MLADINSKI LIST
A Magazine for SNPJ Juveniles
FEBRUARY
1942
Mladinski List
JUVENILE
IVAN MOLEK....................Editor
PHILIP GODINA -	-	-	Business	Manager
CONTENTS FOR FEBRUARY, 1942
Vsebina februarske številke
V
STORIES, POEMS, etc.	Page	X
Muca in Kuža (pesem)....................................................... 5
Kako so Puščani napajali hrast_______________________________     -........ 8
Nekoč je živel .........................—-.................................11
Oče župan in piščanci ...................................................   4
Srečonosna strela ....................................................      3
ARTICLES
Pod datelj novimi palmami................................................   6
Winter Activities (Our Own Juvenile Circles) ...........................   19
FEATURES
Birthdays of the Great Men.............................................     2
Introducing Book Friends.................................................  32
It Was a Good Game________________________________________________          5
Just for Fun  ___________________________________________________________   9
;	Our Own Juvenile Circles of the SNPJ 	  19	>
Our Pen Pals Write................ ..	    24
;	Our School ..............................................................   12
Stamp Collecting ......................................................... 10
Terezinkina naloga ......................................................   3
Published monthly by the Slovene National Benefit Society for the members of its Juvenile Department. Annual subscription, $1.20; half year, 60c; foreign subscription, $1.50. Address: 2657 S. Lawndale Ave., Chicago, 111. Entered as second-class matter August 2, 1922, at the post office at Chicago, 111., under Act of August 24,1912,
MLADINSKI LIST
JUVENILE
LETO XXI—Št. 2	CHICAGO,	ILL.,	FEBRUARY,	1942	VOL.	XXI—No. 2
“As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of difference, is no democracy.” ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Birthdays of the Great Men
Charles aDichend
Charles Dickens, the most popular and one of the greatest of English novelists, was born on February 7, 1812, at Portsea, England, where his father was a navy clerk in poor circumstances. When Charles was ten, his family moved to London and he was put to work in a blacking warehouse. He spent his Sundays in prison with his father, who had been put there for debt.
When matters improved a little, young Charles was given a few years of school before he was obliged to take up again the part of bread-winner, first as a lawyer’s clerk, and then as a reporter. Although his education remained deficient, he gained from these years of desperate struggle with life a character of wonderful energy and resolution. He acquired a wide knowledge of the poor, and a deep sympathy for the oppressed —all of which played a part in his subsequent career.
It was while Dickens was a young reporter, then about twenty, that he began to write “Sketches” of London life for the newspapers and magazines. These were collected in 1836 as “Sketches by Boz,” and from this time forth his fortune was changed. He became editor of various magazines, and, for a time, of a great London newspaper. He traveled widely in Europe and America. Dickens took up public questions and attacked social wrongs. Moreover, he gave to the public that famous series of novels in which the humors and social conditions in England were displayed so abundantly, and the cause of the suffering pleaded so eloquently.
Before Dickens was thirty he was a great writer; and before he was forty, a notable public man. No writer in English ever gathered with a fuller hand the rewards of the literary calling. None has had in his lifetime so wide and intensely loyal a personal following; none has had, in addition to money, friends, and fame, the peculiar tribute which came to Dickens from everywhere. Vast audiences gathered to listen to him and to testify to his personal triumph.
In his “Pickwick Papers” Dickens is purely a humorist. In them he showed the life and
manners of the middle and lower classes, which to that time had rarely found an exponent. Then followed his social novels, “Oliver Twist” and “Nickolas Nickleby.” The former was an exposure of workhouses and of the city conditions that lead the children of the poor into crime; the latter was aimed at the wrongs and cruelties inflicted upon their wretched pupils by the cheap schoolmasters of Yorkshire.
Other important works followed in rapid succession, such as “Hard Times,” “The Old Curiosity Shop,” “Bleak House” and “Barna-by Rudge”; also his well known Christmas stories, especially “A Christmas Carol,” and “The Cricket on the Hearth.” After a visit to America he published “American Notes,” also “Martin Chuzzlewit,” the greatest of his humorous works since “Pickwick.”
Dickens’ favorite novel was his autobiographical “David Copperfield,” his masterpiece. However, no less important is “A Tale of Two Cities,” a historical novel dealing with the French Revolution. But some consider “Hard Times” as the best and most artistic of his books. “Our Mutual Friend” is also regarded as very important.
Undoubtedly, there was great sincerity in Dickens’ adoption of social wrong as a motive in fiction. He had himself known the lot of the persecuted; at the root of his zeal for reform was the memory of his own childhood.
Dickens possessed immense creative power, the number of his characters running into the thousands. His success calls attention to the prime fact in his authorship, his nearness to his public. In middle life Dickens began to give semi-dramatic public readings from his works, and these grew to be his chief interest.
Mladinski List readers will no doubt be interested to know that several of Dickens’ works were translated into Slovene. Among these are “Oliver Twist,” which was translated by Oton Župančič, the greatest living Slovene poet; and “A Tale of Two Cities” (Povest o Dveh Mestih), translated by Izidor Cankar.
Charles Dickens died on June 9, 1870, in London and is buried in Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey.
Terezinkina naloga
Katka Zupančič NAŠ BOŽIC
Naš božič je bil strašansko lep. Imeli smo drevesce in vse in tisoč lučk. Cel ducat. Kadar je ugasnila ena, so ugasnile vse. Zato, ker so solidarne, je rekel oče.
Dobila sem punčko, ki veka z lasmi na glavi. Bratec pa voziček. In je rjul po hiši ko sodnji dan. Mama mu je rekla, da ga bo vrgla v peč.
Imeli smo veliko potico. Mama jo je spekla z rozinami in petelina z nadevom, ki je lepo pel. Meni se je smilil in sem se tolažila z rozinami. Oče je rekel, da je potica potica, ne pa švicarski sir. Krenil me je po roki. Zdaj se mi je petelin še bolj zasmilil, jaz pa mami. Božič je božič in dan veselja, je rekla in nabila bratca, ki je razbil krožnik, da je
tulil. Pa se je zasmililo tudi očetu. Božič je božič in dan veselja, je rekel materi.
Dobili smo vse polno voščil od stricev in tet in drugih navadnih ljudi po pošti. Tudi nov koledar smo dobili od pogrebnika s pesmico na njem:
Naš naslov zapomni si, nič ne veš, kaj se zgodi. Mir na zemlji vam želimo— za mir v zemlji mi skrbimo!
Ko smo vse pregledali in pojedli, smo bili veseli in vsega siti. Mama je pomivala posodo v novem predpasniku. Oče je pil pivo z novimi copatami. Potem je odprl radio in šel noter ležat. Jaz pa sem štela dneve do prihodnjega božiča in jih naštela 356. Joj, kdaj bo to!
Srečonosna strela
V	mali vasici tam pod visokimi gorami je životaril reven a dobrodušen kmet Tilen. Čestokrat je zatrjeval svojim sosedom:
“Vse pride od zgoraj. Kar pa pride od zgoraj, je vedno pravo in dobro.”
Zdelo se je, da je možiček res po tem izreku uravnal svoje življenje, kajti vse, kar ga je zadelo, je sprejel vdano in tako je bil vedno zadovoljen.
Nekoč je zahrumela nad vasico huda nevihta. Med dežjem in točo se je zablisnilo in treščilo v Tilnovo leseno bajtico, ki je na mah pogorela do tal. Tilen je v trenutku postal berač.
Ko je naslednje jutro hodil po žalostnem pogorišču, je pristopil k njemu najbližji sosed in se mu porogal:
“Hoho, Tilen! Včerajšnji tresk je tudi prišel od zgoraj. Da bi bil pa zate dober, to pa zelo dvomim in ti sam menda tudi!”
Tilen se je molče obrnil vstran. Bolelo ga je norčevanje nagajivega soseda.
Poslej je bilo Tilnu treba misliti na novo hišo. Ker pa vsled revščine ni zmogel kaj boljšega, je sklenil, kar sam napraviti iz desk kočico, ki bo za prvo silo.
Stopil je v klet. To je bil še edini prostor, kamor ni dosegel ogenj in ki mu je zdaj kot pogo-relcu služil za zasilno stanovanje.
“Kako mi zdaj hodi prav ta klet,” razmišlja sam pri sebi. “Le preplitva se mi zdi. Poglobil jo bom. Čim več prostora, tem bolje bo. Marsikaj se bo dalo shranjevati tu.”
In res, preden se loti gradnje hišice, vzame kramp in začne poglobljevati klet. Že izrije nekako pol metra v zemljo, ko zadene s krampom na nekaj trdega, ki čudno zazveni.
Tilen postane pozoren. Odvrže kramp in se z rokami loti dela. Naenkrat glasno zavriska.
Pred njim stoji star bakren lonec, napolnjen s srebrnim in deloma tudi z zlatim denarjem. Najbrž je ta denar kdo pred mnogimi leti zakopal tu v strahu pred Turki, potem pa lastnik iz bog-ve kakšnega vzroka ni mogel več ponj.
Tilen denarja ni takoj prešteval. Pač pa je že po površnem pregledu ugotovil, da si bo zdaj prav lahko dal postaviti lepo zidano hišo.
Spomnil se je nagajivega soseda. Pa ni bil kar nič hud nanj. Ves hvaležen se je ozrl kvišku in vzkliknil:
“Da, tudi strela je prišla od zgoraj in dobra je bila!”
•—Manica.
4	MLADINSKI	LIST
Oče župan in piščanci
Golar Manko
Je imel župan iz Spuhlje vasi hudo hudo ženo. Pravijo, da ji je bilo ime Kunigunda, in da ni bil župan župan, pač pa njegova žena. Ves dan je moral čepeti doma, le skozi okno je lahko časih pokukal, v nedeljo pa je moral s Kunigundo k maši; kar na levo stran cerkve ga je peljala, kar je bilo za Spuhljo nekaj nezaslišanega.
Kratkomalo: Župan Jaka, ki ni bil župan, je moral čepeti doma, njegova žena Kunigunda pa je hodila okrog. Seveda, mati županja ni kar tako, kot sosedova Urša, ki ima za moža le mež-narja, zato tudi ne more vedno čepeti doma in kuhati žgancev. To naj dela Urša, ne pa gospa županja. Zato si res ni mogla drugače, in je lazila Kunigunda ves ljubi dan od sosede do sosede, od botre do tete in nazaj. Marsikaj je zvedela, marsikaj povedala, raje več, ko premalo. Tako se tudi spodobi za gospo županjo.
Kot lansko leto, tako so tudi letos imeli pri županovih piščance, majhne in luštkane, sicer jih je bilo res le pet, piščanci pa so le bili.
Odslej je bilo konec županovega lenuharjenja; ubogi Jaka ni smel gledati niti več skozi okno, ves dan je moral buliti na dvorišču v piščance, da ne bi priletel kakšen jastreb ali pa kakšna druga zverina in pograbila to ali ono pišče.
Nič se ne more reči, da ne bi oča župan zvesto opravljal težkega posla, saj včasih ni upal niti zamižati, če mu je sonce preveč sililo v oči, ker nikjer ne piše, da ne bi mogel ravno tisti hip planiti jastreb v piščančevo čredo in odnesti ubogo živalco.
Toda naj si je prišlo do tega tako, da je zaspal, morda je bilo krivo temu prevroče sonce, ali pa ga je obšla kakšna ne ve se slabost, kratkomalo, Jaka je zaspal in da bi bila nesreča še večja, je priletel jastreb in odnesel naj lepše pišče. Seveda se ne smemo čuditi, če je iskal župan peto pišče zaman. In da ga je Kunigunda nalomila kar se je dalo, ko je prišla domov, no, o tem bi bilo odveč govoriti.
In preden je zjutraj odšla Urša zopet po opravkih, je zagrozila ubogemu Jaki, da bo konec z njim, če mu jastreb odnese še kakšnega piščanca. Pristavila pa je tudi: “Danes me do večera ne bo domov. Glej, da mi ne boš stikal po skrinji, posebno pa mi ne lazi po kuhinji in ne vtikaj nosu v tisti rjavi lonec, ki stoji na polici, kajti, če le povohaš zadevo, ki je v njem, bo takoj po tebi in niti grbasti Nacek ti ne bo mogel več pomagati, pa čeprav bi te celega namazal z gadjo mastjo.” In še dve je dobil Jaka z metlo, da bi svarilo bolj zaleglo.
Milo je obljubljal preplašeni Jaka svoji ženi, da bo odslej zvesto čuval ostale piščance in da mu niti v glavo ne pade, da bi stikal po kuhinji, najmanj pa, da bi vtikal nos v tisti rjavi pisker,
o	res, res, da ne.
Kakor je obljubil Jaka, tako je tudi storil: Ves dan je lazil za piščansko četico, od gnojišča do gnojišča, od tu na vrt in zopet nazaj na gnojišče.
Tako je šlo od zore do mraka, dan za dnem, toda na žalost le pet dni.
Zopet se je zgodilo, da je pričel loviti ubogega župana peti dan spanec. Po vsej pravici se je zbal, da bo zopet zaspal. Toda Jaka je zvit, da mu ni daleč para naokoli, tako si je vsaj mislil. Polovil je piščance, vse štiri privezal na vrvico in si mislil: “Ljubi jastreb, kar pridi, če te je volja. Tudi piščanca lahko pograbiš, toda vseh štirih živalic si nikakor ne boš mogel privoščiti kar naenkrat. Ne boš me, mrha, več prevarila.”
Ob teh mislih je naš nasukani Jaka sladko zadremal in Bog ve, kaj je zasanjal na vročem soncu. In ko se je Jaka v sanjah najslajše nasmihal, ko se mu je sanjalo, da so ga sami angelčki žgečkali, po podplatih, je priletel jastreb, pograbil pišče in z njim še ostale tri. In ko je Jako prebudil vrišč in kokodajsanje koklje, je videl visoko v zraku jastreba in v njegovih krempljih piščance, ki so bingljali kakor zrele češnje na veji. Milo je gledal Jaka za svojimi varovanci, dokler niso izginili za vaškim stolpom.
