scored a goal apiece in this period which ended 5 to 5. After more rest a third extra period was played. Everybody was excited and there were cheers from both sides. Neither team could score in this period. It was getting dark and both teams were so tired that the men lay on the ground exhausted. The captains decided to call the game at 5-5. ON TIRELESS WINGS French tests. The score is still tied. We have decided that you deserve equal recognition. Therefore you will each be given a scholarship. In the name of Newberry High School, I congratulate you." ON TIRELESS WINGS- BY NATHALIE RODGERS (AGE 17) WITH beating hooves, on tireless wings, WHEN THE SCORE WAS TIED BY ELEANOR FRANCES LIND (AGE 16) (Silver Badge) HOGAN'S ALLEY was crowded with grimyfaced little boys. It was a warm Saturday afternoon in the tenement district of a large town, and the children were swarming about, for some sort of excitement. Suddenly from around a corner came the form of a boy of about twelve or thirteen, who seemed rather large for his age. The smaller boys could readily see that he was a bully and meant mischief. He pushed his way among the children and then said, "Who wants to see me beat 'im in a race?" All turned to look directly at him, and then, in another WHEN THE SCORE WAS TIED ALL tied scores are more or less exciting; but I have never heard the story of any more interesting or more thrilling than this one, told to me by Marion. Marion and Walter were sitting outside the door that led to the class-room of the French teacher. They were nervously awaiting the verdict of Professor Boiceau. It happened that both Marion and Walter were fighting for the scholarship that would open to one of them the door to college. The scholarship was given to the best student that the high school turned out, and this year the battle was hotter than usual. Marion had excelled Walter in English and Latin, while Walter had defeated his opponent in chemistry and history. And now, with tied scores, the contestants were waiting for the news that would mean victory for one and defeat for the other. Marion was impatiently biting her handkerchief, and Walter twirled his thumbs. Professor Boiceau and the committee were taking more time than they had expected to correct the tests. Suddenly the knob of the door was heard turning. Marion stuck her handkerchief into a convenient pocket, and Walter sat on his tell-tale hands. The professor walked slowly into the hall, followed by the committee. "You have both made ninety-four per cent in your FEBRUARY BY CONSTANCE ROBINSON, AGE 13. (GOLD BADGE. SILVER BADGE WON JANUARY, 1927) A HEADING FOR FEBRUARY BY ROBERT MAGGERT, AGE 12 (SILVER BADGE) minute, a little fellow came up fearlessly. and said, "All right; how far you goin'?" "Two blocks," came the scowling reply. The little boy, who was no match for the bully at all, wavered a little and then said, "Let's go." The commencing and finishing spots were designated by willing hands, and upon the whistle of a small boy in the crowd, the two were off. For the next few seconds, it appeared as if the bully would win, for the smaller boy was at least two or three paces behind. Soon the bully had started on the second lap, and, feeling confident, slacked up slightly. But he had been over-confident. The little fellow had been watching for this, and was past him in a flash. The big boy sped up, and then the finishing point came in view. They both jumped over the curbstone at once. Cheers from all sides arose for their small playmate. The score had been tied! BY FRANCES PEARSON, AGE 14. (SILVER BADGE) MY HOME The whistle blew and we trotted to our places on the floor, tingling with excitement. Up went the ball. Over our heads it sailed, and into the hands of the senior forward who nonchalantly made a basket. Although we scored only twice during the next five minutes, the opposing team began to awaken to the fact that their oppo MY ROOM. BY WYMAN W. PARKER, AGE 14. (SILVER BADGE) nents were strong, for they worked with renewed vigor for the rest of that quarter. The second half came, each one fighting desperately, feverishly for her side; and then, in the middle of the third quarter, one of their best players was compelled to take "time out," which probably saved the day for us. The last quarter now, both teams desperate, the score 30-28 in their favor! Three minutes gone-four-and neither side had scored. With unerring aim she threw, and then the whistle sounded. The game was over. But, watch the ball! EBRUAR BY HELEN A HEADING FOR