and there stood—the

bread man.

“Oh, mother,” exclaimed Wallace, “it’s only the bread man!”

“Wallace,” said his mother, “speak more politely. Say ‘good morning,’

and take a loaf of bread and a dozen rolls.”

“Now, mother, tell us who it is you expect, and what he is going to

bring,” coaxed Ruth as soon as the door was closed.

“Sit down and eat your breakfast, children, and I will tell you all

about it.”

When the children had been served, she went on: “The man I spoke about

has just gone—he is the bread man. Isn’t a loaf of bread the most

useful and wonderful article sold in any store in the city?”

“Why, mother, you are joking!” exclaimed Wallace.

“No, indeed, I am not. Tell me, children, what must you have in order

to live?”

“Food,” replied Ruth.

“Correct; and what article of food do we most need?”

“Bread,” replied Ruth.

“I believe that is so,” said Wallace, after thinking a moment. “I am

going to talk with father about it when he comes home to-night.”

“That is right; I think he will tell you something about wheat fields

and bake ovens,” said Mrs. Duwell. “Now run along to school or you will

be late.”

II. The Staff of Life

“Father,” said Wallace, as the family sat about the supper table that

evening, “a very important man called at the door this morning before

we went to school.”

“He did! Who was he?” asked Mr. Duwell.

“Guess who,” said Ruth. “He left us the most wonderful and useful

article sold in any store in this city.”

“Who was he? What was it?” Mr. Duwell pretended to be very curious.

“Guess! See if you can guess!”

“Let me see—oh, yes, it must have been the mayor with a pound of

butter.”

“Guess again,” shouted the children.

“A policeman, with a bottle of ink.”

“No, guess again!”

“I give it up.”

“The bread man with that loaf of bread,” cried the children, pointing

to the loaf on the table.

“Well, well, I believe you are right, children,” said their father. “I

certainly ought to have guessed, although I never thought of the bread

man as a very important man before.”

“Mother explained it to us this morning and said that you would tell us

about the wheat fields and bake ovens,” spoke up Ruth.

“I certainly will, children,” said their father, looking pleased. “Let

me see; what is this made of?” he asked, picking up a piece of bread.

“Flour.”

“Yes, what kind?”

“Wheat flour.”

“Correct; so this is wheat bread. What other kinds of bread are there?”

“Rye bread, bran bread, graham bread.”

“Yes; and in Europe bread is often made of oats and barley.”

“Bread is sometimes called by another name,” said their mother; “did

you ever hear of it? The staff——”

“The staff of life,” finished the children.

“I have an idea,” cried their father suddenly. “The Spotless Bakery is

about three squares up the street. It is open in the evening. I know

the manager. Let us go up there to see how they make bread.”

“Hurrah for dad! Fine, come on!” cried Wallace.

“I wish mother could go,” Ruth said.

Her mother shook her head; “No, dear, I’ll not go this time, but thank

you for thinking of it.”

“We won’t be long, mother, and we’ll tell you about everything when we

get home,” said Wallace, as the three left the house.

III. A Visit to the Bakery

Soon they came to a big square building that seemed to be all windows,

blazing with light. Over the door was a sign which read:

THE SPOTLESS BAKERY

The children had often seen the building before but had never been

inside.

They entered and their father asked to see the manager. Soon he came

bustling in—a round smiling little man, dressed in a spotless white

suit.

“Good evening, Mr. Duwell,” he said, shaking hands.

“Good evening, Mr. Baker,” replied Mr. Duwell. “This is Ruth, and this

is Wallace. They want to see how bread is baked, if you are not too

busy for visitors.”

“I shall be delighted to show you,” said Mr. Baker, smiling and shaking

hands with both children; “this way, please.”

Up a narrow winding stair they climbed to the sifting room on the

fourth floor.

“Every bit of flour starts on its journey through these sifters,” said

the manager, pointing to a row of box-like sifting machines.

On the floor stood a huge pile of bags of flour. “Each one of these

bags holds one hundred and forty pounds,” he explained.

Passing down the stairway they saw the store-room piled high with more

bags of flour. “There are more than a thousand of them,” said the

manager.

Then they came to the mixing room. Everything was white—the huge mixers

were white; the walls were white; the bakers were dressed in white with

odd round white caps; the dough trays were white—everything was white

and spotless.

“The flour from the sifters above comes through an opening in the

floor into the mixers. Then the yeast and other things are added. The

electric power is started. The great iron arms of the mixers turn, and

twist, and mix until the whole mass becomes dough,” Mr. Baker explained.

Along the wall were the dough trays in which the dough is set to rise.

These trays remind one of huge white bath tubs on wheels, a little

wider and deeper and about twice as long as the ones in our houses.

“How much will each one of those hold?” asked Wallace, pointing to the

trays full of creamy dough.

“Enough to make eleven hundred loaves,” answered the manager.

“Why, there must be over forty of them,” said Wallace, looking down the

long line. “How many loaves do you bake in a day?”

“We have two more bakeries like this, and in the three we bake about

one hundred thousand loaves a day—besides rolls and cakes.”

“Why, I didn’t know there was so much bread in the world,” said Wallace.

“Yes, my boy, there are bakeries almost everywhere. We supply only a

small part of the bread needed in our large city.”

As they went down the next stairway to the baking room, the pleasant

odor of fresh-baked bread came up to meet them.

“Here they are!” cried Ruth. “Look, Wallace, here are the bake ovens!”

All that could be seen on one side of the room was a long row of black

oven doors, set in a low white-tiled wall.

On the other side of the room were large oblong tables, around which

the white-uniformed bakers were busily working.

The dough was piled high on the tables. One baker cut it into lumps.

Another made the lumps into pound loaves, weighing them on a scale.

Another shaped the loaves and put them into rows of pans, which were

slipped into large racks and wheeled to the oven door.

“Look,” said Wallace, “they are going to put them in!”

A baker put four loaves on a long-handled flat shovel; then quickly

opened the oven door and slipped them inside.

“Look at the loaves!” cried Wallace, peeping into the open door.

“Hundreds of them. How many will that oven hold?”

“Six hundred,” said the baker, closing the door.

“Look,” cried Ruth, “they are taking them out of that other oven. There

comes our loaf for breakfast, Wallace.”

Farther down the room a baker was lifting out of an oven the nut-brown

loaves, bringing with them the sweet smell of fresh bread.

“Isn’t it wonderful!” said Mr. Duwell, who was almost as excited as the

children. “Notice how all the men work together, everyone doing his

part to help the others.”

“What are the baking hours?” he asked the manager.

“From twelve o’clock, noon, till midnight, the ovens are kept going as

you see them now,” said the manager.

“We will go down one more flight to the shipping room,” he added,

leading the way.

There the finished loaves were coming down from the floor above on

great racks to wait for shipping time. The space in front of the

shipping platform was crowded with wagons and automobiles.

[Illustration]

“Why, look!” said Wallace, “there are more wagons than automobiles. I

should think you would use automobiles entirely.”

“No,” replied the manager, “the automobiles are better for long

distances; but for short distances, where the driver has to start and

stop, horses are much better. When the driver serves bread along a

street he calls, ‘Come Dolly,’ or whatever the horse’s name is, and

the horse follows. The horse is alive; the automobile isn’t.”

“When does the delivery start?” asked Mr. Duwell.

“Soon after midnight.”

After thanking the manager for his kindness, shaking hands all around,

and bidding him good-night, the little party hurried home.

All that night Wallace dreamed that he was putting loaves of bread

into a big oven and lifting them out, brown and crisp, on the end of a

long-handled shovel, loading them into a delivery wagon, and driving

all over the city, so that the people could have fresh bread for

breakfast.

IV. Where the Wheat Comes From

At the table the next evening the children were still talking about

their visit to the bakery.

“Well, children,” said their father, “we followed the flour through the

bakery to the loaf on our table. What do you say if we take a little

journey to the place where the wheat comes from.”

“Fine!” cried Wallace. “When can we start?”

“Right now, son, but it will be a stay-at-home journey,” said Mr.

Duwell; and everybody laughed.

“Let us see,” Mr. Duwell went on; “where did the thousand bags of flour

we saw in the bakery come from?”

“I know,” said Ruth. “I read ‘Minn.’ on one of the bags.”

“Good, Ruth,” said her father. “That is what I call using your eyes.

What does ‘Minn.’ stand for?”

“Min-ne-so-ta,” answered Wallace quickly.

“Correct! Minnesota has great wheat fields, and so have North and South

Dakota, Kansas, and many other states; but the wheat in our loaf grew

in Minnesota.

“Wallace, step over to the bookcase and bring me the large book marked

‘W.’”

Wallace brought it in a moment.

Mr. Duwell opened the book and found some colored pictures.

“Here we are,” said he. “What does it say under the first picture,

Ruth?”

“‘Reaping and Binding Wheat,’” read Ruth, bending over the book.

“Right! There is our loaf growing, and there is the machine cutting the

wheat and tying it into bundles. What does it say under this picture,

Wallace?”

“‘Threshing by Steam,’” read Wallace.

“Yes—taking the wheat from the straw and chaff. What comes next, Ruth?”

“‘Grain El-e-va-tor,’” read Ruth.

“What is a grain elevator?” asked Mr. Duwell.

“Why, the place where the wheat is stored until needed.”

“Yes,” said Mr. Duwell, “some elevators are so large that they will

hold nearly two million bushels of wheat.”

“Plenty large enough to hold our loaf,” added Mrs. Duwell.

“Now read again, Wallace.”

“‘In-te-ri-or of Flour Mill,’” read Wallace.

“Yes, that is where they grind the wheat into white flour and remove

the bran.”

“Bran is the outside coat, isn’t it?” asked Ruth.

“Yes, that’s it! Now read again.”

“‘Train Being Loaded with Flour,’” read Ruth.

“Yes, that must be a picture of the fifteen car loads of flour used

every week by the Spotless Bakery.”

“I never would have believed it took so many people to make a loaf of

bread,” exclaimed Mrs. Duwell. “Let me see: the plowman, the sower,

the reaper,—go on, Wallace.”

“The thresher, the miller, the train-men, the baker—” added Wallace.

“And the baker’s horses,” finished Ruth.

QUESTIONS

Have you ever visited a bakery? Tell about it.

The Duwell family had a splendid time finding out

things about their bread and rolls, didn’t they?