Seveda se ne smemo čuditi, če je pograbila Jako divja srd, žalost, obup in temu podobne zadeve. “Kaj bo sedaj, mu je planila misel kakor jazbec v glavo — nič drugega, kakor konec bo s teboj,” mu je odgovarjala pamet.
“Če je tako, pa naj bo,” si je dejal, in že je tekel v kuhinjo, pograbil pisker in iz njega pojedel strup, ki ga je namenila Kunigunda Bog ve komu. Še toliko je imel moči, da se je splazil v čumnato, se vlegel v posteljo in čakal na belo smrt.
Šele proti večeru je zaslišal v veži korake; “Aha,” si je dejal, “že gre pome bela smrt s koščenimi rokami in z ostro koso.” Pokrižal se je še enkrat, globoko zavzdihnil in —:	“Ah,	tu si
mrcina, spiš, kje so piščanci, kje, povej!” Kot vihar se je pripodila v sobo njegova babura in vihtela -nad njim ljuto metlo. Jaka debelo pogleda svojo Kunigundo in vzdihne: “Ni jih več, z jastrebom so odleteli, takole,” in zakrilil z rokami kot čaplja. Že je padalo po ubogem županu, a ta mirno nadaljuje: “Nikar se ne trudi, ljuba Kunigunda, saj nisem več živ, že ves popoldan ležim mrtev tu v sobi, ves strup sem pojedel in sedaj me ni več.”
“Kaj, medu tudi ni več, ki sem ga pripravila za potice, o, moj Bog!” Sedaj pa je bilo konec milosti: Jaka se je zvijal pod metlo kot črviček, prosil, molil, a zaman, ker strup res ni bil strup, pač pa sladek med, s katerim si je slajšala Kunigunda grenke dni in tega greha mu nikakor ni mogla odpustiti.
Minnie Sota Mary: “If Minnie in Indian means water, what does Minnesota mean?”
Joan: “Aw, don’t be dum all your life—it means sota water.”
It was a good game
It was a good game, this hunting for the Slovene names hidden in honest-to-goodness American forms, while it lasted! Now it's all over!
Here are four more Slovene names waiting from the last month's ML to be "unsrambled" from the group of eight names which appear perfectly American:
Simms—Simonič.
Pike—Pajk.
Phillips—Filipič.
Copriver—Kopriva.
Now we close this game. If we ever revive it, time will tell. (It will, eventually, be substituted for something else.)
*
Connie Grablovec (Forest City, Pa.) writes to the Editor asking what would her last name be in American. The name can be twisted into many a meaning, but should you try translating it, as many American Slovenes do. the nearest word would be "grablje," a rake, so the American meaning for Grablovec is Raker. This would also fit for Rakar, a perfectly good Slovene name.
WHAT THE LINCOLNS!
There are artists and "artists," so to say, among the SNPJ Juveniles who are trying their best in the "Our School" contest. As usual, for the February issue of our magazine we received a large assortment of drawings purported to portray Lincoln and Washington. Most of them are original, no doubt, to judge them by the fact that they lack the likeness of Lincoln and Washington. A few are published just to give you an idea what our boys and girls think the two great men looked like.
SNOWBALL TENPINS
Find ten sticks of wood and whittle them down to represent regulation pins used in bowling alleys, or have sticks of wood about five inches in diameter at the base, sawed off evenly so they will stand on the surface of the snow.
Each player may have his choice of any size snowball he wants to make. The throwing distance is usually about fifty feet. Each, in turn, has five throws and one point is scored for each pin knocked over.
HIT THE SNOWMAN
Your indoor snowman can be made by stuffing an old sheet with rags and newspapers. Use a pillow slip for the head and draw the features with charcoal. Make buttons down the front of your snowman and place a derby on his head. Prepare your snowballs beforehand by tying cotton in pieces of white cloth. Give each of the plav^" three chances to knock the derby from the snowman.
Weak Soup
Joany: “Tell me, Marjorie, do they serve weak soup at your house?”
Marjorie: “I’ll say—week in and week out.”
GEORGE WASHINGTON Two hundred and ten years ago (February 22, 1732) George Washington, the Commander-in-Chief of the American revolutionary army and the first President of the United States, was born.
Muca in kuža
Brezskrbno muca v travi sedi, ne sluti nesreče, ki ji preti.
Za plotom se kuža pripravlja na skok, bo muco ujel, ker hitrih je nog.
A, en, dva, tri, glej,
prestraši se muca in skoči naprej.
In kuža jo urno ubere za njo, saj dolgo muca tekla ne bo.
Pa kuža je dober za tek in za lov med dirko ponavlja veseli “hov, hov.” Oh muca, če boš za hipec obstala, ne boš več trave zelene teptala.
O,	sreča, drog ob cesti je, na njega muca se povzpe.
A kuža zdaj je spodaj sam, — kam naj gre? Zdaj ga je sram.
In muca smeje se mu zviška, čepi na drogu kakor miška.
Se kuža gre domov kesat, a muca k svojim mladim spat.
Vera Oben.
6	MLADINSKI	LIST
Pod dateljnovimi palmami
Če potujemo iz naših krajev naravnost na jug, zadenemo najprej na naše divno, modro Jadransko morje, kjer so razmere že precej drugačne, kakor pri nas. Topleje je ter opazimo, da imajo na obali Jadranskega morja poleti okoli pet mesecev suho in skoraj prav nič dežja, pozimi pa mnogo več vlage kakor pri nas.
Onstran Jadranskega morja zadenemo ob sončno Italijo, deželo lepote, ki jo razen na severozahodu obliva povsod krasno modro morje. Če pa se popeljemo še malo dalje proti jugu, nas pozdravi obala Afrike.
Obstanimo na severni obali. V pozdrav nam že od daleč kimajo visoke krone krasnih palm. Prišli smo v deželo, kjer le malo dežuje in kjer se kmalu za obalo začne velika puščava Sahara. Ob obali in v ozkem pasu ob njej, je še prav lepo in tam uspevajo številne važne koristne rastline. Razprostirajo se veliki oljčni gaji, krasni vinogradi se širijo, razno drugo sadje uspeva, dateljnova palma dviga v modro nebo svojo lepo krono, na poljih pa najdejo naši škorci, kadar se jeseni selijo, bogato pogrnjeno mizo. Toda če prejezdimo na kameli, tej ladji puščave, obrežne gore, so ti divni kraji kmalu za nami in celo travnata stepa izgine. Kamor se oko ozre, ne vidimo drugega kakor razpalje-ni pesek, ki ga puščavski veter prenaša iz kraja v kraj. Vode ni! Zato pod žgočim soncem vse za-mrje!
Ali res ni vode? Res ne—na površju. Toda globoko doli med peskom in med skalnatimi plastmi je je pač mnogo. Tu pa tam naletimo sredi puščave na kotlino in v njej se svetlika voda! Iz peska je pritekla na dan in vse se zgrinja okrog nje: rastline, živali in ljudje. Res, ljudje! Dneve dolgo nismo videli nikjer ne enega človeka v neizmerni puščavi, ob vodi pa se je človek naselil, kajti tu je našel rastline, ki ga preživljajo, njega in njegovo družino in nekatere njegove živali. Toda izmed rastlin je tu najpomembnejše drevo prekrasna dateljnova palma.
Čudovita rastlina je dateljnCva palma! Pod žgočim soncem bi zamrle vse naše rastline, ki nas preživljajo ali ki tvorijo naše krasne gozdove. Da, zamrle bi celo rastline, ki so vajene vročega sonca ob samem ravniku, pa rabijo mnogo dežja. Toda dateljnova palma vztraja v najhujšem soncu, pa četudi leto in dan nanjo ne pade niti kapljica vode —da ima le noge v vodi. Noge? Arabci namreč pravijo, da dateljnova palma najbolje uspeva tam, kjer ima glavo v ognju, noge pa v vodi, po naše pa bi rekli: krono moli v sonce, korenine drži v vodi. Pod vročim soncem pa zrase višje kakor marsikateri vaški zvonik—do 50 metrov visoko! Šele pod vrhom izhajajo iz debla dolgi, veliki listi in tvorijo mogočno krono. Iz pazduh pod listi pa vise šopi dateljnov—do dve sto na enem peclju.
Kaj pa so dateljni? Mislim, da jih vsi poznamo. Za premnoge milijone prebivalcev vročih, suhih krajev severne Afrike, Arabije in sosednjih dežel so tako važni kakor za nas krompir ali žito, kajti brez njih ne bi mogli živeti, ker so jim glavna
hrana. Dateljni so čudovito dobri, saj imajo v sebi nad polovico sladkorja. Toda mi jih dobimo sem samo posušene, vse kaj drugega so sveži. Saj vemo, kakšna je razlika med svežim jabolkom in suhim krhljem! Tako je tudi z dateljnom, ki je svež z drevesa izredno dober, ker ima toliko sladkorja in je še zelo sočen. Zaradi velike množine sladkorja in drugih važnih snovi pa je seveda mnogo bolj redilen, kakor naše jabolko ali krompir!
Ker pa je dateljnova palma tako zelo važna za puščavske prebivalce, jo kajpada zelo, zelo čuvajo in kjer ji manjka vode, jo prebivalci oaz po potrebi napeljavajo od studencev do posameznih skupin palm. Pri nas tega ni treba, ker imamo dosti dežja; vse drugače pa je v onih suhih krajih. In kako skrbno pazijo na vodo. Na vsak liter vode pazijo in noč in dan stražijo ob malih kanalih in potočkih, da si kdo ne bi dovolil dovajati svojim palmam več vode, kakor drugi. Zadela bi ga težka kazen in maščevanje drugih prebivalcev.
Palme dajejo tudi precej hladne sence in v njej uspevajo tam, kjer je napeljane dosti vode do korenin, tudi mandeljni, melone, fige, razno drugo sadje in zelenjava, pa tudi nekoliko trave za domače živali. Seveda je vsega ostalega manj in ne bi zadostovalo za preživljanje prebivalstva oaz, če ne bi bilo dateljnov. Zato jim posvečajo posebno skrb in čuvajo drevesa, palme.	Tako hudo	je	v
puščavi s hrano in posebno za	dateljne,	da	so	v
času, ko jih nabirajo, t. j. od avgusta do decembra, moški neprestano na straži in posebno čuječi ponoči, ko roparji radi napadejo	oaze, da	izropajo
zaloge dateljnov ali pa oberejo	palme.
Doba obiranja dateljnov je torej dolga—od avgusta do decembra, ker ne dozore vsi obenem. Ta čas pa je tudi doba veselja v oazi in vse mrgoli pod palmami—odrasli, otroci in osli s košarami. Vsakdo ima svojo nalogo. Toda do dateljnov je treba plezati, in sicer visoko! Vrtoglav človek ne bi lahko dosegel sladkega sadu! K sreči pa je deblo palme zelo raskavo. Povsod mole iz njega ostanki nekdanjih listnih pecljev in ti nudijo plezalcu odlično oporo.
Dateljni pa niso samo hrana puščavskim prebivalcem, ampak tudi skoraj edini zaslužek. Zato velik del dateljnov posebno skrbno obirajo in kar po več mož drug pod drugim vise na deblu ter si podajajo šope dateljnov, da se ne bi pri padcu ranili. Take dateljne, viseče še na pecljih, zavijajo v posebne škatle in jih vidimo tudi pri nas v boljših prodajalnah. Z drugimi ravnajo manj skrbno in odsekane šope mečejo z višine pod palmo, kjer so razgrnili rogoznice. Pod palmami mrgoli dečkov, ki pobirajo zrele, odpadle dateljne kakor pri nas zrela jabolka.
Ko so napolnili košare, jih osli in ljudje odneso k hišam, da jih na vročem soncu posuše. En del jih odpošljejo v druge dežele, kjer je datelj redkost in slaščica, drugi del pa dobro shranijo, kajti služiti jim morajo vse leto kot glavni del njihove preproste hrane. Delavci pa, ki so jih bogatejši posestniki dateljnovih palm najeli za nabiranje
tega važnega sadja, večinoma ne dobe plače v denarju, ampak se jim odmeri gotov del dateljnov. Najpridnejši dobe kar do štirideset kilogramov dateljnov na dan, ki jih ali prodajo ali pa shranijo za prehrano svoje družine.
Da, pod palmami je kar prijetno. Toda oaze so res otoki sredi silnega peščenega puščavskega morja. Kakor buta pravo morje ob skalne otoke, tako napada tudi peščeno morje mnogo občutljivejše zelene otoke. Silna vročina vlada tam zunaj na peščenih sipinah. Veter brije preko razbeljenih daljav in prenaša pesek iz kraja v kraj. Grmadi ga v sipinah, ki rastejo v cele griče in se pomikajo z vetrom naprej. Gorje, če jim je na poti oaza. Prebivalci pa se junaško branijo. Veter zanaša v oazo pesek, posebno če nastane vihar. Deloma se ga ubranijo tako, da stavijo med oazo in puščavo visoke zidove iz gline, na vrhu katerih zasajajo šs palmove liste. Toda precej peska le prileti v oazo, a prebivalci ga pometajo, zbirajo na kupe, in ko sonce zaide ter se zrak ohladi, ga nosijo zopet ven v puščavo, od koder je ta nebodigatreba priletel.
Vsi prebivalci oaz so navdušeni muslimani ali mohamedanci in v potrebi dobri bojevniki, ki se ne boje smrti. Njihova domovanja pa so uborna.
V	oazah se hišice navadno stiskajo druga k drugi, da ostane le malo prostora med njimi in da se laže branijo pred napadi drugih puščavskih prebivalcev. Dokler Francozi in Italijani niso napravili reda v severni Afriki, so bili napadi na naselbine v oazah zelo pogosti; pa tudi danes še ni povsem varno.