FEBRUARY. BY VEL BUNDY, AGE 16. (SILVER BADGE) MA DICKSON, AGE 16. (SILVER BADGE) BY JEAN FERRY, AGE 14. (GOLD BADGE. SILVER BADGE WON JUNE, 1926) Up, up it sailed until it was on the edge. Then, hanging there for one moment as if hesitating, while the crowds held their breath, it swayed, then dropped smoothly into the basket. The score was tied! Both teams received their letters the following day. ON TIRELESS WINGS BY PRISCILLA METCALF (AGE 11) (Silver Badge) A TINY speck in the distance, On tireless wings The sea-gull flies O'er the tossing sea beneath him. Through storms and hurricanes, Wet with the rain, With the turquoise sky above him. He never ceases flying With tireless wings of gray. A silver streak O'er the crest of the wave MY HOME, BADGE. ON TIRELESS WINGS-ODE TO BY IRVING ASHKENAZY (AGE 15) SPEEDING seas of power bright, Our small earth in verdant green. In endless waves this endless might Energy and they are one, PRIZE COMPETITION No. 323 (In making awards contributors' ages are considered) PROSE. Gold Badge, Helen Dodge (age 13), New York. Silver Badges, Elisabeth Farr (age 13), New Jersey; Eleanor Frances Lind (age 16), California; Betty Baymore (age 12), Ohio; Ruth Louise Marks (age 14), Louisiana; Elizabeth Lyman (age 15), Canada. VERSE. Gold Badges, Anna L. Goddard (age 12), New York; Elizabeth Morgan (age 17), California; Nathalie Rodgers (age 17), New York; Sallie Carter (age 16), Canada. Silver Badges, Martha Chesley (age 13), Maine; Irving Ashkenazy (age 15), Florida; Louise Caldwell (age 16), California; Margaret Alta Jensen (age 14), Utah; Priscilla Metcalf (age 11), California. DRAWINGS. Gold Badges, Helen Horton (age 15), Pennsylvania; Mary Wilson Stewart (age 14), Pennsylvania; Constance Robinson (age 13), District of Columbia. Silver Badges, Robert Maggert (age 12), Indiana; Helen Clark (age 17), Missouri; Velma Dickson (age 16), Iowa; Helen Bundy (age 16), Illinois; Helen Noel (age 14), Illinois. PHOTOGRAPHS. Gold Badges, James B. Morwood (age 13), Ireland; Helen W. Struble (age 15), Ohio; Jean Ferry (age 14), Michigan. Silver Badges, Jack Billwiller (age 13), California; Frances Pearson (age 14), Alabama; Wyman W. Parker (age 14), Massachusetts; Dorothy Albertson (age 13), New York; Audrey Helen Paige (age 12), New York; Clara Frances Grant (age 14), District of Columbia. PUZZLE-MAKING. Gold Badge, Ruth Davison (age 16), Iowa. Silver Badges, Edna Zita Supplee (age 14), Pennsylvania; Frank Blumenthal (age 11), New York. PUZZLE-ANSWERS. Silver Badge, Roberta Scott (age 14), Illinois. SPECIAL MENTION A list of those whose contributions would have been used had space permitteu: A DESIGN FOR A POSTER. AGE 13 PROSE Kathryn Howe Rita L. Horton Binswanger VERSE Muredach Dooher Greenblatt Carolyn Chaffee Katherine Baxter Eva Greenberg Jennett St. John Louise Poole Linna Cheney Alice H. Davidson Elizabeth Anderson Elise W. Woodward Gertrude V. Park Minnie Joseph Jessie L. Luthe Jane Showalter Tom Windrom Elizabeth Marting Agnes L. McClure Kathryn E. Hopp Lillian M. Sullivan Anna Sokoloff Amy C. McDonald Peggy Rossell Ruth Mason Charlet Smith Dorothy E. Macullar DRAWINGS Margaret C. Grigor STEVENER, AGE 17 Margaret Griffen Denman Scudder Crawford Benedict Margaret A. Moore Olympia Jamgochian Virginia McCabe Katharine K. Lewis Maria M. Coxe George C. Jenkins Olga E. Allers Alberta Carter Ruth Pettit Pauline Harrington Evelyn F. Morris Betty Blodget Helen J. Harding Bernice Lassar Josephine McKittrick Mary Winer Estelle N. Montwid Myrtle Volger Eleanore Tiedemann William D. Johnson Anne Peckeux Martha O.Whitaker Eloise R. Lehuert Elizabeth Faller Lorna Lee Quarles Louise A. Stroman Evelyn Flebbe Katherine Sands PHOTOGRAPHS Florence Millar Barbara W. Kelley Dolores McFarland Harriet Bronk Eleanor Conde Betsy Robinson Charlotte Jones Farley Sickels Ellen Gardner Ellarita Auch James Herbert Atkinson Laura V. Westcott Marie van Brunt Rodman Seabury PUZZLES Bronfenbrenner John Ross Margaret C. Layton Maynard Ruth P. Woodward A DESIGN FOR A POSTER. BY HELEN No unused contribution can be returned unless it is accompanied by a selfaddressed and stamped envelop of proper size to hold the manuscript or picture. WHAT THE LEAGUE IS THE ST. NICHOLAS LEAGUE is an organization of the readers of the ST. NICHOLAS MAGAZINE. THE LEAGUE motto is "Live to learn and learn to live." THE LEAGUE emblem is the "Stars and Stripes." the LEAGUE name and emblem. THE LEAGUE membership button bears THE ST. NICHOLAS LEAGUE organized in November, 1899, became immediately popular with earnest