Why don’t you try it with some of the other things you

eat?

Can you think of some ways of helping this very useful

man, the baker?

Suppose company had come unexpectedly to see your

great-grandmother when she did not have bread enough

baked. How would she have gotten bread for her guests?

What would your mother do if the same thing happened to

her?

* * * * *

Praise God for wheat, so white and sweet,

Of which we make our bread!

Praise God for yellow corn, with which

His waiting world is fed!

—_Edward Everett Hale._

[Illustration]

BAKING THE JOHNNY-CAKE

Little Sarah stood by her grandmother’s bed,

“Now what shall I get for your breakfast?” she said.

“You may get me a johnny-cake. Quickly go make it,

In one minute mix, and in two minutes bake it.”

[Illustration]

So Sarah went to the closet to see

If yet any meal in the barrel might be.

The barrel had long been as empty as wind,

And not a speck of corn meal could she find.

But grandmother’s johnny-cake, still she must make it,

In one minute mix, and in two minutes bake it.

[Illustration]

She ran to the store, but the storekeeper said,

“I have none. You must go to the miller, fair maid,

For he has a mill, and he’ll put the corn in it,

And grind you some nice yellow meal in a minute.

Now run, or the johnny-cake, how will you make it,

In one minute mix, in two minutes bake it?”

[Illustration]

Then Sarah she ran every step of the way,

But the miller said, “No, I have no meal to-day.

Run, quick, to the cornfield, just over the hill,

And if any corn’s there, you may fetch it to mill.

Run, run, or the johnny-cake, how will you make it,

In one minute mix, in two minutes bake it?”

[Illustration]

She ran to the cornfield—the corn had not grown,

Though the sun in the blue sky pleasantly shone.

“Pretty sun,” cried the maiden, “please make the corn grow.”

“Pretty maid,” the sun answered, “I cannot do so.”

“Then grandmother’s johnny-cake, how shall I make it,

In one minute mix, in two minutes bake it?”

[Illustration]

But Sarah looked round, and she saw what was wanted;

The corn could not grow, for no corn had been planted.

She asked of the farmer to sow her some grain,

But the farmer laughed till his sides ached again.

“Ho! ho! for the johnny-cake, how can you make it,

In one minute mix, in two minutes bake it?”

[Illustration]

The farmer he laughed, and he laughed very loud—

“And how can I plant till the land has been plowed?

Run, run, to the plowman, and bring him with speed;

He’ll plow up the ground and I’ll fill it with seed.”

Away, then, ran Sarah, still hoping to make it,

In one minute mix, in two minutes bake it.

The plowman he plowed, and the grain it was sown,

And the sun shed his rays till the corn was all grown.

It was ground at the mill, and again at her bed

These words to kind Sarah the grandmother said,

“Please get me a johnny-cake—quickly go make it,

In one minute mix, in two minutes bake it.”

_From “Child Life: A Collection of Poems,”

Edited by John Greenleaf Whittier._

[Illustration]

THE MILKMAN

I. Before the Sun Rises

“What do you think one of our lessons was about to-day, mother?” asked

Ruth, coming in from school one afternoon.

“I couldn’t guess,” said her mother. “What was it about?”

“The milkman.”

“The milkman,” repeated Mrs. Duwell in surprise; “that must have been

interesting.”

“Yes, we just talked. Teacher asked questions; she asked if we liked

bread and milk or cereal and milk, and said that they made an excellent

breakfast.

“What do you think, mother,” Ruth went on; “teacher told us that not

many years ago the milkman came around with big cans of milk and

measured whatever you wanted, a pint or a quart, into your pitcher or

milk pail.”

“Yes, that is true,” said Mrs. Duwell. “That is the way they did when I

was a little girl. How did they come to change? Did your teacher tell

you?”

“People found that it was not san-i-ta-ry, teacher said. The milk was

not always kept clean; so the milkmen put it into pint and quart

bottles, with paper caps to keep out flies and germs.”

[Illustration: TELL A STORY ABOUT THIS PICTURE.]

[Illustration: THE NEXT TIME YOU DRINK A GLASS OF MILK THINK ABOUT WHAT

A LONG JOURNEY IT HAS TAKEN.

THE MILK IN THE BOTTLE IN THIS PICTURE CAME IN A BIG CAN FROM THE COW

TO THE RAILROAD STATION, ON THE TRAIN TO THE CITY DAIRY WHERE IT WAS

BOTTLED AND TESTED. IT WAS THEN SENT OUT IN A LARGE AUTO TRUCK TO THE

DELIVERY WAGON WHICH TOOK IT TO THE DUWELL FAMILY.

DOES THE MILK WHICH YOU USE TAKE AS LONG A JOURNEY AS THAT?]

“Did you find out where the milk comes from?”

“Oh yes, from the farms. Teacher showed us pictures of cows; some

with tan and white coats—Jerseys; and some with black and white

coats—Holsteins, I think she said. I should love to see real cows.”

“So you shall, dear, the next time we go into the country.

“I remember,” continued Mrs. Duwell, “hearing your grandfather say that

when he was a boy he had to be out of bed before daylight, sometimes as

early as three o’clock, and go out into the cold barn to milk the cows.”

“Three o’clock in the morning!” exclaimed Wallace, who had just come in.

“Yes; then he had to hurry into the kitchen for breakfast, then out

again, hitch up old Dobbin, load the milk cans on the wagon and drive

to the nearest station to catch the milk train. He had to do all this

by six o’clock—before most people in the city think of getting up.”

“My, there wasn’t much fun in that,” said Wallace.

“No, indeed. You remember the deep snow in March last winter. I asked

our milkman what time he started on his rounds. What do you think he

said?”

“Six o’clock,” replied Wallace.

“Earlier than that, son,” said Mrs. Duwell. “He laughed and said, ‘I

have to load up and start by three o’clock to serve all my customers

before breakfast.’”

“Yes,” added Ruth, “teacher told us about that and asked what would

happen if the driver overslept and did not get over the route before

breakfast.”

“What did you answer?”

“Why, that we might have to do without milk for breakfast.”

“Or we might have to wait for breakfast until eleven o’clock,” said

Wallace.

“Oh, Wallace,” cried Ruth, “I didn’t say that! If we waited for

breakfast until eleven o’clock we would be dreadfully late for school.”

“And dreadfully hungry, too,” said Wallace. “I’m glad our milkman gets

up on time.”

II. Milk, from Farm to Family

“Well, what I want to know is, where the Clover Leaf Dairy gets our

milk from,” said Wallace.

[Illustration]

“It is this way. The dairy wagon meets the milk train and takes the

cans of milk to the dairy. There they test the milk to see if it is

pure and fresh.

“Next they empty the milk into a big white tank and heat it to kill

the disease germs. After quickly cooling the milk, they put it into

bottles, and it saves the babies’ lives,” said Ruth almost without

stopping to take breath.

Her mother smiled and asked, “Did your teacher tell you the name of

that work?”

“Yes; but it was a long word, and I have forgotten it,” answered Ruth.

“Pas-teur-i-zing.” Her mother said it for her.

“Yes, that’s it—pasteurizing. I could not think. It kills all the bad

germs so that the milk is safe for even the weakest babies.

“Teacher told us about a good man in New York,” Ruth went on, “named

Mr. Straus, who was sorry because so many babies died from drinking

impure milk. He made it so that poor babies in New York could have

pasteurized milk; and then less than half as many died as before.”

“Wasn’t that a noble thing to do,” said her mother.

“Yes; our teacher says that almost everybody uses pasteurized milk now,

and in this way thousands of babies’ lives have been saved. She says

that we ought to be grateful.”

“Yes, indeed,” said Mrs. Duwell; “we ought to be grateful to the

milkman, the farmer, and everybody that helps to bring us pure milk.”

QUESTIONS

Would you like to get up long before daylight, on cold

winter mornings to deliver milk for people’s breakfast?

Tell some of the things you like that you could not

have to eat if the milkman did not come.

Have you ever visited a big dairy?

Tell about it.

Imagine you own a herd of cows in the country, and tell

some of the things you would do in order to be sure to

send good, pure, clean milk to the dairy.

[Illustration]

THE GROCER

I. The Old-time Grocer

“Wallace, light another candle, please. I cannot see very well,” said

Mr. Duwell as he sat smiling at the head of the dining table, with

carving knife lifted ready to carve the roast.

Wallace turned on another electric light, and everybody laughed.

“That’s a good guess, son,” said his mother. “On my grandfather’s farm

they always burned candles, and grandmother made them herself.”

“Made them herself!” exclaimed Ruth.

“Yes,” replied her mother. “I have often seen the candle moulds. They

looked like a row of tin tubes fastened together. The wicks were hung

in the middle of the tubes, and the melted tallow was poured in around

them. When the candles were hard and cold, they were slipped out ready

for use.”

“Your grandmother must have been smart. What relation was she to me?”

asked Ruth.

“Your great-grandmother, dear. She was ‘smart,’ indeed. She made not

only candles, but soap.”

“Soap!” said Ruth in surprise.

“Yes, and butter,” said Mrs. Duwell.

“Your great-grandfather was ‘smart,’ too,” said Mr. Duwell. “Why,

Wallace, he butchered a pig or two, and sometimes a cow in the fall for

the winter’s meat.”

“Weren’t there any grocers or butchers?” asked Wallace.

“Yes, indeed; your great-grandmother was the grocer, and your

great-grandfather was the butcher for the family.”

“But weren’t there any stores?”

“Yes, the stores were in the big kitchen pantry, the cellar, and the

ice-house.”

“I mean grocery stores like Parker’s, and Wiggin’s,” explained Wallace.

“No, until the towns and villages sprang up there were no stores such

as we have now,” said Mr. Duwell. “You see, there were not many people

to buy things in the early days, and they lived on farms many miles

apart, so it did not pay anyone to keep a store.

“Why is the grocery so useful to everybody?” he asked.

“Because it sells food.”

“That is it. You see, when enough people lived in one place to make a

village or town, some one opened a store. Now, how did he get flour to

sell?”

“From the miller.”

“Right—and potatoes?”

“From the farmer.”

“Yes, the miller brought flour and the farmer brought potatoes to the

grocer for him to sell.”

“And when grandma made more butter than she could use she sent it to

the grocer,” added Mrs. Duwell.