Puščavski prebivalci zidajo svoje hišice iz ilovice. Kjer priteče v oazah na dan voda, tam je običajno dovolj tega preprostega gradbenega sredstva in blata. Tudi se ni treba preveč truditi, kajti večji del svojega življenja preživi prebivalec oaze zunaj na soncu ali v senci palm, v kočo gre največkrat le spat.
Iz gline in blata delajo kar z rokami neke vrste opeke. Da bolje drži skupaj, primešajo ilovici travo in sekano slamo. Sonce jim to ilovico posuši in nato sestavijo zidove, ki jih omečejo zopet z blatom in mokro ilovico. Pri nas je treba skrbno paziti, da so strehe dobro narejene in pokrite, ker imamo toliko dežja. Tam doli pa, kjer je dež redek, je delo kaj preprosto. Od stene do stene polagajo veje raznih dreves, ki jih pokrijejo z nekaterimi plastmi palmovih listov in—blata in ilovice. Hiša je gotova! To bi znali narediti skoraj še otroci! Palme ne uporabljajo pri tem. Silno čuvajo te svoje najvažnejše hranilke. Le če katera ne rodi več in od starosti usahne, jo posekajo in uporabijo les za podboje pri vratih. Malo pa jim je mar za okna! Saj imajo sonca, luči in puščavskega vetra dovolj in zato so v stenah le ozke line. Če pa se jim ponoči zahoče zraka in hlada, odnese Arabec svojo posteljo na streho. Ta postelja je preprosta rogoznica in še preprostejša odeja iz ka-meline dlake. To je vse in se lahko prenaša iz kota v kot in tudi na streho!
Toda ponoči se ne zatečejo pogostokrat na streho spat! Res, zvečer se marsikdo vsede na streho, da se ohladi in odpočije; toda puščava ima svoje muhe. Ker ni rastlinstva in vodovja, se namreč pesek podnevi zelo hitro neznosno ogreje—ponoči pa rav-
no tako hitro ohladi! Tudi v Sahari ponoči mar-sikaterikrat zmrzuje, a ko vzide sonce, od vročine kmalu vse zija. Take so razlike.
Toda ravna streha ima drugo vrednost. Psi in kokoši so vedno lačni in lotili bi se tudi dateljnov, ki jih morajo ljudje posušiti razprostrte, preden jih spravijo. To pa je varno le na ravni strehi. Veter jih res da večkrat pokropi in potrese s puščavskim peskom. Toda ljudi, ki so peska tako vajeni kakor mornar vode, peščeno zrnje med hrano ne moti, in raje imajo take dateljne, kakor da bi jih pustili izginiti v želodcih psov in kokoši.
V	notranjosti koče pa je prazno. Tam ne vidiš niti miz, niti stolov ali postelj in omar. Le rogoznice in pri premožnejših preproge in odeje so razprostrte po tleh. Tla so tudi iz teptane ilovice. Na teh rogoznicah in preprogah ljudje in tudi gosti čepe jedo, se pogovarjajo in pijejo kavo. Da, kava je puščavskim prebivalcem najljubša pijača in poleg raznih loncev za kuhanje in vrčev za vodo, imajo skoraj v vsaki koči tudi nekaj čašic za kavo.
Dateljni so puščavskemu prebivalcu glavna hrana in nadomestujejo mu kruh, meso in zelenjavo— ker vsega tega je tam premalo. Zato znajo suhe dateljne tudi zmleti v moko, uživajo jih kuhane, sveže in suhe. Tisto malo pšenice, ki jo pridelajo, tudi zmeljejo in iz nje pečejo revne, nevzhajane kruhke v ilovnati peči, ki jo razžare z ognjem iz pecljev dateljnovih palm in listov, pa tudi iz posušenega kravjega gnoja. Kruhke jedo tudi z— dateljni. Bolj redka izprememba jim je ovčje meso z ječmenom in zelenjavo.
Vse to zalivajo po možnosti s kavo, pa tudi z vodo, ki jo visoko spoštujejo. Mogoče se zaradi tega prav malo umivajo. Kakor povsod, tako so tudi v puščavi premožnejši in tudi revni ljudje, kar se opazi celo pri—vodi. Bogati jo kupujejo od nosačev, ki jo prinašajo na dom; revnejši jo prinašajo na oslih, ki jim nalože vrče; najrevnejši pa nosijo vrče na svojih glavah. Seveda, ženske pri studencih pod palmami ravno tako rade malo poklepetajo kakor pri nas pri vodnjakih.
"My Vailicnth^,p
Drawn by Ava Krizay, age 15, Salem, O. The SNPJ Circle No. 7.
8	MLADINSKI	LIST
Kako so Puščani napajali hrast
Golar Manko
Mimo Pušč je tekel znameniti potok Mlakuža. Mejil je med vasema Pušče in Zabitovci. Poleti so se tod kopali puščanski paglavci in žabe, pozimi pa so se drsali po njej zabitovski frkulini, tako je bilo vsaj zmenjeno.
Bilo je žarkega poletnega dne. Sonce je kar preveč sejalo svoje žarke na Pušče in njive, ki so se širile okoli te prelepe vasi. Ker je bila ravno nedelja, se je puščanski župan podal na polje, da bi videl, kako mu zori pšenica. Na sprehodu ga je zanesla pot tudi do Mlakuže.
Ob potoku je stal visok hrast. Prav do tal so segale njegove veje in ena se je skoraj dotikala vodne gladine, kakor da bi jo žejalo po vodi.
“Kaj si vendar tako poklapan, ljubi hrast,” je vprašal komaj slišno in sočutno zrl na visoko drevo, ki je res nekako žalostno povešalo svoje veje.
“Ali si bolan, ko tako klaverno povešaš svoje veje?”
Kar nekako slabe volje se je odpravil domov.
Puščani so namreč od sile dobri ljudje, posebno še njihov župan. In ta ljudomilost mu ni dala miru.
“Hrastu je vendar treba pomagati,” se mu je plelo, “kar preveč slab se mi zdi. Ko bi le vedel, kaj mu je,” mu je naprej vrtala misel v glavi, “potem bi mu bilo laže pomagati.”
Od teh misli mu tudi češpljeva kaša ni dišala, ki mu jo je skuhala zvečer njegova žena za večerjo. “Kaj ti je, Urh,” ga je zaskrbljeno vprašala njegova Kunigunda. Pa ji pove oča župan, kako in kaj. In ponoči, ko so drugi vaščani prijetno spali, sta se župan in županja nemirno premetavala po postelji in tuhtala, kako bi se dalo tej reči postreči.
“Kar občinske može skličem jutri,” je končno sklenil, “pa naj ti uganejo, kako bi potolažili hrast.”
Ni se še do dobra priguncalo sonce nad vrh Sv. Porcijunkole, ko je že moral mežnar Nacek letati od hiše do hiše in sporočiti občinskim možem, da jih kliče župan v zelo nujni zadevi.
“Kaj neki naj bi bilo,” so se spraševali vaški modrijani in se čohali ob plešestih buticah.
Štefučevemu Štefeku ta skrb niti ni dala, da bi v redu pojedel prežgano juho, ki mu jo je pripravila njegova vrla Urša.
Kmalu so se zbrali vsi pod vaško lipo in oča župan jim je povedal, kako je s to zadevo. Nemudoma so se podali k hrastu, da bi se na lastne oči prepričali, kako je z bolnikom.
Prav modro so se držali vsi možakarji, rekli to in ono, toda nobena ni bila prava. Organist Miha je celo menil, da je morda zbolel hrast na črevesju in da ga morda črviči. Toda oča župan ga je pisano pogledal in dejal, da hrast pač nima črev in da ga tudi zavijati ne more in da bi moral on, Jaka, to vendar vedeti.
Zopet so se zamislili puščanski možje, pokaš-
ljevali in mežikali v vzhajajoče sonce. Tedaj pa se je oglasil mežnar Nacek in dejal, da je pač hrast morda žejen, da mu manjka vode, saj ni padlo v Pušče že nad tri tedne dežja. Tudi ono vejo, ki se sklanja nad vodo, naj si vaški modrijani malo bolje pogledajo, mar ni podobna ustom kakšne živali, je modroval dalje.
Vsi možakarji so kar ostrmeli ob teh čudovitih in prepametnih besedah. Kar verovati niso mogli Nacekovim besedam, ker do današnjega dne ni splavala iz njegovih ust še nobena pametna zadeva. Končno so se pa le opomogli modrijani od začudenja in jeli pritrjevati Nacekovim besedam. Tudi oča župan je bil njegovih misli.
Potem so se jeli zopet meniti, kako bi pripravili hrast, da bi vendar pripognil svojo vejo do vode in si tako utešil žejo. Nekaj časa so mu prigovarjali, namreč hrastu, toda on se ni zmenil za njihove besede. Čudno, kaj!
In zopet je bil Nacek tisti, ki jim je povedal, naj steče kdo domov v vas in prinese vse vrvi, kolikor jih imajo vaščani. Potem pa bodo privezali vrh z enim koncem vrvi, z drugim koncem pa ga bodo vlekli, in ni šent, da ne bi potolažili žejnega hrasta.
Tako so tudi napravili. Nacek je splezal na vrh, privezal na najvišjo vejo vrv, spodaj pa so vlekli vaščani proti vodi kar se je dalo. Čisto malo je manjkalo, da bi dosegla veja vodno gladino, toda tedaj se je zgodilo nekaj groznega: vrv še je utrgala, z vso silo se je zopet vzravnal hrast, Nacek pa je v velikem loku zletel z drevesa. Pri tem se je z glavo zataknil med veje in ubogi mežnar je padel na zemljo brez glave; premalo se je najbrže držala glava Nacekovega telesa, ali pa je planil vrh s preveliko silo zopet na svoje staro mesto. Kratkomalo, Nacek ni imel več glave.
Puščani so nemo zrli v Naceka in se čudili, kje ima vendar Nacek glavo. Organist Jaka je dejal, da je sploh ni imel, drugim pa se je zdelo, da so jo videli nataknjeno na njegovih ramenih. Zopet so se začeli prepirati, na vse zadnje pa so dejali, da bo to pač najbolje vedela njegova žena in da morajo zato k njej.
Ni trajalo dolgo, ko so že stali občinski možje pred Nacekovo ženo in jo vprašali, ali je imel njen mož danes zjutraj še glavo, ali pa je odšel brez nje z doma. Babura se je malce zamislila, potem pa je dejala, da se prav za prav ne more točno spomniti, če je imel Nacek še glavo ali ne, ker je tisti čas, ko je mož odhajal z doma, bila ravno pri svinjah in jim iskala uši. In zopet niso vedeli vsi skupaj kako in kaj. Končno pa se je spomnila mežnarjeva žena, da visi v omari Na-cekov klobuk in če ni v njem njegove glave, potem jo je vzel pač s seboj.
Seveda niso našli glave v klobuku, ker jo je ta preklicani Nacek zjutraj vzel s seboj in jo izgubil Bog ve kje. Nekaj časa so jo potem še iskali po polju, toda našli je niso in morda jo iščejo še danes.
JUST FOR FUN
r%
By Ernestine Jugg
/
V
V
WASHINGTON-LINCOLN QUIZ
Again it is February when we celebrate the birthdays of our prominent Presidents—Washington and Lincoln, so we’ll start right off asking you some information concerning their life:
1. Lincoln’s birthday (Feb. 12) is a legal holiday in: (a) All States, (b) Some States.
2. Washington’s birthday (Feb. 22) is observed as a legal holiday in (a) All States, (b) Some States.
3. President Lincoln was born: (a) 1842, (b) 1809, (c) 1900.
4. Lincoln’s opponent for President in his second election was: (a) John Bell, (b) Grant, (c) McClellan.
5. The cornerstone of the Capitol was laid by President Washintgon. (True or False)
*
GET YOUR MAN
The definitions for the following words all have a word beginning with the three letters MAN. Can you solve the puzzle?
1. A persons’ behavior.
2. Long hair on neck of horse.
3. To have a lot of.
4. Capital of the Philippines.
5. A command.
6. Work done by hand.
>!:
DIFFERENT SHIPS A lightship—is anchored in dangerous places where lighthouses cannot be placed. Guides ships to safety.
Sea Train—Carries freight cars loaded with food, furniture, lumber, etc.
Pilot Boat—Meets the main ocean liner before she enters harbor and guides it to the dock. Tramp Steamer—Carries all sorts of cargo, even passengers. Has no set schedule and is built for capacity, not speed.
*
BRAIN TEASERS
1. The island known as “The Pearl of the Antilles” is: (a) Cuba, (b) Haiti, (c) Hawaii, (d) Samoa.
2. A bee keeper usually refers to his bees as:
(a) litter, (b) stand, (c) bevy, (d) herd.
3. The state often called El Dorado is: (a) Arizona, (b) New Mexico, (c) Colorado, (d) California.
4.	If you place the letter B in the proper spots, you will discover the words spell out the meaning of the sentence.
a. O I N—A spool used on sewing machines.
b. A Y—Infant.
c. A R A R I A N—Savage.
d. ATTL E—A struggle.
e. OMAR D—To assail with shells.
*
MARY'S VALENTINE It isn't such a fancy one;
It barely cost a penny.
But inside is written
With all my love—to Denny.
*
RIDDLE-ME-REE
The group of words on the left side is related to the group on the right side. Can you pick out the matching pairs?
a. Rose
b. Peach tree
c. Elm
d. Beets
e. Lilac
f. Lemon
g. Maple
h. Spirea
i. Orange
j. Apple tree k. Lily 1. Cucumbers
YOUR PROBLEM FOR THE MONTH
A man was asked how old he was and replied: “If you take 2 years from my present age, the result will be double my wife’s age and three years ago her age was % of what mine will be in 12 years. What are their ages?
(Answers on back inside cover page)
*
ABE LINCOLN
If old Abe Lincoln Were on this earth today And saw the strife, the turmoil What do you suppose he’d say?
His kindly eyes would sadden His face remain calm and gray;
And in his slow and forceful words He might repeat today.
The lessons that he tried to teach So many years ago;
But went unheeded for too long And must be taught again o’er and o’er.