and enlightened young folks, and now is widely recognized as one of the great artistic educational factors in the life of American boys and girls. THE ST. NICHOLAS LEAGUE awards gold and silver badges each month for the best original poems, stories, drawings, photographs, puzzles, and puzzle answers. PRIZE COMPETITION, No. 326 Competition No. 326 will close March 1. All contributions intended for it must be mailed on or before that date. Prize announcements will be made and the selected contributions published in ST. NICHOLAS for May. Badges sent one month later. Verse. To contain not more than twenty-four lines. Subject, "The Open Road.' 99 Prose. Essay or story of not more than three hundred words. Subject, “A False Alarm." Photograph. Any size, mounted or unmounted; no blue prints or negatives. Young photographers need not develop and print their pictures themselves. Subject, "One of My Best Snap-shots." Drawing. India ink, very black writing-ink, or wash. Subject, "A Subject from History," or "A Heading for May." Puzzle. Must be accompanied by answer in full. Puzzle Answers. Best and neatest complete set of answers to puzzles in this issue of ST. NICHOLAS. Must be addressed to THE RIDDLE-BOX. As announced last month, special prizes and privileges are now offered to Honor Members, beginning with the New Year. The first awards will appear in the April number. RULES ANY reader of ST. NICHOLAS, whether a subscriber or not, is entitled to League membership, and upon application a League badge and leaflet will be sent free. No League member who has reached the age of eighteen years may compete. Every contribution, of whatever If prose, the number of words should also be added. These notes must not be on a separate sheet, but on the contribution itself if manuscript, on the upper margin; if a picture, on the margin or back. Write in ink on one side of the paper only. A contributor may send but one contribution a month-not one of each kind, but one only; this, however, does not include "competitions" in the advertising pages or "Answers to Puzzles." Address: The St. Nicholas League, THE LETTER-BOX EDITORIAL NOTES ST. NICHOLAS readers who are specially interested in music will welcome the entertaining contribution this month by the late Katharine D. Cather entitled, "The Musician of the Fjords." And in connection with this article, it may be well to add here a statement by Henry T. Finck, the distinguished musical critic, as reported in the "New York Times": "Asked on one occasion what he considered his most important achievement in music, Mr. Finck replied, 'My having absolutely demonstrated that Greig, instead of being, as so many ignorantly think, merely an arranger of Norwegian folk-songs, is one of the five or six most original melodists and harmonists the world has ever known." " Japanese guards all around the palace; there are American solgers at the legation; not a man can come in without a pass. Two of my favoricet solger freinds are Dick and Jack. We have a pony. Now I think I will close my letter. 66 'MAURICE "Literary accuracy compels me to say that the (doubtless undecipherable) names of my 'solger freinds' were given in the original manuscript as 'Ricker' and 'Jacko'-the-dust.' When you consider that the latter is the accepted nautical name for the store-keeper, in sole charge of the marine guard's supply of canned baked beans, canned peaches, and similar delicacies, a deep motive for that superlative friendship is at once apparent. "Yours very truly, "MAURICE ALLEN." MORRISTOWN, N. J. DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I was very glad to read Dorothy Taylor's letter in the September ST. NICHOLAS, because I have one SOMERSWORTH, N. H. DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: Saturday I got the November copy of you. I have been taking you now for six years and my father took you before that. In 1923 our family went to California and stayed in Pasadena for two years; then we came back to old New Hampshire. We camped both ways and had a very good time. We visited many beautiful places, such as the Garden of the Gods, Niagara Falls, "WOMAN'S Place is in the Home," printed of the little black Schipperke dogs she and the Painted Desert in Arizona. We on page 273, is a unique rhyme, and so delightful both in its wording and in the author's drawing of the quaint Chinese characters that we could not forego giving it a place in our pages-even though it might be regarded as more appropriate to grown-ups than to our young readers. But it had