“Where did the grocer get his stock of brooms, Ruth?” asked her father.

“From the broom-maker.”

“That is the idea. All who grew or made more things than they could

use brought them to the grocer to be sold. So the grocer helped them

and they helped him, and the people went to the store for their

supplies.

“You must remember, children,” went on Mr. Duwell, “the old-fashioned

country store was very different from Parker’s grocery around the

corner. Besides groceries, it sold harness, horse blankets, hardware,

shoes, and everything people needed.”

II. The Modern Grocer

“Suppose Wallace were a grocer, Ruth, how would you like his store to

be kept?” asked her mother.

“Clean—oh, so clean!” replied Ruth.

“Yes, what else?”

“Full of shelves with all the packages and bottles and other things in

their places.”

“How would you treat the people, Wallace?” asked Mrs. Duwell.

“I would be very polite, and try to have every article they wanted

fresh and good.”

“That is right, and I know you would be honest and truthful.”

“If you were that kind of grocer, Wallace,” said Mr. Duwell, “you would

be of real service to the people.”

“What kind of customers would you like to have, Wallace?” asked Mrs.

Duwell.

“Oh, people who paid their bills on time and didn’t find too much

fault,” answered Wallace.

“Well,” said Ruth, “if you were anything like that, your customers

would certainly call you The Spotless Grocer.”

[Illustration]

QUESTIONS

Think of all the extra work your mother and father

would have to do if there were no grocery stores. Is

there one near your house? Are you glad?

What kind of grocery store do you like?

What kind of grocer do you like to deal with?

Try playing store, and pretend that your customers will

not pay their bills and that the men from whom you buy

come to insist on your paying them. What will happen?

If you were a real grocer, would you like that to

happen?

Can you think of some other ways you can help the

grocer besides paying your bills promptly?

STORIES ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HELP CLOTHE US

THE TAILOR

I. The Accident

Wallace was very proud of the new suit of clothes his father had just

bought him. He wanted to wear it to school the first day after it came

home.

“If I were you I should keep it for best for a while, Wallace,” said

his mother. “Your old suit is good enough for school for some time.”

“But Tom Dolittle is going to wear his new suit to-day; he told me so.”

“It doesn’t seem wise to me, Wallace—but wear it if you think best.”

“All right, mother,” said Wallace as he skipped away to put it on.

A few minutes later his mother stood watching a very happy boy running

down the street.

“Mother!” called Wallace, walking slowly upstairs when he came in from

school.

“Here I am, boy, in the sitting room,” answered his mother.

“Just see what has happened to my new suit!”

“Have you torn your jacket?”

“No, it’s not torn,” he said, coming into the room. “It is worse than

that. I’m afraid it is ruined. Look! Look!”

“Why, child,” exclaimed Mrs. Duwell, “how did this happen? Let us go

into the bathroom to wipe off a little of the mud. That may prevent

stains.”

She hardly knew the mud-splashed boy who stood before her, so very

unlike the spick and span Wallace of the morning.

“Well, dear, don’t worry too much,” she said. “We will see what the

tailor can do for us.”

“Do you suppose he can make it clean enough for me to wear?” asked the

boy eagerly.

“I think that he can make it look very well,” said his mother. “Put on

your other suit and we will take this one around to the tailor’s shop.

But you haven’t told me what happened.”

“Why, it was this way: I was chasing some of the boys, and just as I

reached the corner an automobile came speeding out of West Street. It

skidded into the curb, and splashed the mud over me from head to foot.

The whole thing happened in less than a minute. You ought to have heard

the boys laugh!”

“I am thankful you were not hurt,” said his mother. “I will put on my

wraps and we will go at once.”

II. At the Tailor Shop

“Good afternoon,” said Mrs. Duwell to the tailor as they entered the

shop.

“Good afternoon,” said the tailor. “What can I do for you to-day?”

“We want to see if you can make this suit of clothes look like new,”

said Mrs. Duwell.

“Let me look at it,” said the man, untying the parcel, and examining

the mud-splashed clothing.

“Well, that is pretty bad, but I guess we can do a good job.”

“How much will you charge?” asked Wallace anxiously.

“Seventy-five cents, if you call for it,” said the tailor, taking out a

tag. “What name, please?”

“Give your name, son,” said Mrs. Duwell.

“Wallace Duwell,” said the boy. “When may I come?”

“Day after to-morrow,” replied the tailor. “We will do our best to make

it look like new.”

“Thank you,” answered Wallace, smiling for the first time since the

accident.

[Illustration: TELL THE STORY OF THIS PICTURE.

IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR COAT CAREFULLY YOU WILL FIND A STORY ABOUT SHEEP

SHEARING, SPINNING, WEAVING, AND TAILORING JUST LIKE THE STORY SHOWN IN

THE PICTURES IN THE COAT ON THE OPPOSITE PAGE.]

[Illustration: DO YOU EVER THINK OF THE MANY PEOPLE WE HAVE TO THANK

FOR OUR NICE WARM CLOTHING?]

“Good afternoon,” said Mrs. Duwell, as they left the shop.

“Good-by,” answered the tailor; “come again.”

“Mother,” said Wallace, after they had walked a few minutes, “it was

my fault that this accident happened, and I want to pay for having the

suit cleaned. I have the money Aunt Mary gave me for Christmas.”

“That will please your father, Wallace. We will tell him the whole

story this evening.”

III. What the Tailor Saved the Duwell Family

When Wallace finished telling about the accident his father said, “I

wonder how much money the tailor is saving us by doing this work?”

“I never thought about that,” admitted Wallace.

“Let me see. We paid seven dollars and a half for that suit, didn’t we,

mother?” asked Mr. Duwell.

“Yes, I think that was the amount,” answered Mrs. Duwell.

“Well, if the suit couldn’t be cleaned it would mean that we should

have to buy another in its place. Mother can clean a suit well, but

even she could not make as sorry a looking suit as yours look like

new. Now do a little problem in arithmetic.”

Wallace promptly pulled pad and pencil from his pocket, and wrote:

+--------------------------------------+

| Cost of suit $7.50 |

| Tailor’s charge for cleaning, .75 |

| ----- |

| Saved $6.75 |

+--------------------------------------+

“Six dollars and seventy-five cents! I didn’t think it would be that

much!” he exclaimed in surprise.

“Be sure to thank the tailor when you go after your suit,” said Mr.

Duwell.

“I certainly will,” said Wallace.

QUESTIONS

Do you ever visit the tailor’s?

Tell about his shop.

Do you think his work is easy? Could you do it?

If you were a tailor and had worked hard to do good,

prompt work, how would you like to be treated in return?

If your suit could talk about all the things that

happened to it before it came to you, it would tell a

very interesting story. Pretend you are a suit and tell

all about yourself.

THE DRESSMAKER

I. An Invitation to a Party

“Mother,” said Ruth, coming in from school a few days later, “Mildred

Maydole has invited me to her birthday party. She wrote the invitations

herself on the prettiest little note paper. Here is mine.”

Mrs. Duwell read:.

Dear Ruth,

It will give my mother and me much pleasure if you will

come to my birthday party from three to six o’clock,

Saturday afternoon, January twenty-eighth.

Your friend,

Mildred Maydole.

“Oh, mother, please say I may go!” cried Ruth excitedly, jumping up and

down on tiptoe. “Mildred wants an answer soon, so that her mother can

make her plans.”

“Why, my dear, I think you may go,” said her mother, “if I can get your

new dress made by the twenty-eighth. You have grown so fast that I have

not been able to keep up with you in sewing.”

“I am so happy with the thought of going,” exclaimed Ruth, “that I can

scarcely wait for the day. You know, mother, Mildred is older than I,

and it is a great honor to be invited to her party.”

“Yes, indeed, it is,” agreed her mother. “Naturally Mildred could not

invite all the children in your grade at school; so if I were you I

would not talk about the party before the other children. You see, it

might hurt the feelings of some who were not invited.”

“That’s just what Mildred said, mother; she asked us to keep it a

secret for that reason.”

“Well, dear, if you do keep it secret, do not make a mystery of it,

whispering among the fortunate ones and letting the others wonder why

you all say, ‘Hush,’ when they happen to come near.”

“Why, mother! how did you know?” asked Ruth flushing. “Now that I think

of it, that is just what we did do.”

“Instead of just telling Mildred that you will come,” said her mother,

“I think it would be better to write a note accepting the invitation.”

“I’ll do it right away!” exclaimed Ruth, running to her little desk.

“Will you help me with the words?”

“Yes,” said Mrs. Duwell. “How would it do to say this:

Dear Mildred,

My mother is very much pleased with the kind invitation

to your birthday party, and says that I may come on

Saturday afternoon.

Your friend,

Ruth Duwell.”

When Ruth had finished writing, she sealed the envelope.

“I shall hand this to Mildred after school is dismissed at noon,” she

said. “Thank you for helping me, mother.”

II. A Disappointment

Mrs. Duwell had been unusually busy for several days after the

conversation about the party.

One day she said, “Ruth, dear child, I cannot seem to find time to

make your new dress. I wonder if Miss Fells could make it before the

twenty-eighth. Why not run over and ask her?”

“Yes, mother, why not? I think that is a good idea,” agreed Ruth.

“I do, too,” said her mother. “Here is the material that grandma sent

you. Run along, and do not forget to thank Miss Fells if she will agree

to make your dress.”

“No, indeed, mother, I won’t,” said Ruth.

III. At the Dressmaker’s

“Good afternoon, Miss Fells,” said Ruth, when she entered the door of

the dressmaker’s house.

“Good afternoon, Ruth,” said Miss Fells, who knew the little girl.

Then, noticing the package, she added, “Oh, I hope you are not going to

ask me to make you a dress any time soon.”

Ruth’s heart sank. “I was going to, Miss Fells,” she admitted.

“How soon?” asked the dressmaker.

“By January the twenty-eighth.” Then she told about the party and her

mother’s disappointment.

“I don’t see how I can do it—” began Miss Fells. Then seeing the tears

in Ruth’s eyes, she said, “But let me look at the goods, Ruth.”

The little girl spread the material out on the table.

“Isn’t it pretty!” exclaimed Miss Fells. “Perhaps I can get some extra

help. Come for a fitting to-morrow at four o’clock, and we’ll see what

can be done.”

“Oh, thank you, thank you, Miss Fells!” Ruth exclaimed.