STAMP COLLECTING
LEFT HAND ALBUM PAGES
We recently attended stamp clubs in several New England cities at which collections were exhibited. We noticed that in turning pages, stamps would often swing on their hinges, and care would have to be taken lest they become caught as the page was turned over and damaged by being creased. This was specially evident with one collection of covers, which were all hinged at the top so that they might be turned up and their under sides shown for interesting backstamps.
But we have seen a solution of this problem. It consists in the very simple procedure of reversing the album pages, mounting the stamps so that they are on the left hand side as the book is opened and the pages are turned. Then as each page is turned, the stamps fall into their proper position, instead of into the opposite one. When the next page is turned, it comes down over the stamps without risk of damage.
This procedure isn’t possible with many album pages, for if they are printed with a design including a tablet at the top for a heading, it now comes at the bottom. Perhaps some of our readers are ingenious enough to discover some way to use this enclosed tablet space for something different.
There is another advantage in the left-hand page mounting. If you are showing your stamps before a club, you can now stand to the right of them, and your right arm, used for pointing to the stamps, is next to the album on the exhibit stand. You can more easily adopt a stance that enables you to talk to the audience and not to your stamps, under these conditions. There really is an art, only too little cultivated, of effective showing of a collection; and part of this art consists in directing your speech to the assembled members. Here is a device that makes this part of the art of stamp-showing easier.—Mekeel’s Stamp News.
*
PROTECTION TO STAMPS
Have you ever stopped to think about that problem of protecting your stamps from damage due to the album itself? Stamps are fragile little things, and some of them yield readily to repeated rubbing across their faces. It’s only too easy for a perf. tooth to get turned over and then creased, and then broken off. It’s only too easy for a bit of the design to get rubbed off.
The obvious way to prevent this damage is to interleave the album pages with some smooth paper or tissue—glassine, cellulose acetate, for example. And it is right at this point that many of us only reduce, instead of preventing damage. For if the interleaves move relative to the stamps, rubbing is not stopped. It is only lessened.
The answer to the problem is that the interleaf must be attached so that it won’t move relatively to the side of the page on which the stamps are mounted. This at once eliminates as more or less futile the separate interleaves punched for the
pegs of a post binder; it also eliminates the interleaving fastened to the back of the sheet. In either case, the interleaving sheets move relatively to the stamps they are to protect, literally every time the album is opened and closed.
Effective interleaving therefore can be had only by fastening the smooth-surfaced protective sheet to the binding stub of the sheet to be protected on the front side.
If you exhibit your stamps often in exhibition frames, the interleaves are apt to become a nuisance in putting up and taking down exhibits unless you care for them properly. Each needs to be creased along the edge which is pasted to the binding stub, so that it will flop back straight and flat. A second fold, parallel, so that the interleaving sheet will lie flat and squarely behind the sheet itself, is also needed. Then your sheets can be handled in and out of the exhibition frames without damage.
Our listening ears report that in spite of all precautions, the interleaves will get damaged in a few cases. If a collection is frequently exhibited, one must figure to replace about one interleaf in fifteen or twenty, on an average, after each showing.
Our own taste runs towards the interleaf rather than towards wrapping each stamp or cover in protective transparent coverings, or using transparent mounting trays. We appreciate their merits, but we like to see the stamp or the cover bare of these accessories. Let not this preference of ours dissuade you if you prefer to cover each piece this way, or if you live in a climate that makes it necessary.—Mekeel’s Weekly Stamp News.
THIS LAD’S IDEA OF LINCOLN Drawn by Dan Gostovich, age 10, Raton, New Mexico. Lodge 297.
Nekoč je živel...
Nekoč je živel kmetič, ki je imel tri njive. Na prvi poseje žito, na drugi koruzo in buče, na tretji krompir. Žito požene, rase, dozoreva in valovi v vetru. Koruza se prav rahlo in gosposko oprime s koreninami zemlje, da jo mora kmetič dobro ogrebsti, ker bi jo prevrnil vihar. Buče previdno lezejo j30 tleh proti kraju, kakor bi hotele pobegniti. Sele ko prilezejo na rob, vzcvetejo z velikimi rumenimi cveti, nato ležejo v travo, v razor in se začnejo debeliti. Tudi krompir vzklije. Ko ga gospodar okopa ter ogrebe, nekaj časa zadovoljno rase, cvete z nedišečimi cveti, naenkrat pa poleže in ovene.
Kmetič pride na polje in vpraša:
“Kako je, kako?”
“Ah,” pravi žito, ki se sanjavo ziblje v vetru, “čemu moram biti zakoreninjeno v tej grobi zemlji, priklenjeno na to pusto pokrajino, izpostavljeno suši in nevihtam? Če bi imelo vsaj steblo, ki bi segalo do neba, da bi se dvignilo k solncu, ali če bi bilo vsaj lahko kakor cvetni prah, da bi me nesel veter preko daljnih pokrajin in me dvignil v oblake. Tako pa živim bedno, suženjsko življenje. Čemu si me posejal?”
Koruza, ki se je dvignila najviše, da uživa razgled čez prostrano polje, pogleda malomarno in z viška na kmetiča ter reče:
“Neznosno je tu! Prst smrdi po gnoju, jaz bi že rada prišla v svet.”
“Je že dobro,” pravijo buče, ki leže leno in ubito na robu njive, “nič ne rečemo, prav je, da so korenine v gnoju, ali da bi ležale me noč in dan v zemlji, v blatu, tega pa res ne prenesemo. Saj nismo naj zadnje rastline na svetu. Vsaj postlal nanm bi bil.”
“Zraka!” vpije krompir. “Steblo se mi je posušilo, kmalu segnijem še sam v tej zatohli zemlji.”
Kaj je hotel dobri kmetič? Požel je žito, izkopal krompir, pobral koruzo in odpeljal buče.
Mine jesen, mine zima, pride pomlad. V shrambi je spravljeno žito, koruza, krompir ter bučno seme. Kmetič stopi in vpraša:
“Kako je, kako?”
“Oh, tu plesnim!” vzdihne žito. “Sonca mi manjka in zraka. Zrno se drži zrna, nikamor ne vidim. Le zemlja bi razgibala v meni tajne sile, dvignila novo rast^ ponesla bi me na vitkih bilkah proti soncu. Se malo, pa zamrem do zadnje kali, dokler se me ne usmili mlinsko kolo in ne stre moje zavoženo življenje.”
“Ne vprašuj,” pravi koruza. “Dokler sem bila še na steblu, v panoglah, sem počivala pogreznjena v mehke češarke, ovita v svilnato ličje. Bila sem polna, mlečna, sočna, saj je mati skrbela, da nisem stradala in me sonce ni posušilo. S korenino je služila noč in dan v zemlji, prislužila je toliko, da smo imeli za vsakdanji kruh in obleko. Tako si včasih želim, da bi imela tudi jaz čisto majhne otročiče, lepo bi skrbela zanje. Nesi me v zemljo, da se čisto ne posušim.”
Bučno seme je takole nagovorilo kmetiča:
“Najbolj bi se mi prilegel kup mastnega gnoja, da bi se napilo, napelo in pognalo. Pomisli, po dolgih steblih, ki bi jih razpredlo po njivi, bi kradlo sokove, s širokimi listi bi lovilo tople sončne žarke in vse to kopičilo v debele buče z okusnim mesom. Ali ne bi bilo lepo?”
“Naj ti še razlagam?” pravi krompir. “Saj vidiš, da poganjam kar tu na lesi ter tratim svoje moči.”
Kaj je hotel dobri kmetič? Preoral je svoje tri njive, posejal žito, posadil krompir, koruzo in buče.
OUR COVER ILLUSTRATIONS The front cover drawing of this issue of the Mladinski List was sent by Zora Gostovich, age 13, Raton, New Mexico, a member of Lodge 416.
The back cover illustration of this issue was drawn by Elsie Polončič, age 17, Uniondale, Pa., a member of Lodge 124.
INDIAN FEATHER DANCE
This is a good game to break the ice at the beginning of a party, or as a way of paying a forfeit incurred in some other game.
A large feather is suspended above the floor by a black thread in such a manner that it may be manipulated by one of the players.
One player is chosen as “It” or “the victim.” This player must imitate the dancing of the feather which is kept in constant action by another player who jerks the thread to make the feather jump and dance.
ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT HONEST ABE AND GEORGE
Drawn by Ben Volk, age 17, Tonawanda, N. Y. Lodge 405.
OUR SCHOOL
VALENTINE'S DAY
On Valentine’s day we have lots of fun, Giving valentines to our mother and father. We all give them to almost everyone,
And we also give them to each other.
Valentines; yes, pretty and funny ones too, Valentines, the kind sent just to spite, Valentines that often say “I love you.”
Yes, valentines are all a beautiful sight.
VIRGINIA BARTON, 13, lodge 231 R. D. No. 4, McDonald, Pa.
*
THE AIRPLANE
When you see an airplane going by,
It looks like a bird in the sky;
It looks so small ’way up there,
Flying all alone in the air.
You can hear its motor strong an’ loud, Now it disappears behind the cloud;
And although it may snow or rain,
On and on goes the airplane.
It keeps on going in the night,
Now it’s completely out of sight.
VIRGINIA BARTON, 13, lodge 231 R. D. No. 4, McDonald, Pa.
THAT FATEFUL DAY
As I sit quietly by the window here,
I recall what happened last year—-Two children were so happy and gay,
Until there came that fateful day.
It happened near a traffic light,
As they crossed the street so bright.
A car was coming, the lights were red,
Two little bodies lie there—dead.
Drawn by Margaret Blazina, age 15, Roundup, Mont. Lodge 114.
Only the screaming mother’s voice Was heard, there was no other noise.
The two little children, before so gay,
Laid motionless; it was their last day.
Let this be a lesson to one and all:
To be careful always, big and small.
Such tragedies we can and must prevent By observing the rules hundred percent.
SYLVIA ZUPANČIČ, 16, lodge 118 4525 Friendship Avenue Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
A PECAN HUNT
On a brisk Sunday in November the Barnards, the Howards and we went on a pecan hunt.
We went to Deerfield, Missouri; the Barnards in a car and my mother and Mr. and Mrs. Howard in a truck. My sister and I rode in the back of the truck. Mr. Howard said that it was going to be cold, so he gave us two overcoats and a comforter to put over us.
It was a long way to Deerfield, the roads were mostly all rough, but there were some good ones too.
We finally reached Deerfield all in one piece, so we got off the truck with our sacks and lunch. We were greeted warmly by Mrs. Howard, the owner of the grove, and her daughter.
Mrs. Howard is a widow, and 76 years old. She lives on her farm, takes care of her grove, milks four cows, and takes care of the chickens.
Mrs. Howard told us that we could take as many pecans as we cared to, which we were pleased to get. After a little visit we went to the trees and began to gather the pecans.
Mr. Howard climbed the trees to the height of about 40 feet and with a club he hit the limbs and the peacans would fall on a tarpaulin which we had stretched under a tree. Then we would get them into a sack. Some of them we would pick from the ground and put into bockets.
At noon we quit picking pecans and decided to eat our lunch. Mrs. Howard was very kind and asked us to come to lunch with her and her daughter, which we accepted, but hated to bother her.
After a hearty lunch we went back to work. Some of the trees were along the creek bank and some of the pecans fell into the water and mud and were lost.
At about 3:30 we decided to gather our belongings and start for home. We had gathered about six gunny sacks full, so we took them to the house and gave Mrs. Howard her share of pecans.
We got into our cars and bade Mrs. Howard and her daughter goodby, hoping to see them next year again at pecan season.
MARIE KUNSTEL, 13, lodge 206 Arcadia, Kansas.
*
HOW GOOD A MOVIE FAN ARE YOU?
Give one of the principal actors or actresses that played important parts in each movie:
1.	Sergeant York. 2. Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. 3.
There's 7^0 end- to t/vis
Drawn by Jimmie Spendal, age 14, Clinton, Ind. Lodge 50.
Aloma of the South Seas. 4. Charley’s Aunt. 5. Keep ’em Flying. 6. Life Begins for Andy Hardy.
7.	Pot O’ Gold. 8. Tom, Dick, and Harry. 9. Hon-ky Tonk. 10. A Yank in the RAF.
ANSWERS: 1. Gary Cooper. 2. Spencer Tracy.
3.	Dorothy Lamour. 4. Jack Benny. 5. Bud Abbott, Lou Castello, Martha Raye. 6. Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland. 7. James Stewart, Paulette Goddard. 8. Ginger Rogers, George Murphy. 9. Lana Turner, Clark Gable. 10. Tyrone Power, Betty Grable.
AGNES SALOUM, 14, lodge 89 R. F. D. 1, Bulger, Pa.
*
THE PANAMA CANAL
The building of Panama Canal started in 1904. It took 10 years to build it and it cost about 375,-000,000 dollars. This includes the cost of construction, the $40,000,000 paid to the French government for work done prior to May 4, 1904; the $10,000,000 paid to the Republic of Panama, and the expenses of terminal facilities.
The Panama Canal extends from Colon to Panama, the two cities which are not included in the Canal Zone proper. The Canal is a channel fifty miles long. The Zone contains about 440 square miles. To build this Canal they had to go through a mountain, the Culebra cut, Gutan dam, Gutan Lake, etc. They had a lot of trouble getting through the Culebra cut. They had to keep on shoveling and hauling before they got through.
This caused a delay of two years before the completion of the Canal.
It is interesting to know that at the time of its completion, more than 50,000 workers were employed on this great engineering project. Since Gatun Lake is 85 feet high it is necessary to lift a ship to sea level at one end of the Canal and lower it at the other end. This is done by means of locks. There are three locks at each end of the Canal.
The Panama Canal is very important for defense.
While the cities of Panama and Colon are excluded from the Zone, the United States has the authority to enforce such sanitary ordinances as it deems necessary, and to preserve law and order. The government owns 322 miles of the Zone, the remainder being held by private parties, the United States reserving the right to purchase or take possession at any time, should the necessity for such action arise.
