* * * * *

ANOTHER TURTLE STORY.

DEAR JACK:  One day, Rob and I (he’s my brother) heard sister Welthy screaming awfully.  We were playing in the barn, but of course we rushed out as hard as we could to save her life, if possible.  We did not know where she was, but the screams grew louder as we neared the house.

    At last we found her near the side-door—­and what do you think was
    the matter?

    Why, she was screaming at a turtle!

    [Illustration:] A CORNER IN TURTLES.

    You don’t know how funny it did seem.  But we captured the dreadful
    monster (?) and comforted her as well as we could.

Now, Jack, as you and the Little Schoolma’am can do everything, wont you please get ST. NICHOLAS to show us a picture of this scene?  I do believe Sis would laugh as hard as any of us if she could see it.—­Yours affectionately,

    NED G. P.

* * * * *

HALF SWEET, HALF SOUR.

The birds tell me that in a certain country grows an apple one half of which is sweet and the other half sour.  I don’t think I should like that sort of apple.  The sweet side might do very well, as far as it went; but if you happened to bite on the other side,—­ugh!

I like things that are good all through, so that I can be sure how to take them.  Don’t you?

* * * * *

OUR MUSIC PAGE

CAN A LITTLE CHILD, LIKE ME?

  A THANKSGIVING HYMN.

    Words by MARY MAPES DODGE. 
    Music by WM. K. BASSFORD.

[Music: 

Key:  Bb Major (Bb, Eb); Time:  2/4; Range:  F — D (F, G, A, Bb, C, D)

[’F’, ‘Bb’, etc. indicate notes having a quarter-note value;
‘.’ extends a note; ‘__’ includes the notes in a quarter-note
value; ‘0’ indicates a rest.]

__
{F Bb Bb Bb |Bb A A . |A  G  A G  |G .FF . |
__
{F Bb Bb Bb |Bb A A . |C  A  F CBb|A G F . |
__                    __
{G G  C  Bb |Bb .AA . |Bb Bb D C  |Bb .AA . |
__
{Bb .  F .F|A .  G . |
__
{C  .  G .G|Bb .  A . |

{Bb .  D D |D .  G C |Bb .  A . |Bb . 0 . || ]

1.  Can a little child like me,
   Thank the Father fittingly? 
   Yes, oh yes! be good and true. 
   Patient, kind in all you do;
   Love the Lord and do your part,
   Learn to say with all your heart: 
     Father, we thank Thee! 
     Father, we thank Thee! 
   Father in Heaven, we thank Thee!

2.  For the fruit upon the tree,
   For the birds that sing of Thee,
   For the earth in beauty drest,
   Father, mother and the rest,
   For thy precious, loving care,
   For Thy bounty ev’rywhere,
     Father, we thank Thee! 
     Father, we thank Thee! 
   Father in Heaven, we thank Thee!