Then she ran all the way home to tell the good news.

[Illustration: WHAT IS RUTH ASKING THE DRESSMAKER?]

[Illustration: THE “BUTTERFLIES” ON THIS PAGE ARE THE MOTHS OF TWO OF

OUR AMERICAN SILKWORMS.

IN OLDEN DAYS, SPINNING WAS DONE AT HOME. TODAY WE HAVE GREAT SPINNING

AND WEAVING MACHINES, AND MUCH OF OUR CLOTHING IS MADE IN FACTORIES.]

“Now we see, Ruth,” said her mother, “how glad we should be that

different people do different things for us. A person who studies and

works in one special line must do better than one who works at it only

once in a while—the way I do dressmaking.”

“Why, that is true, mother,” exclaimed Ruth, “I never thought of it

before, though.”

“There are many more things to be learned about dressmakers,” went on

her mother. “Let us talk about some of them this evening.”

“Mother, I suppose father will ask a lot of questions—just as he did

about the tailor.”

“I don’t doubt that,” said Mrs. Duwell, “and I am glad that you are

interested. I have heard my grandmother say that when she was young,

there were no ready-made paper patterns.”

“Why, mother, how could people make dresses then?” asked Ruth.

“It was done in this way. A seamstress or some one who liked to make

dresses would cut out and fit a dress for somebody in her family or

neighborhood. If the dress was pretty, the pattern would be borrowed

and used by almost the entire village.”

“Didn’t people mind if other dresses were made just like theirs?” asked

Ruth.

“No,” said her mother, “styles did not change quickly in those days.

Indeed, the getting of a new dress was a great event in the life of a

girl, and it was chosen most carefully.

[Illustration]

“You see, it served first as a best dress; then, being turned, it often

served as second best. After that, perhaps it would be handed down to a

younger child to be worn as long as it had been by its first owner.”

“My,” cried Ruth. “I am glad I didn’t live in the days when new dresses

were so scarce.”

Mrs. Duwell smiled. “Children to-day have more of everything than

children ever had before. They have more clothes and playthings, and

better chances for ed-u-ca-tion—but here comes your father, Ruth. You

may run and tell him of our plan for the evening.”

Mr. Duwell was very much pleased with the plan. When the evening came

he asked and answered many questions. He then showed the children

pictures of silkworms in a large book marked “S.”

“By the way,” he asked, “do you know that we have silkworms right here

in America? The American silkworms spin silk as strong and beautiful as

that of the Chinese silkworms. But the people here do not have the time

or patience to grow silkworms.”

IV. The Party

Ruth’s dress was not finished until an hour before the party began.

As soon as the last stitch was taken, Miss Fells herself carried it to

the Duwell home.

Ruth was “on pins and needles” for fear it would not be done in time,

and she was delighted to see the dressmaker.

“Oh, Miss Fells, I cannot thank you enough for getting it done!” she

cried.

“Hurry and put your dress on,” said Miss Fells. “I want to see how it

fits.”

In less time than it takes to tell, Ruth was dressed.

“It fits perfectly,” said Miss Fells, who was almost as happy as Ruth

herself.

“It certainly does,” said Mrs. Duwell. “It is just right.”

Mildred was very glad when Ruth arrived at the party, for she knew of

her worry about the dress.

“It is beautiful, Ruth,” she said, looking with sparkling eyes at the

pretty smocking on the waist and skirt. “Miss Fells told me she was

going to surprise you,” she added.

“She surely did surprise me. Wasn’t she kind!” replied Ruth.

The party was a delight. One of the games was a contest in needle

threading. Ruth threaded her needle in the shortest time and won the

prize, a pretty silver thimble.

“Perhaps the new dress helped you to win,” said Mildred.

“Won’t Miss Fells be pleased when she hears about it,” said Ruth.

QUESTIONS

Does your mother ever sew for a long time without

resting?

How does her back feel when she stops?

Do you think dressmaking is easy work?

Can you tell some of the things dressmakers need in

their work?

If you have ever visited a silk or woolen or cotton

mill, tell about it.

Where do the mill owners get their materials?

Where do the stores get ready-made clothing?

Could you or the shoemaker or the baker make as

beautiful and comfortable clothing as the dressmaker?

Why can she do it so well?

How can we make her work easier?

THE SILK DRESS

“My dress is pretty,” a little girl said.

“Did you make it?” I asked. She shook her head.

“No, I didn’t make it,” she laughed in glee.

“It took lots of people to make it,” said she.

“I’ll tell you about it, because I know

What my mother told me is truly so.

“The silkworms grew it, and after a while

Men unraveled it into a pile;

Girls spun it and wove it and sent it away,

And my mother bought it for me one day;

And the dressmaker cut it and sewed it for me—

These are the reasons I love it,” said she.

THE SHOEMAKER

I. The Worn Shoes

“Where now, Wallace?” asked Mr. Duwell as he met his son one bright

afternoon.

The boy was carrying a bundle under his arm.

“Mother sent me over to the shoemaker’s,” replied the boy.

“I am glad I ran across you,” said Mr. Duwell; “I have an errand over

in that direction; I’ll walk along with you.”

“Oh, all right, father. Mother said she wished she could ask you about

my shoes. We could not make up our minds whether they were worth

half-soling or not.”

“Why not talk the matter over with the shoemaker?” said Mr. Duwell.

“I suppose I shouldn’t have let them get so worn before taking them to

Mr. Shoemaker’s,” remarked Wallace.

“As mother says, ‘A stitch in time saves nine,’” remarked Mr. Duwell.

“By the way, father,” continued Wallace, “isn’t Mr. Shoemaker’s name a

good one for a cobbler?”

Mr. Duwell smiled. “Very good, indeed; but really it isn’t so strange

as it seems. Many years ago, when people did not have two names, they

became known by the names of the trades they followed. For instance,

John the baker became John Baker, and later Mr. Baker; so also the

tailor became Mr. Taylor; the mason, Mr. Mason; the carpenter, Mr.

Carpenter.”

“And the blacksmith, Mr. Smith; and the cook, Mr. Cook,” added Wallace.

“Yes,” said his father, “and we could think of many more such names;

but here we are at Mr. Shoemaker’s. Suppose you attend to this little

matter of business by yourself, while I do my errand.”

This made Wallace look pleased and important as he stepped into the

shop.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Shoemaker,” he said.

“Good afternoon,” replied the shoemaker; “what can I do for you to-day?”

Wallace handed him the parcel, which he opened.

“Do you think it would pay to put half-soles and new heels on these

shoes?” asked the boy.

“Pretty good uppers,” replied the shoemaker, examining them carefully.

“I think it would almost double the length of life of these shoes to

mend them, but I would not wear the next pair quite so long before

having them mended.”

“I think you are right,” said Wallace. “How much will you charge?”

“A dollar and a quarter for soles and heels,” replied the man.

“Isn’t that a good deal?” asked Wallace.

“Not too much if we use the best quality of leather, and it doesn’t pay

to use any other.”

“All right, Mr. Shoemaker,” agreed Wallace. “When shall I call for

them?”

“On Saturday,” he replied, writing Wallace’s name on a tag.

“Very well, good afternoon.”

“Good-by,” said the shoemaker.

Outside the door Wallace was joined by his father.

“I do not know whether I did right to leave my shoes, father,” said

Wallace. “Mr. Shoemaker said the charge would be a dollar and a

quarter. Doesn’t that seem a big price?”

“It does,” replied Mr. Duwell, “but I think you did right. A new pair

of such shoes would cost three dollars and seventy-five cents.”

“And three dollars and seventy-five cents, less one dollar and a

quarter, equals two dollars and a half saved,” finished Wallace.

“That is true, my boy,” said Mr. Duwell, “if they last as long as a new

pair.”

[Illustration: TELL THE STORY OF THIS PICTURE.]

[Illustration: CAN YOU TELL SOMETHING ABOUT TANNING AND FINISHING

LEATHER? HAVE YOU EVER VISITED A SHOE FACTORY?]

[Illustration: IT SEEMS STRANGE TO THINK THAT THE LEATHER IN OUR SHOES

WAS ONCE WORN BY ANIMALS, DOESN’T IT?]

“I suppose we ought to be very much obliged to the shoemaker, even

though we do pay him for his work,” mused the boy aloud.

“So we should,” said his father. “Everyone who does good work helps the

world along, whether he is paid for it or not.”

“But I shouldn’t want to be a shoemaker,” went on Wallace.

“Why not, Wallace?”

“Oh, I hardly know, father.”

“Shoemaking is very interesting, and it requires skill, my boy. Of

course, the making of new shoes does not require the skill it did years

ago because so much of the work is done by machines.”

“Did you ever hear of a shoemaker who became a great man?” asked

Wallace.

“Oh, that is the question, is it?” said Mr. Duwell with a smile. “I

have heard of several, and this evening I shall be glad to talk about

them.”

II. Shoemakers Who Became Famous

That evening, when the family was seated around the library table, Mr.

Duwell brought out a book and took up Wallace’s question.

“Here is a book,” he said, “that tells many facts about shoemakers who

became noted men. Let me read about some of them.

“‘One of our most famous American poets, John Greenleaf

Whittier, in early life, was a shoemaker. Whittier

never forgot the lessons he learned while working at

the shoemaker’s bench. His book of poems, called Songs

of Labor, printed in 1850, contains a stirring poem

about shoemakers.’

“Here are two other famous men,” said Mr. Duwell, turning the page he

was reading.

“‘Among noted Americans who were shoemakers was Roger

Sherman, of Con-nec-ti-cut. He was a member of the

Congress of 1774. Sherman was one of the brave men who

signed the Dec-lar-a-tion of In-de-pen-dence.

“‘At least one vice-president of the United States was

a shoemaker—Henry Wilson, who was made vice-president

when General Grant became president in 1872. He was

often called “the Na-tick Cobbler,” because he was once

a shoemaker in the town of Natick.’

“So you see, Wallace,” Mr. Duwell went on after a little pause, “the

kind of work you do doesn’t matter so much. It is how well you do it

that makes the difference.”

* * * * *

“I think I do see, father,” said Wallace. “Maybe, after all, I’ll be a

shoemaker. Then, perhaps, I’ll become a poet or vice-president of the

United States.”

Everybody laughed.

“Wouldn’t you rather be a tailor?” asked Ruth.