The Panama Canal was opened for traffic on August 15, 1914.
VIRGINIA BARTON, 13, lodge 231,
R. D. No. 4, McDonald, Pa.
*
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
The sixteenth President of the United States— Abraham Lincoln—was born in Kentucky on February 12, 1809, one hundred and seventy-two years after his great-great-great-great-grand-father, Samuel Lincoln, has settled in Hingham, Mass.
Lincoln had little schooling, not over a year in all, but he was too interested in learning to depend on school teachers. He had discovered two great sources of knowledge—one, books, and the other, people, older than himself.
In November of 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected as the sixteenth President of the United States and in the following March was inaugurated.
In November of 1863, at the dedication of the battlefield of Gettysburg as a National Cemetery, Lincoln stated in the clearest terms that he had
IT’S VALENTINE TIME Drawn by Ben Volk, age 17, Tonawanda, N. Y. Lodge 405.
yet used—his idea of what the Civil War was all about. It was, he said, “that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.” That is, what he was fighting for was the preservation of the Union, and what he did about slavery was only what he believed would help save the Union.
Abraham Lincoln succeeded in his great task and the Union was saved.
It was in this spirit of rejoicing and mercy, after the end of the war, that in the evening of April 14, 1865, he went with Mrs. Lincoln to Ford’s Theater, to see a play, “Our American Cousin.” In the third act as he sat smiling at some sally, a pistol shot was heard and the moment afterwards the puzzled audience saw a man leap from the box in which the President and his party sat, fall as he struck the stage, spring up and rush behind the scenes. The actors on the stage and many people in the audience recognized the man, whom soon they knew to be an assassin. It was a famous actor—John Wilkes Booth.
At twenty two minutes past seven on the morning of April 15, 1865, the atteding physicians pronouced him dead. Thus the great Emancipator passed away a martyr to a great cause. Secretary Stanton, who sat beside the dying man throughout the night said solemnly and prophetically, “Now he belongs to the ages.”
Abraham Lincoln is now well remembered for his honesty, ability, courage, determination, per-
severance, and for his love for humanity and justice. “With malice toward none, with justice toward all,” he said at the end of the war. Lincoln is also well known as “Honest Abe.”
ANNIE ČRETNIK, 15, lodge 24 R. 2, Box 425, Ft. Smith, Ark.
*
A VICTORY
The soft white snow comes gently falling,
It is a truly beautiful thing;
To hear the wind so shrilly calling,
To hear its echoes ring.
Sometimes it is so bleak and cold,
Sometimes so soft and fine.
It offers pleasures for the bold,
And makes the weak ones whine.
Then Spring arrives, and with is warmth The snow soon disappears.
A Victory! the Sun has won,
The Snow has left its tears.
JOHN KORBER JR., 16, lodge 684
R. D. 2, Box 91, Johnstown, Pa.
*
GEORGE WASHINGTON
Nearly every nation looks back to some hero whom it calls “The Father of his Country.” This person may be entirely imaginary or some ancient leader lost in legends.
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NEW SALEM, MEMORIAL TO LINCOLN Drawn by Zora Goslovich, age 13, Raton, New Mexico, lodge 297.
Minil t4l*l
THE KING OF THE MOUNTAINS Drawn by Pauline Turkovich, age 13, Walsenburg, Colo. Lodge 299.
However, the United States of America is a new enough nation to dispense with fables about the man who was truly a father to his country, who protected it in its youth and watched over it with the unselfish love of an ideal parent. But already there are many false legends about him.
When George was eleven years old his father died, willing most of his land to the two sons of his first wife, and leaving Mary, his wife, with five children and a bitter, but courageous, struggle against poverty.
George was born on the shores of the Potomac River, at a plantation in Westmoreland County, Virginia, Feb. 22, 1732.
After being in the army for some time, he got sick of war, resigned from the army and on January 6, 1759, married the rich widow, Mrs. Martha Custis, and adopter her two children, Jack and Martha. He never had any children of his own.
At the end of his first administration, Washington was unanimously reelected, but his second term was even stormier than his first. It included the so-called Whiskey Rebellion of 1794. Distillers in Western Pennsylvania revolted against the excise tax, but Washington organized an army and marched against them, with Hamilton in direct command.
As the end of his second term drew near, he refused to consider a third term and with Hamilton’s aid, drew up his famous “Farewell Address,” of Sept. 17, 1797, beseeching his fellow countrymen to remain faithful to their ideals and to avoid the evils that would endanger the safety of the Union.
ANNIE ČRETNIK, 15, lodge 24 R. 2, Box 425, Ft. Smith, Ark.
*
MY SNOWMAN
I made a little snowman,
Whose eyes were from a nut;
I gave him a coat of tan,
If he kept his mouth shut.
Later when I visited him,
Nowhere could he be ---------
Only his arms, an old tree limb,
Were left as a souvenier for me.
ZITA BOZANIC, 14, lodge 393 R. D. No. 3, Worcester, N. Y.
*
THE SNOW
I	love the gentle snow that falls,
And turns the ground all white.
It falls so swiftly and so fast,
And also comes down in the night.
It is so pretty; yes, and so soft,
It is a veil of silvery flakes.
It is very nice to play in, too—
Very nice snowballs it makes. VICTORIA AMBROŽIČ, 14, lodge 88 R. F. D. 5, Box 424, Crafton, Pa.
*
FEBRUARY
February is a very cold month,
It’s known for blizzards and cold.
But it seems to me, that we don’t mind,
We are not far, from spring, I know.
Cold red faces you can see,
Happy children running to and fro.
Fresh cool air and sushine too,
Skating, sleighing is not new.
MARGARET POLONČIČ, 14, lodge 124 R. F. D. 2, Union Dale, Pa.
*
SCIENCE AND INVENTION
Man loves to explore. He explores the surface of his earth, from its hottest jungles to its coldest Antarctic regions. He explores underground caves and passages.
Dressed in a cumbersome diving suit, he explores the bottom of the ocean. And last but not least, he explores the atmosphere above him. It is only in recent times that man has succeeded in going far up into the sky. Man’s dream of flying is an old one. A myth of the ancident Greeks tells of an invention of artificial wings like those of a bird.
The first balloon was invented by two French brothers, Joseph and Jacques Montgolfier. On June 5, 1783, they succeeded in getting their bal-
UNCLE SAM Sketched by Dorothy Flais, age 13, Oakmont, Pa. Lodge 472.
J
BUY DEFENSE STAMPS WITH YOUR SAVINGS
useful inventions, is also used for fighting because dictators have so decided. Let’s hope that they will be defeated soon on all fronts!
JOSEPHINE VIDMAR, 13, lodge 747 2546 N. 37th St., Milwaukee, Wis.
*
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Over one hundred years ago a family of settlers named Lincoln, who had moved from Kentucky, lived in a log cabin in Indiana. There was one boy in the family, a little fellow of seven years named Abraham, born in Kentucky.
“My son is going to have an education,” the father used to say. “He is going to cipher clear through the arithmetic.” The boy went to school for a little while, and learned to read and write. His mother taught him what she could. Among other things she told him about the war of 1912, that had just come to an end and about the hardships of the soliders. The child listened intently, and one day when he had been fishing, he came home empty handed because he had given his string of fish to a soldier whom he met on the road.
When he was only eight years old his mother died. After a time his father married again. The stepmother loved the little boy, and did ail she could to help him. He went to school only six months in his life, but he borrowed every book that he heard of in the country for fifty miles around. He was not quick to learn, but he
A TIMELY CALL Drawn by Violei Machek, age 15, McDonald, Pa. Lodge 231.
loon, which was made of cloth and inflated with hot air, to rise into the air for about 10 minutes. In September of the same year Joseph Montgolfier sent up a balloon with the first aerial passengers: a sheep, a rooster and a duck. Only the rooster was injured and that was when the sheep kicked him. A month later Pilatre de Rozier became the first human being to go up. He ascended in a balloon with a fire-pot attached to keep the balloon filled wjth hot air.
Over a century passed before man succeeded in flying in heavier-than-air machine—airplane. In the 20th century, the century of aviation, balloons and airplanes developed rapidly. It was in 1903, almost forty years ago, that the Wright brothers, two Americans, succeeded in making the first airplane that actually was able to fly.
Since then, and particularly in recent years, aviation has rapidly advanced. Not only is it used for transportation, but even more so in combat. This wonderful invention, like many other
Drawn by Violei Machek, age 15, McDonald, Pa. Lodge 231.
PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
never gave up. Some of these books were “Robinson Crusoe,” “Pilgrim’s Progress,” “A Life of Washington,” “History of the United States,” etc. One other book was a copy of the “Statutes of Indiana.” In this book were also the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.
Lincoln wanted to be a lawyer, but when he was twenty-one it did not seem as if he would ever carry out his wish. He had to work on the farm and later in the store. But he found time enough to study and read, read and study. He moved to New Salem, Illinois. It was during this time that he began to study law and determined to become a lawyer. After much hard work he became a lawyer.
Lincoln had been made a member of the State Legislature. In 1960 he was nominated for the Presidency of the United States, and he was elected. Soon thereafter the Civil War broke out and a tremendous responsibility fell on his shoulders.
Abraham Lincoln was a great leader, a liberator, and a great speaker. At the dedication of the battlefield at Gettysburg, as a soldiers’ cemetery in November, 1863, after a disastrous defeat of Lee’s army in Pennsylvania, Presidetnt Lincoln made the famous oration which has taken a permanent place in world literature—best known to us as the Gettysburg Address.
"Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal . .
Many people praised this wonderful speech. Even today his famous speech is known by all everywhere in America. A short time after the close of the war, President Lincoln was assassinated. He died on April 15, 1865.
DAN GOSTOVICH, age 10, lodge 297.
Box 531, Raton, New Mexico.
*
THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
The Philippine Islands were acquired by the United States during the Spanish-American War when Admiral Dewy destroyed the Spanish warships and took over the islands.
After the war, the United States government paid Spain $20,000,000 to give up all claim to them, and since then they have been part of our territory. These consist of over three thousand islands, many of which are very small. Luzon, on which Manila, the capital, is located, is the largest. The combined area of the islands is 115,026 square miles.
Part of the islands are mountaneous, but in some of the many valleys the soil is very deep and fertile. The climate of the Philippines is tropical—always warm and sometimes very hot. Forests cover large parts of the islands and in places they are so thick that they form tropical jungles.
The leading exports are hemp, sugar, tobacco, and copra. Hemp is the best known. Other products are rice, millet, maize, indigo, coffee, cotton, sago, cocoanuts, bananas, cinnamon. The rope which is made from hemp is of excellent
THE “PUST” DAY
Drawn by Dorothy Dermotta, age 17, Avella, Pa. Lodge 292.
quality and is called Manila rope. Copra is dried meat of the cocoanut and is exported in large quantities. Most of it is sent to Europe (in normal times), where it is used in soap making.
On the entire group of islands there are many cities having a population of over 10,000. However, Manila is greatest in importance. It has over three hundred thousand inhabitants and is situated at an excellent harbor. It is the center of government on the islands.
VIOLET MACHEK, 15, lodge 231 R. D. No. 4, McDonald, Pa.
*
MEMORIAL TO ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Many years after Abraham Lincoln had left the little town of New Salem, Illinois, the people of Illinois said, “Let us rebuild New Salem as a memorial to Abraham Lincoln.”
They started the work in 1932. First, they built a country store just like the one in which Lincoln had worked. Then they built some log cabins like those in which the people lived one hundred years ago. The Government sent Civilian Conservation Corps men to help with the work.
The country store and eleven log cabins are now finished. The little town of New Salem of Lincoln’s time, of which there was hardly any trace, has been rebuilt. Ten more cabins will soon be built to complete the village. The village
will be kept as a State park. Many people will visit the interesting village and its country store.
New Salem will be a memorial to the great man who once lived in that simple little country town, which originally consisted of twenty-one log cabins and one country store. Thus the town will soon be completely restored.
The visitors will think of the man who became our sixteenth President; the man who freed the slaves; the man who preserved the Union; the man who worked for the common people; the man who said that . . this nation shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.”
The Great Emancipator, Abraham Lincoln, was born on February 12, 1809.
ZORA GOSTOVICH, 13, lodge 297
Box 531, Raton, New Mexico.
STAND BY AMERICA!
America is a great land, boys and girls. It is the greatest land on earth. So stand by America and protect her to the end. Our forefathers have given their lives to give us our great land of today, with its freedom and justice.
Just seventy-six years ago our country was about to be broken up, the two factions of our land, the North and South, began a great war; many brave men died in this war to keep the United States together. Thus our Union was preserved, thanks largely to the wisdom and guidance of the great Emancipator—Abraham Lincoln.
In the last World War we managed to stay out for a time, but finally we entered it. The Central powers were defeated and America with her Allies was victorious. The unfortunate thing was that the victorious nations failed to listen to
GUESS WHAT?
Drawn by Robert Flais, age 10, Oakmont, Pa. Lodge 472.
President Wilson. He wanted all the countries to have a word in the peace talks, both the victors and the vanquished. Another serious mistake was that America itself didn’t listen to Wilson’s proposal to join the League of Nations. The ideals which he advocated might have saved the world from the present struggle had they been put in practice.
On December 7, 1941, America was attacked by Japan. We had managed to stay out of this war for a long time. The attack on Pearl Harbor united the people of America. Today the American people stand as one behind President Roosevelt in this great conflict. There is no doubt that America will win no matter how long it may take.
Let us hope when the war is over, the representatives of the nations concerned will be able to draw up a just peace—a peace which will quarantee freedom and justice to all. A peace which will preyent future wars!
MARTIN LENICH, 17, lodge 209 700 Sandford Avenue Nokomis, Illinois.
Losing Your Head
A girl was telling excitedly of some thrilling experience. “Why, I just lost my head.” she declared. “I hadn’t the least idea what I was doing.” She stopped to laugh but sme of her listeners could not see humor in the situation.