also another and a peculiar claim upon ST. NICHOLAS by reason of the very interesting and unusual letter which accompanied the manuscript, and which, as will be seen, fitly belongs for several reasons to this LETTER-Box. Here it is: "Enclosed please find the Chinese char acters to illustrate my verses. (I should perhaps add that the broom in the third character has been 'Americanized.') "Life in the Far East has convinced me that the study of written Chinese is the true "White Man's Burden." Several thousand characters, each representing a separate word, must be memorized. "Fortunately, these characters are a modified form of picture writing, and their quaint and often humorous symbolism serves to fix the meaning in the foreigner's mind. "Evidently the sages, who worked out the first ideographs, felt that "Woman's Place is in the Home," for that is where she appears in the three characters forming the subject of the enclosed contribution. The tradition has been carried on until recent years by such practices as binding the feet of Chinese women, so as to render walking difficult. "You will probably not remember me as one of your oldest contributors. My first 'sustained literary effort' saw the light in your pages in the month of December, 1894. This masterpiece, I regret to confess, read as follows: 66 "(Printed as it was written) 'SEOUL, KOREA. "DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: 'I live at the American legation in Seoul, Korea. I am eight years old. Harry, who is my brother, is ten years old. I am born in Korea; Harry is born in China. There is a lot of trouble in Korea. Japan and China are at war; the Korean Palace is taken, the King is a prisoner; there are wrote about. We bought him at the kennels where she saw the puppies in Bernardsville; it is only seven miles from here. I have read all of Mr. Terhune's collie stories and I just love them. I saw the collie pups, Kilmany's (she is Greve's granddaughter, and maybe Mr. Terhune will write a story about her some day too); but our place is not big enough to keep a grown collie. Our Schipperke's name is Jean Sans Peur, because he is a Belgian. His mother was born in Brussels and she came all alone in a steamer from Antwerp, Belgium, to Bernardsville. She was seventeen days on the way, but made friends with all the officers of the ship. Her name is Flore de Veeweyde. Here is her picture. Schipperkes are little, so they always like to sit on some high thing, as they are very curious to see everything. Jean is, too, and it makes him a dandy watch-dog. Flore has won blue and purple ribbons for prizes at dog-shows and a little bronze medal for the best of her breed, too. Jean is only a puppy, but I hope he will grow up just like his mother. We all think he is the cleverest little dog we ever saw. The Belgians have had these little dogs for three hundred years, and they say they are the cleverest. I think the only place in this country that has them is Bernardsville. We saw the sign when we were in our car one day. We did not know what Schipperkes were like. When we saw Jean we teased Mother until she took crossed the continent in just twenty-four days, and in the West we found some pretty poor roads. Next summer we are going camping again. I will write and tell you all about it. Sincerely yours, RICHARD J. HANSON. DEDHAM, MASS. DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: Each year for a long time I have had different magazines, but this year I told Father that I would like one that I had never had before. Father said that he would send for one, so, one bleak, blustery day in January, I received a lovely surprise. It was a magazine named ST. NICHOLAS. I opened it and I knew I liked it better than any other I had ever had. I know I would like to take you, ST. NICHOLAS, forever. I love all your stories. Your affectionate reader, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA. DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: You have another football story, which I am enjoying. Although your football stories have been many and exciting, I am sure the games in. them could not compare with the game between this university and Washington and Lee. When Father and I made our way through the crowded streets, we saw the colors of the two teams blowing from everywhere. Of course, we wore the orange-and-blue. No white-and-blue for us! We took ages to get to the stadium, but at last we did reach it. When we seated ourselves we did not believe we should win, for Washington and Lee had beaten us