“I don’t believe I should stand as good a chance then,” replied Wallace.

“I am not so sure,” said Mr. Duwell laughing. “Andrew Johnson was a

tailor, and he became President of the United States; but all mother

and I hope for, son, is that you will become a useful, well-educated

man.”

III. At the Shoemaker’s Shop

When he called for his shoes on Saturday, Wallace looked at the

shoemaker with new respect.

“Good morning, Mr. Shoemaker,” said Wallace. “Are my shoes ready?”

“Good morning,” replied the shoemaker. “Yes, here they are.”

“They look fine!” exclaimed the boy. “Thank you for doing such a good

job. Here is the money—a dollar and a quarter—is that right?”

“Yes, thank you,” replied the shoemaker. “It isn’t every day that

a customer thanks me for doing a good job. Most people don’t

give a thought to anything but finding fault if the work isn’t

right—especially boys.”

QUESTIONS

Is there a shoemaker’s shop near your home?

Did the shoemaker ever save you or your family any

money?

Can you tell about him and his shop?

What kind of customers do you think he likes?

See if you can make a list of the people whom you have

to thank for a new pair of shoes.

* * * * *

Rap-tap! rap-tap-tap!

Rings the shoemaker’s hammer;

He’s making old shoes look quite new

With swift and merry clamor.

Rap-tap! rap-tap-tap!

List to the shoemaker’s song;

By mending shoes he does his part

To help the world along.

STORIES ABOUT PEOPLE WHO SUPPLY US WITH SHELTER

[Illustration]

THE CARPENTER

I. A Trip into the Country

“It’s just possible that I may be home very early, perhaps in time for

twelve o’clock lunch,” remarked Mr. Duwell, one Saturday morning as he

was starting for business.

“Oh, wouldn’t that be fine!” exclaimed the children. “We’ll be looking

for you.”

Even before the noon whistles had ceased blowing, three eager faces

were peering out of the windows, for Mrs. Duwell was as interested as

Ruth and Wallace.

“Oh, I do hope father will come soon!” exclaimed Ruth.

“I am sure to see him first,” said Wallace with a superior air. “I can

see farther than you!”

“You can’t see father any better than I can,” replied Ruth, “for I see

him this minute.”

“You do? Where?” asked Wallace.

“I certainly do—may I run to meet him, mother?”

“Oh, I see him!” cried Wallace. “I am going, too!”

“Yes, run!” said Mrs. Duwell. “You both have better eyes than I have.”

Almost before she had finished speaking, the children were racing

toward a carriage. As the driver drew rein, they climbed in.

“Well, here we are!” Mr. Duwell sang out, as they drove up in front

of the door. “What does the Duwell family say to a ride this pleasant

afternoon?”

“What a grand surprise!” called Mrs. Duwell, who was now standing on

the top step.

“I am going to get an apple for the horse,” cried Wallace, and away he

ran. In a moment he returned.

“How does that taste, old fellow?” he asked, rubbing the horse’s soft

nose as he munched the apple.

“He isn’t really hungry,” said Mr. Duwell. “He had his dinner just

before we left the livery stable, and the stable man gave me a bag of

grain for his supper; but I guess he doesn’t often get apples.”

It didn’t take long to eat lunch that day, the family were so excited.

“Where are we going, father?” asked Wallace.

“Just into the country,” said Mr. Duwell. “It has been so long since we

have seen the green fields that I thought a trip would do us all good.”

Soon they left the city streets behind, and came to a beautiful country

road, along which they drove for several miles.

“Oh, see that funny-looking house!” exclaimed Ruth suddenly. “It looks

like a cage!”

“That isn’t a house, yet,” said Mr. Duwell; “it is only the frame-work.”

“Oh,” exclaimed Wallace, “is that the way wooden houses are built?”

“It is, little city people,” replied Mr. Duwell. “No wonder you are not

familiar with such a sight. City houses are not built of wood, because

of the danger of fire.”

“I should like to see that house closer,” said Wallace.

“We’ll drive over there,” his father agreed, turning the horse’s head.

As they drew near, Wallace exclaimed, “Why, there’s Mr. Emerson on the

porch; he is my teacher. I wonder what he is doing here.”

At that moment Mr. Emerson saw the boy. “Good afternoon, Wallace,” he

said, lifting his hat and bowing to the party as he came toward the

carriage.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Emerson,” said Wallace, lifting his cap; “I should

like to have you meet my mother and father.”

Mr. Emerson bowed, and shook hands with Mr. and Mrs. Duwell.

“And this is Wallace’s sister, Ruth,” said Mr. Duwell.

“I am glad to know you, Ruth,” Mr. Emerson said. “Are you thinking of

moving into the country?” he asked after a minute. “If so; I hope you

will be my neighbors.”

“Do you live here, Mr. Emerson?” asked Wallace.

“Not yet,” replied Mr. Emerson, smiling; “but we hope to when the new

house is finished.”

“What a comfortable home it will be,” said Mr. Duwell.

Mr. Emerson looked pleased. “Won’t you come in and see the plan?” he

asked.

“Thank you, we shall be delighted to,” said Mr. Duwell.

II. The Sawmill

After they had gone all over the house, they bade Mr. Emerson good-by

and drove away.

“Won’t it be fine! How I should love to live there!” The children were

still talking about the new house.

“Where do you suppose Mr. Emerson got the wood?” questioned Ruth.

“I know,” answered Wallace; “at the lumber yard.”

[Illustration]

“Did he, father? Couldn’t he have just chopped down some of those trees

over there?” asked Ruth, pointing to a wooded hill to the right.

“I hardly think so,” replied Mr. Duwell. “Before trees can be used in

building they have to be—”

“Sawed into boards and planks,” finished Wallace.

“Good!” said his father. “And where is that done?”

“At the sawmill,” said the boy.

“That reminds me—” said Mrs. Duwell; “there is a sawmill over at the

bottom of that hill. Mr. Emerson told me about it. Some of his lumber

came from there.”

“Then this road must lead to it,” said Mr. Duwell, pulling up at a

cross-road that ran through the woods towards the hill.

“What does that sign-post say, Wallace?”

Wallace jumped out and examined the dingy sign, which was hardly

readable.

“Sawmill Road; this is the right way!” he cried.

They had not driven far along the shady road when a peculiar, whistling

sound met their ears.

“There’s the saw, now, I believe!” exclaimed Mrs. Duwell.

“So it is,” said Mr. Duwell. “Trot along, boy!” he urged the horse.

At a turn in the road they came upon the old sawmill, nestling at the

foot of the hill. The smooth mill pond shone brightly in the sun. As

the water fell over the dam, it tumbled into a noisy little brook which

ran under a bridge and away down the valley. The refreshing odor of

pine and cedar filled the air.

Several men were busy sawing the trunk of a pine tree into long, clean

planks. The children watched the circular saw with wonder as its sharp

teeth ate into the sweet-smelling wood. Its shrill music delighted them.

“Yes, sir,” the foreman replied to a question of Mr. Duwell’s, “most

sawmills are run by steam power. Very few old-fashioned water wheels

are left in this part of the country. Let me show you our wheel.”

“This is the sluice-way,” he explained, pointing to a long narrow canal

full of flowing water. “The sluice-way leads the water from the pond to

the top of the wheel.”

Going down a flight of steps on the outside of the building, they

stood right beside the old moss-covered wheel. It was a huge wooden

framework with shelves or buckets all around the wide rim to catch the

water.

The water poured out of the sluice-way over the wheel, turning it

slowly and steadily. As the wheel turned, the water kept falling with

noisy splashes into the stream below.

“What makes it go round?” asked Wallace eagerly.

“The force and weight of the water pouring over it,” replied the

foreman. “That is what we call water power.”

“Think of it, children!” said Mr. Duwell. “That old wheel helped to

build Mr. Emerson’s house.”

“Yes,” said the foreman, “it has helped to build many houses besides

Mr. Emerson’s. That old water wheel has been sawing wood just as you

see it now for over a hundred years.”

III. The Carpenter

On the way home the little party talked about their adventures.

“Mr. Emerson must have had help to build a house like that,” remarked

Ruth after a pause.

“Oh, he didn’t build it, goosey,” said Wallace.

“Who did, then, Mr. Know-it-all?”

“Why, the carpenter, of course,” Wallace replied.

“Oh, I see,” exclaimed Ruth. “The carpenter builds the house for Mr.

Emerson, and Mr. Emerson has time to teach you boys.”

“That is exactly right, little girl,” said her father.

“Besides, no one person can do many things well. Perhaps Mr. Emerson

is a better teacher for not trying to do too many things,” Mrs. Duwell

added.

“I think a carpenter is wonderful, don’t you?” said Wallace.

“The greatest man that ever lived was a carpenter,” said his mother.

“Whoa, boy!” exclaimed Mr. Duwell, drawing up the reins sharply. “Don’t

get frightened at a piece of paper, when you’ve done so well. Whoa,

there, boy!”

The horse seemed to understand the quiet gentle voice, and settled down

to an even trot.

“He will go well enough now,” said Mrs. Duwell. “He knows we are headed

for home.”

“So we are! I wish we were headed the other way,” said Wallace. “What

makes a good time so short?” he asked, so seriously that everybody

laughed.

IV. The Wolf’s Den

“Mother, I may be late in getting home from school this afternoon,”

said Wallace on Monday at noon. “Mr. Emerson said he was going to take

us for a walk after school to-day. He told us to ask if it would be all

right. Will it, mother?”

“Yes, Wallace, but try to be home before dark.”

“I’ll tell you all about our trip at supper time,” said Wallace.

“Good-by.”

Wallace bounded in just as supper was being put on the table.

“Good evening, everybody. Oh, it was fine!” he exclaimed. “Mr. Emerson

took us for a long walk in the park—to a part I have never seen before.”

“That was splendid,” said his mother.

“Now, tell us all about your trip,” said his father, when Wallace had

partly satisfied his hunger.

Wallace began: “We walked until we reached the wild part of the park.

Soon we came to a steep hill and a great pile of high rocks covered

with trees and bushes.

“‘How many of you boys have ever been in a real cave?’ Mr. Emerson

asked. Only three of us had, and we were very much excited.

“‘Well,’ he said, ‘right above that big granite rock there is a natural

cave. It was found only a few days ago. The opening was covered with

bushes, so nobody knew it was there. It must have been the den of some

wild animal years ago. The opening is so small that only one boy can go

in at a time.’