In a moment of excitement, this girl admitted, she lost her head. That is exactly what you must not do. This loss of self-control is responsible for frightful panics, for innumerable accidents, for tragedies too grim to put it in print. “I lost my head,” “I went all to pieces,” “I didn’t know what I was doing,” are common excuses.
Your head was not given you to lose. In crisis your will should be working overtime. It is your business to discipline yourself so that in an emergency you will know exactly what you are doing. Whether the occasion is a thrilling moment in a football game, or the cry of fire in a schoolhouse, it is your business to keep your hand on the helm.
—Young People’s Weekly.
"POISON" LETTERS
In playing this game, a certain letter, such as L is “poison” and can not be used in any word during the game. This is the way it is usually played:
The leader says, “The elephant does not like an L. What will you give him to eat?”
Players may answer in turns, “meat,” “grapefruit,” “soup,” “asparagus,” etc., but not “lettuce,” “salad,” “jelly,” or “salmon,” or any other word containing an L. Anyone who makes a mistake drops out. The one who lasts longest starts the next turn by asking the question, using a different “poison” letter if he likes.
All knowledge is lost which ends in the knowing.	—John Ruskin.
Our Own Juvenile Circles of the S. N. P. J.
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Send all your questions and requests for your Juvenile Circles to Bro. Michael Vrhovnik, Director of the SNPJ Juvenile Dept., 2657 S. Lawndale Ave., Chicago, III. He has been elected the Director of Juvenile Circles, and your Advisers should keep in touch with him.
WINTER ACTIVITIES
The winter months, and we’re right in the midst of them now, provide many opportunities for activities indoors and outdoors, but mostly indoors because most of us want to be where it is warm. If your members, particularly the hardy ones, desire to exercise and breathe in the fresh air, then a tobogganing or M. Vrhovnik ice-skating party might be organized for some week-end day or evening. A theater party would not be amiss, either, for everyone enjoys a good movie any time, and when you attend in a group, it’s just that much more fun. The winter season, of course, is especially suited to indoor activities and I would suggest that for something that hits the “spot”, a carefully selected Quiz Bee is an attraction that can be used at any meeting. Arrange the questions so that the more difficult ones will be asked of the older boys and girls first. Be sure you have the correct answers.
February, as you all know, is the month
of outstanding birthdays, among which are Washington’s, Lincoln’s, Longfellow’s, and many others. You might try to work these birthdays into your quiz program and along with them questions pertaining to certain members and events of your Circle. Another step in the right direction would be to have a short discussion of these prominent historical figures to find out who the members think contributed most to the welfare of humanity; this should prove interesting as well as educational. A Valentine party for the February meeting has come to be accepted by some groups as an annual event. Whatever you decide, try to build something novel around these birthdays. See what you can originate of your own and then, later, tell us of their success in the Mladinski List or the Prosveia.
During the winter months, too, is a mighty good time to organize hobby groups within your Circle. Nothing builds character more than worthwhile achievements. When boys and girls learn to do good things with their hands and minds because they want to do them and because they enjoy them, they are building foundations that will be retained through lifetime. Keep this in mind. It 's
our intention to work on this idea, first, on a local scale and, later, expand it into district and state affairs. . . Another activity that is popular in a number of large fraternal organizations is drill teams. If you have boys and girls, who would like to be dressed in attractive uniforms and enjoy the exercise and occasional participation in a community parade and, perhaps, in an SNPJ Day celebration competing with drill teams from other districts, here then is an important and interesting field for your development. This and many other ideas and suggestions await you as the year 1942 unfolds itself before us.
In order to carry out a program of any kind, one must first make plans and to make plans, one must have ideas as well as practical ways and means of putting them to work to produce the greatest good for the greatest number. This is the time to look ahead with anticipation, ambition, and determination to outdo, if possible, the achievements of the previous year. Choose ideas and suggestions with great care. Shape your plans as perfectly as knowledge and experience will permit. Carry them out to the best of your ability. Work to build. Work, with the aim always in mind, to make your Circle the outstanding group of boys and girls in your community or district. When you have done this, I’m sure you will command the respect and admiration of everyone concerned in your own Circle and the entire SNPJ.
PREPARE FOR A MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN
Boys and girls all over the country are doing their share to aid America to victory by contributing their pennies, nickels, and dimes to the purchase of Defense Savings Stamps. Among them, no doubt, are many Juvenile members of the SNPJ giving every spare penny to this cause. Perhaps, Juvenile Circles could arrange local contests to see who, at the end of 1942, will have the highest amount of stamps. You must not forget that buying these stamps is a twin-fold savings plan; you are practicing thrift and at the same time contributing your bit to save yourselves and the rest of the world from slavery. If plans shall not go awry, a suggestion might be made to the Supreme Board that all prizes, for new members enrolled this year, be payable in Defense Savings Stamps of various
denominations. What do you think of this idea? How many new members will your Circle enroll if such a plan becomes effective? Begin now to line up your prospects. Be prepared for a great membership drive regardless of what form of prizes shall be awarded.
With medical examinations not required for juvenile prospective members, except in the state of Ohio . . . With the Lodge Secretary, from now on, entitled to FOUR cents instead of TWO for each assessment collected . . . With Cash Credits at the time of transfer to the Adult Department increased from a maximum of $15.00 to $20.00 . . . With juvenile members permitted to insure themselves for $1,000 mortuary and $1.00 sick benefit at the time of transfer without a medical examination, and with attractive prize awards offered in addition to these features, what is there to prevent us from breaking all campaign records in the Juvenile Department? . . . And if the Defense Savings Stamp idea for prizes is approved, what is to prevent the SNPJ from contributing (besides regular investments) more than all other Slovene fraternal benefit societies, together, towards the defense of America and the liberties we cherish. At the same time, each new member added to our ranks will help to build the defenses of the SNPJ for the protection of those we leave behind when the time comes, and for ourselves and families in times of sickness and accident ... A year of hard work lies ahead. Let’s make the best of every day and every opportunity.
MICHAEL T. VRHOVNIK, Juvenile Director.
ACTIVITIES OF CIRCLE NO. 1
WALSENBURG, COLO.-—On Sunday, Dec. 14, we of the SNPJ in southern Colorado had a good time at a combined Christmas party sponsored by our three juvenile units. The party was a huge success, one that will not be forgotten for a long time.
The event was a real get-to-gether of the three Juvenile Circles, namely, Circle 1 of Walsenburg, Circle 20 of Aguilar and Circle 25 of Delagua. The affair was held in Delagua in their School-house. Manager Joe Prunk of Circle 25 acted as master of ceremonies. First he introduced Edward Tomsic Sr. who gave a short talk, and then the three Circles.
Our Circle No. 1 was first on the program. The first number of our program were three accordion selections by Elizabeth and Verna Duzenack. They
played “Bicycle Built for Two,” “Bury Me Out on the Lone Prairie,” and “San Antonio Rose.” This was followed by a short play entitled “Next-Door Neighbor.” Those taking part in the play were Elizabeth and Verna Etuzenack, David and Millie Zorman, Pauline Turkovich, Betty Tomsic and the writer.
Albert Duzenack then gave a short Christmas poem which was well received. Then another play was presented. This play, entitled “At the Naturalization Court,” was very humorous. The cast in this play included Edward Tomsic, Albert Tomsic, Billy Martucci, Albert Duzenack, Rose Turkovich and William Tomsic. The concluding number consisted of two songs by the group, with “God Bless America” as a fitting finale. Verna Duzenack accompanied the group on her accordion.
I wish to mention that both plays given on this program were taken from the Mladinski List.
Delagua’s program followed Walsenburg’s. It consisted of musical numbers, both popular and classical. Aguilar was the last to present a program. Their program consisted chiefly of music, but they had a “few letters to Santa Claus.” Joe Prunk made the closing speech in which he thanked everyone for attending and for helping to make the program a success.
After the programs of the three Circles, were finished, the children were given candy. Everyone attending received refreshments—sandwiches and cake with pop. Anyone that wanted to was invited to dance. All who attended had a good time. We all hope to gather again soon.
At our December meeting we discussed our Christmas treat and we had the election of officers for 1942. It was very probable that we would decide to attend the movies as our yule treat.
I am sending in a picture of some of the members of our Circle taken at our Circle picnic last summer.
A Group of Members of the SNPJ Juvenile Circle No. 1, Walsenburg, Colo.
Our January meeting was scheduled for January 18, third Sunday of the month. And our
February meeting will be held on the 15th of February. All members are urged to attend.
WILLIAM TOMSIC, President Circle 1
823 W. 7th St., Walsenburg, Colorado.
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CIRCLE NO. 20 ELECTS OFFICERS
AGUILAR, COLO.—This is Juvenile Circle No. 20 of the SNPJ, reporting briefly its news for the final month of the year 1941.
On Sunday, December 14, our Circle joined Circles 1 and 25 in staging a yule program at De-lagua. The party was very successful in every respect and everyone attending had a good time.
Also, on Sunday, December 14, Lodge 381 and Circle 20 had election of officers. I was again elected manager of Circle 20.
The following officers were elected to lead Circle 20 during 1942: President, Joe Arnome; Vice President, Ralph Frusone; Secretary-Recording Secretary, Mitzi Kosernik; Treasurer, Mike Riggio. Chairman of Program Committee is Mitzi Kosernik.
Circle No. 20 has been doing fine work in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
Our Circle meets each second Sunday of the month at 10:30 forenoon at the City Hall. Our January meeting was held on Jan. 11 and our next meeting is scheduled for Sunday, February 8. All members are urged and requested to attend.
FRANCES KOSERNIK, Manager Aguilar, Colorado.
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CIRCLE 21 SPORTS ACTIVITIES
SHARON, PA.—This is Juvenile Circle No. 21 of the SNPJ, of Sharon, Pennsylvania, broadcasting its news and views concerning our activities, mostly sports activity. We don’t write often, although I wish we would.
I am sending you a picture of our Circle softball team. This picture is very late in arriving, since I always forgot to send it in. Well, anyway you finally have it, the 1941 edition of the “A1 Around Juvenile Circle 21 of Sharon.” In its last three seasons the team has won 25 and lost 11 games. Here are the batting averages of the members of the team:
	AB	R	H	Avg.
Macek 		67	32	26	.388
L. Zickar 		73	27	26	.329
Kramer 			18	6	5	.277
Zager 		38	5	9	.236
A. Cimperman	52	15	12	.230
O’Korn 		55	12	12	.219
R. Zickar 		62	19	14	.225
Robich 		40	6	8	.200
F. Zickar 		48	,7	6	.125
E. Cimperman .		26	6	3	.115
The members of the team, reading from left to right, are (top row): L. Zickar, O’Korn, Glavan, Director Frances Novak, Kramer, Macek, Zager; bottom row: F. Zickar, Robich, A. Cimperman, R. Zickar, E. Cimperman, Mascot Donald Novak.
We are now planning a basketball team. We have had a team for the past two years, but
Softball Team of fhe SNPJ Juvenile Circle No. 21, Sharon, Pa.
have found it difficult to book games. In the past two seasons we have played only 8 games, winning four and losing four. Last year’s team was much improved and the two games we lost were by one and two poijits, respectively.
This year’s team will be much improved over last year’s team and we are looking forward to a great season.
Someone has told me that the Girard Circle “Dawn of Youth” is planning a team. Our Circle would like very much to play them, if it could be arranged.
JACK GLAVAN, Sports Manager, Sharon, Pennsylvania.
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CIRCLE NO. 1 PLANS 1942 ACTIVITY
WALSENBURG, COLO.—Well, the New Year has come and we have elected new officers for our Circle No. 1. The following officers were elected and will lead the Circle during 1942:
William Tomšič, President; Verna Duznack, Vice President; Edward Tomsic, Secretary and Recording Secretary; Ann Urban, Treasurer. Mr. Edward Tomsic was elected for our Adviser, with Mrs. Edward Tomsic as his assistant.
During 1942 we are planning large-scale activities for each month. For the last month of the old year, we had a theater party.
Since the beginning of our Juvenile Circle, I have been its Secretary. This year I have the position of Treasurer. I am pleased that Edward
Tomsic has taken over my old position, because I know he will carry on where I left off.
I	may be a little late, but I wish you all a very happy 1942.
ANN URBAN, Treasurer Circle 1 Mariposa Ave., Walsenburg, Colo.
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DECEMBER MEETING OF CIRCLE NO. 28
ROUNDUP, MONT.—Our final meeting of 1941 was held on December 7, and was called to order by President Rudy Jancic. The minutes of the previous meeting were read by Recording Secretary Carl Kerzan, and were accepted.
A Christmas card was received from Lois Babcock, Secretary of Circle 18, Milwaukee, Wis. We wish to thank Circle 18 for their thoughtfulness. In return we sent them one.
The reports of special committees were submitted and approved. These committees were: auditing, entertainment, secretary’s report and Hunsey Bederp’s. A Circle song was made by Lorraine Klos, Mrs. Oset and Louise Lekse. The members accepted it.
A program for February was discussed; it will be given Feb. 8 after the adult meeting. There were two practices in the hall in January. Every member will take part. Price and name of program was discussed at the January meeting.
Officers for the year of 1942 are as follows: President, Robert Zupan; Vice President, Albina
Finco; Secretary, Carl Kerzan; Recording Secretary, Charles Meznarich; Treasurer, Joan Finco; Sergeant-at-Arms, Bobby Bedey. Auditing Committee:	Josephine Oset, Chairman; Ruth
Glotch and Dorothy Jasbeck. Sick Committee: Luke Balock, Chairman; Frank Bedey and Donald Zupan.
Our Circle adviser is Mrs. Lea Oset. The picture representing our Circle in the December ML is from Circle 28 and not from No. 25.
Lorraine Klos and Anton Lekse, our new members, were initiated at the first 1942 meeting.
At the meeting we had a visit from Santa, who gave candy to all the children. Ice cream and cake for refreshments were served by Mrs. Oset in the basement of her home, which was decorated with a fireplace. Our next meeting was scheduled for January 18 at the home of Mrs. Lea Oset at
2	p. m. All members are asked to be present at the February meeting.