for three years. When they made the first touchdown our hearts sank, until thirteen for our team made them rise again. The band playing the university songs made us feel quite joyful. Breathless, except when we were cheering, we watched the game. The opposing team won no more, but steadily our team added points to our score. How we all screamed when at the end of the game the score was 30-7 in favor of University of Virginia! With one of the professors at their head, the students rushed into the snake-dance as Indians in a war-dance. Screaming and yelling, they tore the goal-posts into pieces for souvenirs and lifted the said professor to their shoulders. It certainly was a "grand and glorious feeling!" Hoping you will continue to have exciting football stories and other good stories too, for instance, as good as "Treasure-Trove," I remain, A loving reader, MOUNT VERNON, N. Y. DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: On Christmas morning, right after breakfast, of course there was a good deal of excitement in our house. I have a younger brother, you see! And then, on the top of all my presents, I saw a letter from Dad! opened it immediately, and it said: I "ST. NICHOLAS will continue to visit you each month during 1927, and I hope he will make you very happy on each visit." You can just imagine how delighted I was! And there 's certainly no doubt but that "he" will make me more than happy. I suppose, dear ST. NICHOLAS, that you 've been told many hundreds of times that you 're wonderful; but just the same, I've got to tell it to you again! I don't know how I ever got along without you, and it would be more than impossible to live happily without you now. Your devoted and admiring friend, RIDGEWOOD, N. J. DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I have always been interested in THE LETTER-BOx. To think that the same magazine I read is being read all over the world makes me realize still more that dear old ST. NICHOLAS is the best of the best juvenile magazines. My sister used to take you, but outgrew you before we were old enough to appreciate your value. Only one copy was saved and we almost devoured that one. Seeing our interest in it, we received a subscription for Christmas two years ago and have been taking you ever since. Lucky us! There are only two things that we have never seen in THE LETTER-BOX. Number one is a letter from beautiful Ridgewood, N. J., and, number two, a letter signed by twins. Well, here are both, and we are ready to defend either. Living in Ridgewood is neat, and being a twin is the best ever! Your most ardent admirers, LOUISE AND KATHERINE JOHNSTON (AGE 14). PHILADELPHIA, PA. DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I am coming back again, like the Prodigal Son, on my knees. For almost a year now I have been without you-and I just can't stand it! You see, it was this way. Nearly ten years ago, there lived a wee girl who was ill rather more often than most wee girls. A lovely aunt sent her ST. NICHOLAS, calling the gift a Christmas present on the "instalment plan," and so it proved to be. The child was fascinated by-let me see-the serial at that time was Augusta Huiell Seaman's "Sapphire Signet" and all the other stories and articles, so, when the year rolled on, the subscription was renewed. The wee girl grew up by leaps and bounds (as wee girls are apt to do) and "ST. NICK" accompanied her all the way through high school. She used THE WATCH TOWER for social-science talks; she used NATURE AND SCIENCE FOR YOUNG FOLK in both English and science classes. Finally, though, this wee girl, who was by now a great, big girl, went to normal school to become a teacher. That year no one renewed the subscription, and "ST. NICK" ceased coming. When she protested, her family (still much wiser than she) said that she was a grown woman now and too old to belong to the LEAGUE, so the subscription should be passed on to another wee girl. But bless your dear, jolly heart, "ST. NICK"-the teacher wants you just as much as the wee girl did, and needs you more! Where else can she get as lovely stories, jolly poems, and clever ideas? Besides my own copies of the magazine, I have some bound volumes of the latter part of the nineteenth century, from 1894 to 1898, I believe. May I say that from that day to this I have not seen in a copy of ST. NICHOLAS anything that is not wholesome, childlike-and fascinating? And when I am ninety I am quite sure that, with cap and spectacles, I shall be reading you aloud to my great-grandchildren! |