“He divided us into four sections and made me the leader of section one.

“One at a time we climbed up until all five boys of my section were on

top of the rock. There was the cave, a dark opening in the rocks about

as big around as a barrel. Being the leader, I had to go in first.”

“Weren’t you scared?” asked Ruth.

“Well—it was exciting,” admitted her brother. “I got down on my hands

and knees and looked in, but could see nothing. Then I crawled in. It

was as dark as a pocket. I tried to stand up and bumped my head, the

ceiling was so low.

“In a minute or two I could see better. The walls of the cave were

nothing but rocks. The floor was covered with sand and dry leaves.

There was just room enough to turn around in, so I turned around and

crawled out.”

“Well, I call that pretty brave, Wallace, to go in first,” his mother

said.

“There wasn’t anything to be afraid of, mother,” said Wallace. After a

moment he continued, “Well, after the boys in my group had all been in,

we climbed down, and the other sections went up and did the same thing.

Every boy went in, although some of the little fellows looked pretty

white when they came out. Then we sat on the rocks, and Mr. Emerson

talked about the homes of wild animals and the early savages.

“‘What animal do you suppose lived in this cave?’ Mr. Emerson asked us.

Some guessed wolves and some, bears. We finally decided to name it The

Wolf’s Den.

V. The Cave Dwellers

“Mr. Emerson said that wild animals live in just the same way to-day

as they always did. They live in caves and holes in the ground or in

hollow trees, where they can hide and keep warm.

“One boy spoke up, ‘How about dogs, Mr. Emerson?’

“‘Well,’ Mr. Emerson said, ‘dogs are tame animals now, although they

used to be wild. But even the dog’s house is a wooden cave which his

master builds for him.’

“He told us that a long time ago people lived in caves which they dug

in the earth like animals. They were cave dwellers or cave men. The

reason we have better homes now is that we have greater minds than

animals and have learned to use our hands and brains to build houses.

“He said that the cave men must have thought it wonderful when they

found they could make stone hatchets sharp enough to cut down small

trees. With them they learned to make huts out of wood, which were

larger and more comfortable than caves and just as safe from storms.

“As time went on, men paid more attention to building. They learned

to make houses of stone and clay and brick. They kept on studying and

improving until they were able to build great cities such as we have

to-day.”

“Listen!” exclaimed Ruth, clapping her hands as Wallace finished his

story. “Wouldn’t Wallace make a good teacher! That sounded exactly like

the way Mr. Emerson talks.”

“Nothing like so interesting, though,” said Wallace. “He promised to

show us his new house when it is finished.”

“Wouldn’t I like to go with you!” said Ruth.

QUESTIONS

Are there any houses being built near you?

Have you ever watched the carpenter at work?

Tell about some of his tools.

In the early days in this country men had to build

their own houses. Were these log cabins as comfortable

and well built as our houses are to-day?

How is it that the carpenter can do so much better work

than you could?

Where does the carpenter get his lumber?

Have you ever visited a sawmill?

Wouldn’t you like to ask at the library for some books

that tell about cave men and cliff dwellers? about

lumbering?

[Illustration]

THE BRICKLAYER

I. The Fallen Chimney

All day long the rain came pouring down. By night the wind rose with a

shriek and a roar, banging unfastened shutters and rattling windows in

their casings.

“Oh, dear, what an awful night!” exclaimed Ruth. “How glad I am that

Fluffy is safe indoors!” and she stroked the little cat lying on a

cushion on the sewing machine.

“And how glad I am that Harry Teelow found that lost puppy to-day,”

said Wallace.

“Pretty bad, isn’t it?” Mr. Duwell said, looking up from his paper.

“I don’t suppose the bricklayer came to mend the chimney to-day. He

couldn’t have worked in such a storm.”

“No, he did not come,” replied Mrs. Duwell with a troubled look. “Do

you suppose there is any danger of its tumbling down?”

“Well, I can’t say,” replied Mr. Duwell, shaking his head doubtfully.

“I wish I had stopped to see Mr. Bricklayer a week ago when I first

discovered how loose the bricks were, instead of waiting until—”

But he did not finish the sentence, for bang! even above the terrific

noise of the storm came the sound of falling bricks and broken glass.

The family rushed into the little kitchen, which was built on the end

of the house.

What a sight met their eyes!

Water was pouring through a hole in the ceiling where the roof had

given way. Rain splashed in great gusty dashes through the window where

the bricks had broken through.

Already there was a little lake on the floor.

Ruth was the first to speak. “If it keeps on,” she said, half laughing

and half crying, “it will be quite deep enough for Alice and the mouse

and the Dodo to swim in!” She was thinking of Alice in Wonderland, you

know.

That made everybody laugh, and all began to work. They placed tubs and

pails where they would catch the water, and stuffed old cloths into the

broken window panes.

It was fully an hour before the family were settled down again in the

living room.

“Well, children, you can now understand the saying, ‘Never put off till

to-morrow what should be done to-day,’” remarked Mr. Duwell.

“It is a lesson none of us will soon forget,” added Mrs. Duwell.

[Illustration]

[Illustration: THIS PICTURE SHOWS A CLAY PIT, A KILN, BRICKMAKERS,

BRICK ROADWAY, CULVERT, CHIMNEY, BRIDGE, MEN LAYING BRICKS.]

“Could you and I have mended the broken chimney, father?” asked Wallace.

“Not very well, my boy,” replied Mr. Duwell. “‘Every man to his trade,’

you know. By the way, I hope Mr. Bricklayer will be here before you

children start to school in the morning. Run to bed now so that you can

be up early to see him begin his work.”

II. The Bricklayer

The next day dawned bright and sunny, with only a merry little breeze

to remind one of yesterday’s storm.

The bricklayer did not come before the children started to school in

the morning, but just after lunch. They had only time to watch him and

his helper climb to the roof.

“I am going to get home from school early,” said Wallace; “maybe they

will not be through by that time.”

“I am, too,” Ruth chimed in. “I wonder what bricks are,” she added.

“Bricks? Why, don’t you know?” asked Wallace. “Our manual training

teacher told us that bricks are a sort of imitation stone made of

moistened clay and sand mixed together, and shaped as we see them. They

are baked in an oven-like place, called a kiln, or dried in the sun.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that. I wonder who first thought of making them.

They are something like sun-baked mud-pies,” said Ruth.

“Our teacher said that bricks three thousand years old have been found

in Egypt, some with writing on them.”

“Oh, I remember that the Bible tells about bricks. Why, Wallace, men

must have been bricklayers for thousands of years!”

“It is lucky for us they haven’t forgotten how to make them, for what

could we do without a chimney?” said Wallace. “Hello, there is Harry! I

want to see him about the ball game;” and away he ran.

III. After School

Wallace brought Harry, and Ruth brought Mildred Maydole home after

school to watch the bricklayer work.

“Why, how straight and true the bricks must be!” exclaimed Harry. “A

bricklayer has to be very careful, doesn’t he?”

“Indeed he does,” replied Wallace. “Do you know what the mortar is made

of?”

“Yes; I think I do. It is lime and sand and—something else,” Harry

said. That made them all laugh.

“I think the most wonderful brick work I ever saw,” said Mildred, “was

in the arch of a big sewer. I couldn’t tell why the bricks didn’t all

fall down. My father said the mortar held them.”

“Why, if it weren’t for bricklayers, and cement workers, and stone

masons, we should be without lots of things!” exclaimed Harry. “Just

imagine it, if you can.”

“That’s so,” said Wallace. “Let’s count what we know of that they build

for us—sewers, bridge piers,—go on, Mildred.”

“Pavements,” added Mildred.

“Houses and chimneys,” said Ruth.

“Foundations for houses,” said Harry.

“Here comes father!” cried Ruth suddenly; and all the children ran to

meet him.

“We’ve been talking about how it would be if there were no bricklayers,

or stone masons, or cement workers, father,” said Wallace.

“I’m glad to hear that,” said Mr. Duwell. “I was thinking very much the

same thing as I walked home so soon after such a heavy rain without

getting my feet wet.

“I remember what Benjamin Franklin wrote,” he went on, “about the

streets of Philadelphia in his day. He said the mud after a storm was

so deep that it came above the people’s shoe-tops. It was Benjamin

Franklin himself who first talked of paving the streets.”

“I’m glad they aren’t as bad as they were in Benjamin Franklin’s time,”

said Mildred.

QUESTIONS

Have you ever watched a bricklayer working?

What was he doing?

Could you have done it?

Where do you suppose he got his bricks?

Have you ever seen bricks being made?

Are bricklayers, cement workers, and stone masons more

needed in the city or in the country? Why?

* * * * *

Do you know how our city grew,

Its lofty buildings raising?

Its pavements, parks, and bridges, too—

Whose labors are they praising?

Just the workmen who every day

Did their work in the very best way.

[Illustration]

THE PLUMBER, THE PLASTERER, THE PAINTER

I. A Visit to a Little Town

“I have an errand to do just outside the city limits,” said Mr. Duwell

one pleasant Saturday morning. “Would you like to go with me, Wallace?”

“I certainly should,” said the boy.

In a few minutes father and son were on the electric car, speeding

toward Oldtown.

When there, they walked up the main street, which was lined with rows

of shabby houses, badly in need of paint. Little pools of standing

water lay in the gutters.

“What an awful smell! I should think it would make people sick! And

look at the flies!” exclaimed Wallace.

“I have no doubt it does make people sick,” said Mr. Du well. “Flies

and mosquitoes breed very rapidly in such places.”

“Flies and mosquitoes carry disease germs, Mr. Emerson says,” observed

Wallace.

“So they do; they are more dangerous to health than poi-son-ous

snakes,” his father said.

“Why don’t the people clean their gutters?” asked Wallace.

“I suppose they do sometimes,” replied his father; “but Oldtown will

never be clean and healthy while the dirty water from the houses is

drained into the streets and alleys. Waste water must be carried off by

means of pipes into a sewer. That is the work of the plumber. A good

plumber is a health officer.”

“What a lot of people it takes to keep things going right, father! This

town certainly does need a plumber,” remarked Wallace.

This remark seemed to please Mr. Duwell very much.

“How would you like to move to Oldtown, Wallace?” asked his father when

their errand was finished and they were riding home.