LOUISE LEKSE, Secretary, Box 465, Roundup, Mont.
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"DAWN OF YOUTH" CIRCLE REPORTING
GIRARD, O.—The regular monthly meeting of “Dawn of Youth” Circle No. 7, was held at Na-goda’s Hall December 28. There were about 30 members at the meeting. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved.
The Secretary read the Christmas cards that we received from many Circles. We thank all the Circles that sent them.
A motion was passed that our Circle buy a Defense Bond. At our December meeting we had the election of officers for the coming year. They are as follows:
President, Joe Leskovec; Vice President, Pauline Bahor; Secretary, Betty Rezek; Rec. Sec’y, Hermina Perechlin; Treasurer, Dorothy Selak. In addition three members were elected as auditors, three as reporters for the Prosveta and two as reporters for the Mladinski List.
Our Circle meets the fourth Sunday of the month at 2 o’clock in the afternoon at Nagoda’s Hall. If there are any changes in regard to our meetings, the members will be notified in due time.
HERMINA PERECHLIN, Treasurer Avon Park, Girard, Ohio.
CIRCLE NO. 20 ELECTS OFFICERS
AGUILAR, COLO.—I am rather slow in making my report to the Mladinski List, but that was mainly because of the holiday season when everyone is quite busy. Here is our report:
On Sunday, December 14, 1941, Circle No. 20 elected new officers for the coming year. They are as follows: Joseph Amone, President; Ralph Fausone, Vice President; Mitzi Kosernik, Secretary and Recording Secretary; Mike Riggio, Treasurer; Mitzi Kosernik, Manager of the Program Committee; Circle Manager, Frances Kosernik. The same manager was elected by the senior members, because of her ability to guide the younger members and make them better SNPJers and fellow citizens.
Later the same day, our Circle members motored to Delagua where the three Circles—Nos. 1, 20 and 25—had a sort of reunion. We each presented a short program and were later served with delicious refreshments. The rest of the evening was spent in dancing and celebrating among ourselves. Senior lodge members also attended this affair and also enjoyed themselves.
In this world crisis everyone is thinking of the war and its cause. “Remember Pearl Harbor,” is the only slogan that means anything to all of us. This is the time we should all buy Defense Bonds and Stamps. Uncle Sam needs our money for victory. We sincerely hope that the World War II will hurry up and end—in our victory. We all hope this and must work towards it. Why shouldn’t we? It is our duty to defend America.
Remember Pearl Harbor!
MITZI KOSERNIK, Secretary Circle 20 Box 199, Aguilar, Colorado.
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FROM DELAGUA JUVENILE CIRCLE NO. 25
DELAGUA, COLO.—We are broadcasting our yearly news. It is about time to end up the year and begin a new one, in which we hope to be successful.
Let us go back and think of all our happenings of the year. We mean by that all of the successful happenings of Juvenile Circle No. 25 of Delagua, Colorado.
In January, 1941, officers for our Circle were elected. They were as follows: Ann Harvatin, President; Marie Bragozzi, Vice President; Eda Montero, Secretary; Charlie Montero, Sergeant at arms; Margaret Mileta, Correspondent; Joseph Prunk, Manager. We hope that our new officers, who will be elected in January 1942, will be worthy of their job.
In February, we had nothing special, but being that it was the month of Valentine’s Day, we had a party. In March, we went on with struggles in order to give a program. In April, Wal-senburg had an SNPJ federation celebration on the 20th. They invited Aguilar Circle and our Circle to present a program. Everyone had a good time.
In May, our mothers were given a party by our Circle for the remembrance of Mother’s Day. In June we were working hard to decorate a float for a parade. In July, our Circle had a float in the parade held in Aguilar on the Fourth. We won first prize.
In August, the senior lodge gave a picnic and invited our Circle to attend. In September, our Circle visited Walsenburg and Aguilar Circles. Everyone had a good time at both meetings.
In October, Walsenburg and Aguilar Circles visited our Circle. We were very glad to have them with us. We also enjoyed a picture show at the West Theater. More good times! In November, practising for another program was enjoyed, although difficulties were included.
This letter will be published after the month of January is over, but on December 14, Walsenburg and Aguilar Circles joined with our Circle and a (Continued on page 31.)
Drawn by Zita Bozanec, 14,
Our Pen Pals Write
(Naši čiialeljčki pišejo)
A FAMILY OF FIVE SNPJers
Dear Editor:—I have been reading the Mladinski List for many years,
I but this is the first time I have ever written to this fine magazine. I do hope that you will not hold this against me and print my letter in the next issue.
I was ten years old on
Worcester. N. Y„ lodge 393 January 2>	lg42> and j
have been a member of the SNPJ for more than nine years. In fact, our whole family have been members for years and years. Our family includes Mother, Dad, sister Jane, brother John, and last of all me. I forgot to tell you that I am in the fifth grade and that I think school is all right.
I am too late to wish you a merry Christmas, but anyway—I wish you lots of luck in the new year, one and all.—Dorothy Gaspersic, 716 Twenty-fourth st., Ambridge, Pa. (Lodge 122.)
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PUSSY WILLOWS IN DECEMBER!
Dear Editor:—I will come to the point of my letter right now. Pussy willows bloom in Spring. My mother and my sisters and I were eating dinner. Mother looked out out of the window, and guess what she saw?
Her pussy willows were blooming! It seems unusual, doesn’t it? Pussy willows blooming in December! Well, anyway it happened. From this you can conclude that we’ve had some mild atumn days here in Detroit.
Another year has passed and I hope the new year will bring us luck and happiness. I. wish to thank Dorothy Brandish and Josephine Potisk for being willing to be my pen pals. Best regards and much happiness in 1942 to one and all.—Caroline Tavzelj (age 12), 1425 McKinstry Avenue, Detroit, Mich. (Lodge 518).
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VIRGINIA'S "FIRST"
Dear Editor:—This is my first letter to the Mladinski List. I hope to write more often in the future.
I am 11 years old and in the sixth grade. My teacher’s name is Miss Muir. I like her very much. My favorite subject is Arithmetic.
I have blonde hair, blue eyes, and am about five and a half feet tall. I have four sisters, and they are all married. The oldest one is 28 and the youngest one is 21 years old.
I hope to have some pen pals soon. I will close now, wishing you all much success and happiness in the new year.—Virginia Orazem (age 11), Box 785, Mullan, Idaho.
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Dear Editor:—I am 13 years old and in the 8B
grade at Patrick Henry Junior High school. I have five major subjects—English, French, mathematics, social studies and general science. French is my favorite. This is my first letter to the Mladinski List.
I collect pictures of movie stars. I also collect facts about them. If there is anything you would like to know about your favorite star, write and I will	try	to	answer	any	questions.	I would	like
to	get	pen	pals	from	every state.	I promise to
answer promptly. I am a bookworm when I am not listening to the radio.
Before I close I should like to say hello to Elizabeth Rodman and Gretta Paulich. Best regards to all.—Sylvia Mocnik, 495 Cleveland Road, Cleveland, Ohio. (Lodge No. 5).
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PENS A FAREWELL LETTER
Dear Editor: — Time and time	again, I	was
asked to	write to	the
Mladinski List. But I always managed to sort of “wriggle out” of writing by saying that my letters couldn’t possibly be as interesting as the others.
School is well under way with more things to do than ever. Of course, by the time this is read, the year 1942 will be ushered in and thus half of the school year will be over. For the first time in all my school life, I enjoy History very much. Could be the teacher’s way of teaching it.
The basketball season is already here and I’m sure I shall enjoy it. I also like football. Everyone seems to enjoy skating, so, of course, I like it; as well as dancing, too.
We are making much progress in our school paper. You can find many things of interest in it.
I fear that this will be my last letter to the Mladinski List as I shall be eighteen years old on March 16, 1942, and will be transferred into the Adult department.
I should like to thank all of my pen-pals for their kind correspondence because I really appreciate it. I would like to hear from more of you and promise a prompt answer. You may not remember, but through my pen pals, I have been able to collect many post cards to add to my collection of about 500. Best regards to one and all.— Cristina Lovsin, Bentleyville, Pa.
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HAD JOINT YULE PARTY
Dear Editor:—This is my fourth letter to this fine magazine, the Mladinski List. It is about time I am writing. I am glad the year 1941 is over and the new year of 1942 is here. Our SNPJ lodge was planning to have a program. At the same time
Aguilar and Walsenburg were also planning to come here. This combined program took place at the Delagua Longfellow School on December 14. This was really a Christmas program given by the three Juvenile Circles of this district. These were Circles 1, 20 and 25—Walsenburg, Aguilar and Delagua, respectively. Of course, members of the senior lodges cooperated with us. We also had a Christmas party and program for our school. I wish to have some pen pals. Best regards to all.— Jean Cernoia, Delagua, Colorado.
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FROM A NEWCOMER
Dear Editor:—It is about time I am writing to this wonderful magazine. I am 12 years old, and I am in the seventh grade. This is my first letter. I have joined Circle 25 quite recently. Many people tell me how wonderful this organization is. I am very glad I joined it. For Christmas we gave a play with Aguilar and Walsenburg. The program was staged at Delagua in Longfellow School. I am closing with best wishes to all, and I hope to have some pen pals.—Vera Topping, Delagua, Colorado.
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A CRASH WITH SLEDS
Dear Editor:—It is winter now and there is plenty of snow on the ground. I want to tell you a little story how I crashed with my girl friend. Oh, what fun it was, yet it was not so funny, how I and my girl friend crashed into each other’s sled last winter. We were coming very fast down a hill when I found that I couldn’t turn the guiders. There was a bang. Our sleds were not broken so badly but she and I had a few bruises. We will never forget how we bumped into each other.— Joy Daudet, Box 96, Midway, Pa. (Lodge 89).
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MY OLD AND NEW PEN PALS
Dear Editor:—This is my third letter to the Mladinski List. The M. L. is a very fine magazine. I enjoy reading the interesting letters, stories, poems, etc., in it. It would be just fine if the Mladinski List would come every week, instead of every month.
By writing to this wonderful magazine, I received many cards and letters from you pen pals, from just everywhere.
I want to say hello to some of my pen pals. They are as follows: Rose Sinkovich from Aguilar, Colorado; Millie Hotko from Oglesby, Illinois; Eleanor Snidarsich, Pueblo, Colorado; Millie Berčič, Euclid, Ohio; Erna Marie Biston, Woodward, Iowa; Diane Mahnic, Cleveland, Ohio; Violet Mae Maslek, Aliquippa, Pennyslvania, and Mildred Gipalo from Pennsylvania.
I have 82 Mladinski List copies!
I would like to hear from Margaret Sostarich, Mary Gipalo, Anne Ales and R. J. Matko. A. Ales never answered my letter yet. She is from Girard, Kansas. I am still hoping to hear from you, Anne.
Say, Daisy Pichulin, let’s see your letter in the Mladinski List again.
I now want to say hello to some of my new pen pals. They are as follows: Lillian Heddles
from Somerset, Colorado; Mary Sporcich from Crested Butte, Colorado; Eleanor Braidic, Pennsylvania; Mary Zdunich and Mary Kosovic, Bingham Canyon, Utah; Jennie Mayich from Sydney, N. S., Canada; Dorothy Plodinec from Penna; Helen Sterbentz, Ohio, and Helen Urbas from Maryland.
I now have a collection of 55 post-cards. I would like to receive post-cards from pen pals. Also, I should like to exchange cards with you pen pals.
Two of my pen pals were born in Europe. One is from Canada.
I should like to have some pen pals from southern states, especially from Virginia and Florida.
I will answer all letters from far and near.
Oh yes, I must not forget to say hello to Molly Krance, Helen Repnik and Rose Pierrynowski.
I also want to thank L. L. from Montana for the gifts sent to me.—Best regards to each and every pen pal.—Frances Jean Kroper (age 16), Box 384, Yukon, Pennsylvania.
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WANTS MORE PEN PALS
Dear Editor:—This is my first letter to the Mladinski List. I am 13 years old and I am in the eighth grade at school. I go to Centennial Junior High School in our city. I sent in a drawing of Marlene Dietrich. I hope it will be published for I tried to follow the rules in the Mladinski List.
I wrote to a girl whose letter I saw in the Mladinski List, but she never answered my letter. I wish she would write very soon.
I would like to have more pen pals. I would be very happy to answer every letter promptly. My best regards to all Mladinski List readers and writers.—Norma Scavina, 408 State Street, Trinidad, Colorado. (Lodge 20).
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"THIS FINE MAGAZINE"
Dear Editor:—I thought I would pick up my pen and ink and write to this fine magazine. The Mia ■ dinski List is very interesting. I can hardly wait to see it come through the mail. Every lodge member should have one and write to it.
Well, Christmas is gone and New Year’s Day also. Santa was good to me and I hope he was good to everybody else. I hope you all had a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Tony Zagar from East Brady, Pa., went to the St. Francis Hospital on the 16th of December. He is Secretary of SNPJ lodge 244. He fell from a car at work. There are seven children in the family.
Bernice Zagar, how about you writing a letter
to this fine magazine? I hope to see your letter in next month’s M. L.
The weather out here is rather cold, but there isn’t much snow.
I wish to have some pen pals. I will answer all letters promptly. I wish to say hello to Marion Wizar.
School has started again and I am doing fine. I got all A’s and B’s and 2 C’s this year so far. I do not like school very much. My teacher’s name is Mrs. McCovelgh, from Parkers Landing. She is a very good teacher. We had a very nice Christmas tree in our school and we exchanged gifts. I got a necklace. It is very pretty.
I am sending in a photograph of myself. It isn’t very good.
In our school we are offering a United States Defense Bond worth $18.75. It will be given to the winner in February. Tickets are twenty-five cents.
I am getting along fine with my guitar and yodeling and singing. I would like to be a cowgirl soon. If anyone is interested in yodeling, singing or playing instrument, please write to me. I will answer all letters promptly.