“I shouldn’t mind,” said Wallace, “if I were a plumber.”

II. At Home

When Ruth saw them coming, she ran to meet them.

“What do you think, father!” she exclaimed; “the plasterer came while

you were gone, and mended the kitchen ceiling. Mother is so pleased!

Come and look at it!”

“That’s very well done,” said Mr. Duwell, examining the neat patch over

the large hole which the falling chimney had made. “But it makes the

whole room look as if it needed a new coat of paint. What do you think,

mother?”

“I think it would make me a better cook to have a nice clean kitchen,”

said Mrs. Duwell, smiling.

“You couldn’t be a better cook, mother!” Wallace said, eyeing the good

meal which was ready to be put on the dining table.

“That is what we all think, Wallace,” said his father; “and we think,

too, that such a good cook deserves a better kitchen. So on Monday I

will ask the painter to see about doing the walls and woodwork.”

III. The New Kitchen

When the men had finished their work the kitchen was so changed that it

scarcely knew itself, as Wallace said.

Instead of dim walls and dull-gray paint, everything was white and

blue. A shining white sink with two bright nickel spigots was standing

proudly in one corner of the room.

Mrs. Duwell had just finished hanging a white dotted muslin curtain at

the window over the sink when Ruth entered.

“Oh, mother, doesn’t that look lovely!” she exclaimed.

“I thought such a bright clean kitchen deserved a clean new curtain,”

said her mother.

“Isn’t the kitchen beautiful!” Ruth went on. “It seems like living in a

fairy tale—as though we had wakened up to find things changed by magic.”

“It does, in a way,” agreed her mother; “but, really, they were

every-day fairies who brought about these changes and turned ugliness

into beauty.”

“I think I know their names,” Ruth said, laughing; “Mr. Plumber, Mr.

Plasterer, and Mr. Painter.”

“Why, how did you guess?” said her mother.

QUESTIONS

Did the plumber ever come to your house?

What did he do?

What would have happened if you could not have found a

plumber?

None of us would like to live in a town where there are

no plumbers. Why not?

Shut your eyes and try to imagine how the Duwell

family’s kitchen looked before the workmen began to

work; now imagine that they have finished their work.

Tell how different it looks.

Have workmen ever made such changes in your home?

Can you name some other people besides the carpenter,

the bricklayer, the plumber, the plasterer, and the

painter who help give us shelter?

[Illustration]

STORIES ABOUT PEOPLE WHO SUPPLY US WITH FUEL

THE COAL MAN AND THE MINER

I. Black Diamonds

“How are the black diamonds holding out, Wallace?” asked Mrs. Duwell.

Wallace had just brought up coal from the cellar.

[Illustration]

“Only a few more scuttlefuls in the bin, mother,” answered Wallace.

“On your way from school you may stop at the coal yard and ask Mr. Carr

to send a ton to-morrow.”

[Illustration]

“All right, mother, I won’t forget. But tell me, why do they call coal

black diamonds?”

“I haven’t time to talk about it now. Perhaps Mr. Carr will tell you.

You have just ten minutes to get to school.”

On his way home Wallace stepped into the little office of the big coal

yard.

“How are you, my boy; what can I do for you to-day?” asked Mr. Carr,

who was a rather tall man with a bent back and one shoulder higher than

the other.

“How do you do, Mr. Carr?” replied Wallace. “Mother wants you to send a

ton of coal to-morrow—the same kind as the last you sent.”

Wallace waited until the coal man entered the order in the book and

then asked, “Mr. Carr, will you tell me why they call coal black

diamonds?”

Mr. Carr smiled pleasantly. “Certainly, son, certainly. You see, coal

shines like diamonds, and then, it’s worth more.”

“Worth more? Why, I thought diamonds were worth more than anything

else.”

“No, indeed! If there weren’t any coal in the ground, all the diamonds

in the world wouldn’t heat a house, cook a meal, pull a railway train,

or run a machine.”

“Well, I never thought of that,” said Wallace. “You certainly could not

burn diamonds in a cook-stove.”

“No, indeed!” said Mr. Carr, who seemed much pleased at Wallace’s

interest.

II. In a Coal Mine

“Were you ever down in a coal mine, Mr. Carr?” asked Wallace.

“Was I ever down in a coal mine?” repeated Mr. Carr. “Yes, sir, I was a

miner for years in the coal regions, and would have been in a mine yet,

probably, if it hadn’t been for this,” pointing to his shoulder and

bent back.

“Is it very dangerous work?” asked Wallace, with wide-open eyes.

“Well, if the roof doesn’t fall on you, and if the mine doesn’t catch

fire, and if the gas doesn’t choke you, or explode and blow you up, it

isn’t dangerous; it is perfectly safe.”

“But how did it get hurt—your shoulder, I mean?” asked Wallace.

“Oh, that! I’ll tell you. One day we were getting out coal at the far

end of a tunnel. Suddenly, before we had time to run, the roof came

tumbling down and buried us. When they pulled us out, my helper was

dead, and my back was as you see it now.”

“What makes mining so dangerous?” asked Wallace, in surprise.

“Well, you see, it’s this way. When you step into the cage, that is the

elevator, you leave the sunlight behind. The cage sinks down, down into

pitch darkness, sometimes hundreds of feet. At the bottom of the shaft

it is like an under-ground city. Street-like tunnels, with car tracks

laid on them, run out in every direction. The coal cars are drawn by

mules or by electricity.

“As you go up the tracks you see cross tunnels and the miners’ little

lamps shining in dark holes that look like black caves. Here the miners

work, blasting out the coal, and loading it on cars to be drawn to the

mouth of the mine and hoisted up into daylight.

“Sometimes the walls and roof are not properly braced. Then they cave

in and great lumps of coal fall down on the men. Sometimes gas or

fire-damp collects. Then there is danger of choking or of being blown

up. Sometimes, in blasting, the coal catches fire, so that the whole

mine burns.”

[Illustration: CAN YOU TELL A STORY ABOUT THE JOURNEY OF A TON OF COAL

FROM THE TIME THE MINER DIGS IT OUT OF THE MINE, AND BOYS SORT OUT THE

SLATE, UNTIL IT IS PUT INTO THE FURNACE IN A HOUSE?]

“Why, miners must be as brave as soldiers,” said Wallace.

“Yes, I suppose they are brave. People do not know how much they owe to

the miners. They risk their lives every time they go down into the

mines. But they don’t think much about the danger. That is part of

their work.”

“Thank you for telling me about it,” said Wallace.

“You are welcome, my boy; good-by.”

“Good-by, Mr. Carr.”

Wallace hurried home with a new respect for Mr. Carr and the men who

work in the dark mines under the ground.

QUESTIONS

How does the coal man bring the coal to your house?

From whom does he buy it?

Pretend you are a piece of coal and tell the story of

your life.

Name some of the things which we would have to do

without if there were no miners or coal men.

Do you burn anything else at your house besides coal?

Are the men who supply us with these things our helpers

too?

Where does the wood man get kindling and firewood?

Where does the oil man get oil?

Will you ask for a book about pḗ-trō´lḗ-ŭm, or coal

oil, when you go to the library next time?

Can you think of any other people who supply us with

fuel?

STORIES ABOUT PEOPLE WHO CARE FOR OUR HEALTH

[Illustration]

THE DENTIST

I. Why Ruth Was Afraid

“Oh, dear!” sobbed Ruth. “O—h, dear!” She was sitting in her little

rocking-chair in the living-room.

“Why, what’s the matter?” asked Wallace, coming in to look for his

books. “Are you hurt?”

“No;” Ruth shook her head.

“Well, then, what is it?”

“Oh, Wallace, I am so afraid I’m going to be hurt. Mother says there

is a dark spot on one of my teeth. She is getting ready to take me to

Doctor Harrison’s. I have never had a tooth filled.”

“Well, of all the silly things I ever heard of,” exclaimed Wallace,

“that’s the silliest! What makes you think the dentist will hurt you?”

Ruth looked up in surprise.

“Haven’t you ever heard the boys and girls talk of how they were hurt

when they had teeth filled?” she asked.

“Oh, I have heard some boys talk,” Wallace admitted; “but they were

boys who never cleaned their teeth—”

“And who did not see a dentist until they had a toothache,” added Mrs.

Duwell, overhearing Wallace’s remark as she entered the room.

“What, crying?” she asked, noticing Ruth’s swollen eye-lids. “Why, my

dear little girl, the dentist is one of your best friends.”

“I guess some of the girls and boys would like him better if he didn’t

hurt them so much, mother,” said Ruth.

“That isn’t the dentist’s fault, children,” said Mrs. Duwell. “If boys

and girls had their teeth examined once or twice a year, the dentist

would catch the trouble in time and save them much pain.”

“I don’t suppose dentists ever want to hurt anyone,” Ruth said.

“No, indeed. I think they are very kind to be willing to do so in order

to save teeth. It is dreadful to have bad teeth. Nothing tastes just

right; and worse than that, bad teeth mean bad health. Good teeth are

a grist mill to grind our food. Without good teeth we cannot have good

health.”

“That is so,” said Wallace. “Even horses aren’t worth much after their

teeth are gone.”

“Why can’t they wear false ones?” asked Ruth with such seriousness that

Wallace burst out laughing.

“I wish they could, poor things,” said her mother; “but come, dear, we

must start.”

[Illustration]

II. At the Dentist’s

“Ah, here is a little girl whose mouth looks as though she brushed

her teeth regularly,” said Doctor Harrison, as he raised the big

comfortable arm chair in which Ruth was sitting.

“She certainly is good about that, doctor,” said Mrs. Duwell.

“Even so,” said the doctor, “I think I shall give her one of my little

picture cards.”

Ruth looked so pleased that he handed her two.

“One is for Wallace,” Ruth said.

“That picture is to remind forgetful children,” said the doctor. “Now

let us look at the twenty-odd pearls in your mouth, little girl.”

* * * * *

“Oh, Wallace, Doctor Harrison didn’t hurt me a bit,” cried Ruth,

running into the living-room after they had reached home. “He said that

he didn’t often hurt people who came to him in time. Here is a card, he

gave me for you.”

“Thank you,” said Wallace, looking at the card. “Oh, it’s to remind me

to brush my teeth. I wonder if he thought I needed it.”

“No, Doctor Harrison didn’t say that, Wallace; but he did say that we

wouldn’t want to eat anything with dirty hands, and that really dirty

teeth are worse than dirty hands.”

[Illustration: THE ROAD TO HEALTH.]

QUESTIONS

Do you have your teeth examined once or twice a year?

The dentist is one of your best friends. Why?

Do you think that the people in the United States would

be as well as they are, if there were no dentists? Why

not?

Suppose you had a toothache and there was no dentist to

whom you could go. What would happen?

Aren’t you glad that there are men who have studied, so

that they can help you take care of your teeth?

* * * * *

Suppose we children had to live

Without the help of others—

I mean, suppose we had to grow

Without the help of mothers;

Suppose there were no groceryman,

No milkman, doctor, baker,

No tailor who could make our coats,

And there were no dressmaker;

Suppose no people ever did

The things that they could do

To help each other in this world—

I wouldn’t want to live, would you?

[Illustration]

THE DRUGGIST, THE NURSE, AND THE DOCTOR

I. The Sick Baby

“Ruth, I wish you would stop at Doctor Marcy’s office on your way to

school,” said Mrs. Duwell a few days later, “and ask him to come to

see the baby. The little thing has a high fever.”

“Oh, dear, I hope baby won’t be sick!” exclaimed Ruth, kissing her

mother good-by.

All the morning she remembered her mother’s troubled look. At noon she

did not stop to talk with the girls, but hurried home as fast as she

could.

Wallace was there before her, though, having run all the way. He met

her at the door.

“Ruth,” he whispered, “I met Doctor Marcy as he came out, and he says

that the baby has pneumonia,[B] and it is a bad case. Mother doesn’t

know I am home. Can’t we get some lunch ready to take to her?”

“Yes, indeed,” replied Ruth, tiptoeing into the kitchen. “You put the

kettle on the fire and I’ll make some tea and milk toast.”

Mrs. Duwell looked very pale and weary when the children appeared with

the lunch tray.

“I didn’t know you were home, Ruth,” she whispered, stepping into the

hall. “How quietly you must have worked, children.”

“Is there anything else we can do to help?” asked Wallace.

“Why, yes, there is, Wallace. You may take this pre-scrip-tion to the

drug store to be filled. Ask the druggist to send the medicine over as

soon as possible.”

Just then the baby gave a pitiful little moan, which made the mother

turn again to the crib. The children stole softly downstairs.

[Illustration]

“I’ll run right over to the drug store, Ruth,” Wallace said, forgetting

his own lunch.

II. The Druggist

“Good morning, Mr. Jones,” he said breathlessly as he entered the

store. “Baby is very ill, and mother wishes this prescription filled.

She told me to ask if you would please send the medicine over just as

soon as possible.”

“Baby sick? How sorry I am, Wallace,” said Mr. Jones. “Of course we

will send it soon. I will see to it at once.”

“Oh, thank you.” Wallace drew a sigh of relief. “How much will it be,

please?”

The druggist examined the queer Latin words of the doctor’s

prescription. “This calls for one very expensive medicine, Wallace,” he

said; “so we shall have to charge seventy-five cents.”

“That will be all right,” said Wallace.

When he reached home Ruth had a nice lunch spread for him.

“I am not going to school this afternoon, Wallace,” she told him. “I’m

going to tidy up the house, and help mother.”

“Look at the clock, Ruth!” exclaimed Wallace suddenly, “I must start

right away—the medicine will be seventy-five cents.”

“I will have the money ready,” said Ruth. “Good-by.”

The druggist’s boy came with the medicine a few minutes after Wallace

left, and the baby was given the first dose at once.

When their father came the children had supper ready, but no one ate

much.

“I am glad you can be so helpful, children,” he said.

III. The Trained Nurse

For five days the whole family did everything they knew to help save

the baby’s life. Mr. Duwell was worried not only about the baby but

about the children’s mother.

“I agree with the doctor that it would be much wiser to have a trained

nurse,” he said on Saturday afternoon.

“But mother cannot bear the thought of letting anyone else take care of

the baby,” said Ruth.

“I know that mother is a splendid nurse,” Mr. Duwell continued; “but a

trained nurse knows all the best new methods of nursing, and could give

much relief to mother, who is tired out.”

Just then the bell rang.

“It is the doctor,” said Ruth. Mr. Duwell went to the door, followed by

the little girl.

The doctor was not alone. With him was a young lady. Ruth liked her at

once; she seemed so quiet and strong, and looked so kind.

[Illustration: DO YOU THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT KIND OF BED FOR A SICK

BABY? WHY NOT?]

“How do you do, sir?” said Doctor Marcy to Mr. Duwell. “This is Miss

Foster, a trained nurse. I am taking matters in my own hands, you

see. That good wife of yours is entirely worn out.”

“I am pleased to meet Miss Foster and I am very much obliged to you for

bringing her, doctor,” Mr. Duwell replied.

“It seems to me to be the very best thing to do. I have tried to

persuade Mrs. Duwell to see things that way,” said the doctor.

“Oh, come upstairs, doctor,” called Mrs. Duwell, hearing the doctor’s

voice; “I think baby is scarcely breathing.”

“Come,” said the doctor to the nurse, leading the way.

Mrs. Duwell was standing near the crib as they entered.

“This is the nurse I was talking about,” the doctor said, introducing

Miss Foster, and turning to look at the baby.

“I am very glad—” Mrs. Duwell started to speak, but she fainted away

before she could finish the sentence.

The nurse did not seem frightened. She laid Mrs. Duwell flat on the

floor. After sprinkling cold water on her face, she held some smelling

salts to her nose.

In a minute or two Mrs. Duwell opened her eyes. “I must have fainted,”

she said; “I am so glad you were here, nurse. Doctor, how is baby?”

“About as I expected,” the doctor replied. “I believe the worst will be

over to-night. Now, I want you to take this medicine which Miss Foster

will give you, and lie down for a while. I expect to come back about

ten o’clock to-night. Good-by; please obey Miss Foster’s orders,” he

added.

“It is such a relief to my mind, doctor,” said Mr. Duwell, meeting him

at the foot of the stairs, “to know that the nurse is here.”

“It is a relief,” replied the doctor. “If the strain had kept on much

longer, Mrs. Duwell would have had a long term of illness.”

IV. The Doctor, a Hero

The doctor and nurse watched by the baby’s bedside until the danger was

passed. Both wore happy smiles when the doctor assured the tired Duwell

family that the baby would live.

“Oh, doctor, money cannot pay you for your kindness,” said Mrs. Duwell.

“Through rain and snow storms, at midnight and at daybreak, you have

come to help us. How tired you must often be.”

“It is true, doctor,” Mr. Duwell added; “you risk your life as

willingly as a soldier does, every time you go into danger.”

“We doctors don’t think anything about that,” replied Doctor Marcy

modestly. “We are so anxious to have people get well.”

“Why, doctors are heroes like soldiers!” exclaimed Wallace, looking at

the doctor with new respect. “I never thought of that before!”

“Nurses are, too,” whispered Ruth; but Doctor Marcy overheard.

“That is right, Ruth,” he said. “Nurses are, too.”

QUESTIONS

The Druggist

How long does a druggist have to study in order to fill

prescriptions? Would it be safe to let those who have

not studied handle medicines? Why not?

How near is a drug store to your home? Can you imagine

how it would be to live ten miles from a drug store?

The Nurse

Can you give some reasons why a trained nurse can care

for a sick person better than an untrained one?

Do you know any trained nurses?

How long does a trained nurse study before graduation?

The Doctor

Did you ever need a doctor at your house?

How did you let him know? Did he come quickly?

What might have happened if he had not come?

Pretend, you are a country doctor and tell about some

of your long drives. Do you think doctors are heroes?

Why?

FOOTNOTE:

[B] Pronounced nū-mō´nē-ā.

ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE

A Play

Parts to be taken by Pupils

_Section I_

Baker

Milkman

Butcher

Grocer

or others who supply food

_Section II_

Tailor

Dressmaker

Shoemaker

Milliner

or others who supply clothing

_Section III_

Bricklayer

Carpenter

Painter

Plumber

or others who supply shelter

_Section IV_

Coal man

Miner

Wood man

Oil man

or others who supply fuel

_Section V_

Doctor

Druggist

Nurse

or others who help keep us well

_Teacher to Sec. I._ What do you do?

_Baker._ I am the baker; I bake bread.

_Milkman._ I am the milkman; I supply the milk.

_Butcher._ I am the butcher; I supply the meat.

_Grocer._ I am the grocer; I sell groceries.

_Teacher._ Do you make clothing or build houses?

_Baker._ No, we supply food for all; that is our part.

* * * * *

_Teacher to Sec. II._ What do you do?

_Tailor._ I am the tailor; I make the clothing.

_Dressmaker._ I am the dressmaker; I make dresses.

_Shoemaker._ I am the shoemaker; I make shoes.

_Milliner._ I am the milliner; I make the hats.

_Teacher._ Do you supply food or fuel?

_Tailor._ No, we make clothing for all; that is our part.

* * * * *

_Teacher to Sec. III._ What do you do?

_Bricklayer._ I am the bricklayer; I lay the bricks.

_Carpenter._ I am the carpenter; I build the houses.

_Painter._ I am the painter; I paint the houses.

_Plumber._ I am the plumber; I fit the pipes.

_Teacher._ Do you make clothes or attend the sick?

_Bricklayer._ No, we build houses for all; that is our part.

* * * * *

_Teacher to Sec. IV._ And what do you do?

_Coal man._ I am the coal man; I deliver the coal.

_Miner._ I am the miner; I dig the coal.

_Wood man._ I am the wood man; I cut the wood.

_Oil man._ I am the oil man; I supply oil.

_Teacher._ Do you supply food or clothing?

_Coalman._ No, we furnish fuel; that is our part.

* * * * *

_Teacher to Sec. V._ And what do you do?

_Doctor._ I am the doctor; I heal the sick.

_Druggist._ I am the druggist; I sell medicines.

_Nurse._ I am the nurse; I help the doctor.

_Teacher._ Do you build houses or furnish fuel?

_Doctor._ No, we keep people well, or aid them when they are ill; that

is our part.

* * * * *

_All recite:_

One works for all and all for one,

And so the work of the world gets done.

[Illustration: ONE FOR ALL ALL FOR ONE.]