And now I must say goodby to one and all, wishing everyone of you lots of luck in 1942.— Ethel Switko, R. R. 2, Box 36, East Brady, Pa.
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ON VOLLEYBALL TEAM
Dear Editor:—I have not written a pen pal letter for quite some time, so I decided to write one now.
I am sorry to say that I have not attended so many of the Jolly Kansans’ Circle meeting in 1941 but I hope to attend more this year.
On December 14, I received a check from the SNPJ for writing to the Mladinski List. I wish to thank the Society very much for it.
We had a Christmas party and program at Camp 50 on Dec. 20. (I will write about it in one of my next letters.)
I am proud to say I am on the Arcadia High School volleyball team and that we won our first game. I have made the honor roll twice.
In conclusion I wish to thank the SNPJ again for the fine check. My best regards to one and all.—Marie Kunstel, Arcadia, Kansas. Lodge 206).
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"A WONDERFUL GIFT"
Dear Editor:—First of all I want to tell you that I was more than surprised when I received the check for contributing to the M. L., our widely known magazine. The five dollar check was a wonderful gift for my Christmas present from the SNPJ. I am expressing my sincere thanks for this recognition. It has encouraged me to write throughout the entire period of my juvenile membership.
It has been a great honor to me to have the privilege of writing to this fine magazine, and I suppose a great honor io many other boys and girls.
I had a wonderful time at Christmas this year, for old Santa sure came to my house. I hope all
the other girls and boys had a happy time also. A girl friend of mine and I have gone skating a few times, and we seem to be getting along fine. I think skating is a wonderful sport. Once you learn how, you want to skate always.
Our school let all the pupils out on a two weeks vacation during the Christmas holidays. By the time this letter is published, school will again be well on its way. Best regards to all.—Annie Čretnik, Box 425, R. 2, Ft. Smith, Ark.
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RESOLVES TO WRITE MORE
Dear Editor:—You can imagine how surprised I was to find a two-dollar check lying on the table when I came home after school. I received this money for my contributions to the Mladinski List.
I want to thank the Slovene National Benefit Society heartily for it. I also resolve to make a great effort to contribute more to this fine magazine. Best regards to all.—Agnes Saloum, R. D. No. 1, Bulger, Pa.
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PAULINE'S "FIRST"
Dear Editor:—This is my first letter to the Mladinski List. I am sorry I did not write sooner. I am 13 years old, and in the eighth grade. I am sending several pictures this time which I hope will be printed. I will close now, wishing you all good luck. And I do wish more members from Walsenburg would write to this fine magazine.— Pauline Turkovich (age 13), Walsenburg, Colorado.
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MY 1942 RESOLUTIONS
Dear Editor:—I think Santa was exceptionally good to me. I received three boxes of handkerchiefs, 5 lb. box of Saunders candy, 2 coloring books, two books to read, a pair of ski pants, a chenille robe, a stationery, one dollar in my stocking, and many other articles.
Now for my New Year’s resolutions. I am going to write to the M. L. every month, and am going to answer letters from pen pals immediately. I like also to have some pen pals, especially from Texas and Wyoming. Best regards to all.— Caroline Tavzelj (age 12), 1425 McKinstry, Detroit, Mich. (Lodge 518).
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GAVE TWO OPERETTAS
Dear Editor:—First I wish to thank the SNPJ for the award I received. On Dec. 12 we had our annual operetta at our school. It was “The Magic Beanstalk” taken from the story of “Jack and the Beanstalk.” The part of Jack was played by a boy in my grade. I was in the chorus. We were the background and remained on the stage nearly all the time.
The whole cast was made up of the upper grades: 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th. They also gave another short operetta on the same night. This was given by the children in lower grades. It was held in our school gym. A crowd of about 600 people came to see the playlet.
These operettas are an annual affair and are given to help the milk fund of the two schools in
Oglesby. We had a two weeks vacation for the holidays. I want to thank my many pen pals for the yule cards and greetings which were sent to me.—Dolores Udovich (age 12), R. 1, La Salle, 111. (Lodge 573).
HER PRICE AWARD
Dear Editor:—First of all, I want to thank the SNPJ for the prize award I received for my contributions to the Mladinski List.
Well, I hope everyone had a good time over the holidays. I got what I wanted for Christmas —a pair of skates. Of course, I received other gifts too. Two of my brothers were home for Christmas from Cleveland, Ohio. They made my Christmas all the merrier.
The weather here has been very nice. It hasn’t been very cold, just right. Best regards to all.— Florence Alich (14), Box 607, Aurora, Minn.
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"THANKS" FROM FOUR SISTERS
Dear Editor:—My sisters and I sincerely thank the SNPJ for the checks we received for contributing to the M. L. We are glad that we are able to contribute to such a fine magazine which brings confort and enjoyment to many SNPJ juveniles. Since I received a grand prize for the first time, I will give the SNPJ an extra “Thank you.” We hope that all the members of the SNPJ will have a very prosperous year in 1942.—Zita, Vera, Helen and Annie Bozanich, Worcester, New York. (Lodge 393).
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DEFENSE STAMPS
Dear Editor:—This is my first letter to this fine magazine. As an introduction, I will briefly describe myself.
I am eleven years of age. My hair is light brown. I am four feet and ten inches tall, and weigh 89 V2 pounds. My eyes are brown. I attend the McCleary grade school, in which I am in the sixth grade. My favorite subjects are geography, history, English, and arithmetic.
In our school and throughout the public schools in Pittsburgh, they are selling Defense Stamps. These stamps are twenty-five cents a piece. In each school one teacher has charge of them. It so happened that in our school my teacher was picked. Each teacher in charge must see that all the cards signed by the parents are in at the right time. These stamps are sold each Wednesday afternoon. As soon as we get $18.75 worth of stamps, we go to the bank and get a bond. In ten years we return this bond to the bank. We do not get $18.75, but $25—which is a savings of six dollars and twenty-five cents.
My hobby is collecting pictures of movie stars. I have a beautiful colored picture of Shirley Temple. The rest I have are cut out of the newspaper. I am planning to get more in the future. I hope I do.
There are eight people in our family—all members of the SNPJ. My two sisters and I are the youngest. My little sister has beaten me in writing to the M. L. When her letter was in the magazine, I decided to write. It seems funny to me that the younger children take advantage of doing something, before the bigger ones do it.
I would like to have pen pals from all over the United States. I will answer all letters promptly. Here is hoping you all had a good time during the holidays. Best regards.—Dorothy Ujcich, 5410 Carnegie Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa. (Lodge 118, Circle 33).
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SHE RECEIVED 90 LETTERS
Dear Editor:—I was very glad to see my letter in the January issue. I can hardly wait for our Mladinski List to come. I wish it would come more often. I read the ML from cover to cover except the Slovene part, which I can’t read.
On Christmas we had a big party at the Slovene Hall in Moon Run. I had lots of fun dancing. We also had a party on New Year’s Eve.
I have 17 pen pals. All together I received 90 letters. Wake up, Moon Run! Write to this fine magazine. You won’t regret it if you do. Best regards to all.—Anna Mele (age 15), Box 311. Moon Run, Pa.
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OUR HEARTIEST THANKS
Dear Editor:—Now that we are having a vacation of about two weeks, I have time to write letters to the Mladinski List. My brother Dan and I are very proud of the awards we received from the SNPJ and wish to give you our heartiest thanks.
The school year so far has gone along fine and has kept us fairly busy. I wonder how it would be if we did not go to school. We would not have anything to do or worry about.
Around here the yuletide season this year has surely been decorated with snow, which some children like very much. Outside the evergreens decorated with snow look like the trees in our homes that are decorated with cotton. But now the yule season is over until next year, and we will soon have to get to our studies again. I remain a proud member of the SNPJ—Zora Gosto-vich (13), Box 531, Raton, New Mexico. (Lodge 297).
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"ONLY ONE MORE YEAR"
Dear Editor:—It has been quite some time since I last wrote to the ML’s Pen Page. Today as I write this (Dec. 29) we are having our first really deep snowfall since last February. Even though it is quite cold sometimes I love walking in the cold frosty air.
I enjoyed reading the message that Michael Vrhovnik, Director of the SNPJ Juvenile Department, wrote. It stirred me very much and after I had finished reading it I sat down and thought of the many cases I know of in which our Society has helped its members in cases of sickness, etc. I am only sorry that there is no juvenile circle in Aliquippa. I hope that in the future a circle can be organized.
On January 8, I was seventeen years old. I have only one more short year in which I can write to the ML and compete for a prize. Many, many thanks to the ML for sending me the check. It came in mighty handy to help me out on my Christmas shopping. Thanks also to all my pen pals for the beautiful greeting cards they sent. A
proud member—Violet Mae Maslek (17), 341 Park St., Aliquippa, Pa. (Lodge 122).
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PRVO SLOVENSKO PISMO
Dragi urednik!—To je moj drugi dopis Mladinskemu listu. Prvi moj dopis sem napisala v angleščini, tega pa sem napisala v slovenščini.
Staro leto je odšlo v pozabnost. Nastopilo je novo leto 1942. Vsem dopisovalcem Mladinskega lista želim obilo sreče in zadovoljstva v novem letu. To velja vsem deklicam in dečkom pri Slovenski narodni podporni jednoti, katerih je okrog petnajst tisoč. Zelo veliko število nas je včlanjenih v naši veliki in dobri organizaciji.
Želim sporočiti, da poteče dne 1. januarja eno leto, odkar je preminula moja draga prijateljica Anna Bezgovšek. Tudi ona je bila članica mladinskega oddelka naše jednote.
Prosim, da bi priobčili par vrstic pesmice Simona Gregorčiča, ki se imenuje “Pozabljenim.” Ta pesmica naj bo v spomin umrli Anici Bezgov-škovi.
Vseh mrtvih dan!
Na tisto tiho domovanje, kjer mnogi spe nevzdramno spajne, kjer kmalu dom bo moj in — tvoj,
nocoj se vsul je roj močan, saj jutri bo vseh mrtvih dan!
Ko misli vsakdo na svoje, koga, koga pa srce moje ,°iominja se tačas?
Vas zabij eni grobovi,
ki niste venčani s cvetovi, pozabil ni vas pevec skromni.
Prihodnjič bom skušala spet napisati par vrstic. Pozdrav!—Marjorie Strulcel (age 14), 1320 Ridge-ly Ave., Springfield, 111.
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WANTED: MORE PEN PALS
Dear Editor:—I received my check for two dollars from the SNPJ for contributions to the M. L. I want to thank the SNPJ very much. It has encouraged me to send in more contributions.
I have a very faithful pen pal, Josephine Potisk, of West Allis, Wis. I would also like to have a few others. I am twelve years old, and in the seventh grade at the White Valley School. My teachers are Miss Mladenick and Miss Stump. Best regards to all of the ML readers.—Lillian Britz, Box 28, Export, Pa. (Lodge 232).
DEFENSE SAVINGS BONDS
Dear Editor:—I wish to express my thanks to the SNPJ for the check I received for eight dollars. I want to tell you that I am going to put the whole amount in Defense Savings Stamps. I hope the other prize winners will follow my example.
I am now 16 years old, and a senior in high school. I am completing the Secretarial course, taking 5 subjects; shorthand, and secretarial practice being two of the subjects.
The North Tonawanda High School put on a Defense Stamp and Bond drive, with a quota of $400. I am happy to announce that in three weeks, they have sold $6,000 worth. Thus the quota has been exceeded 15 times. I think it would be nice if other schools throughout the country would put on similar drives.
I remain a contributor, Ben Volk (age 16), 17 2nd Ave., North Tonawanda, N. Y. (Lodge 405). *
ONE OF HER LAST LETTERS
Dear Editor:—I will be out of the Juvenile group in March, and this is one of my last letters to this fine magazine. There is no time like the present to try and encourage the younger members to start writing to the ML from Bessemer. After all, this magazine is for all the children of the Juvenile group, so come on, Bessemer, and write.
My father has been president of SNPJ lodge 97 for several years and has just recently been reelected for the year 1942. I have two brothers and two sisters. My older brother is going to the army and the other one is attending High School. He is a junior and is on the first team in basketball. He also plays a clarinet and saxophone. A few boys in his class organized a band and they play for many school and public dances. My older sister works for a very well-to-do family, and my younger sister attends grade school. My mother has been ill for a long time, but she is better now.
I am 17 years old and a senior at the Bessemer High School. For quite a long time now I have played an accordion. I have entertained many of my friends at parties and picnics. The accordion isn’t such a difficult instrument to play once you get the idea. I play both Slovene and American songs. I enjoy playing and am still taking my weekly lessons. I may write before March if time permits, for you know that many things have to be accomplished before graduation. Until maybe the next time, I am a faithful member—Helen Tascta, Box 105, Bessemer, Pa.
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THANKS FOR THE AWARD
Dear Editor:—I hope everyone had a nice Christmas this year as I did. I had a good time and received many gifts. We also attended a New Year’s dance and had lots of fun.
Here are some jokes: “When I was a boy, I once gave a circus elephant a stick of striped candy. After that, whenever the circus came to town, the barbers had to take in their striped poles.” Another one: “I haven’t seen Gordon in
twenty-five years. Does he still part his hair in the middle?” “Yes, but the part is about three inches wide now.” Stil another one: “Tell me, what’s the hardest thing tbout acrobatic dancing when you are learning?” “The floor!”
My sister and I would also like to thank the SNPJ for the prize we received.—Ann Hotko (age 15), 266 Main St., Oglesby, 111. (Lodge 95).
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FIRST CIRCLE IN MINNESOTA
Dear Editor:—First I will thank you for publishing my picture in the ML for September.
The Juvenile Yule Party on Dec. 21 in Eveleth was a great success. The hall was packed with young SNPJ members and their parents. After one hour of moving pictures and program came Santa and started to distribute chocolate candy. A good time was had by all.
We are planning to organize a Juvenile Circle in the near future. This means that Eveleth will be first in organizing a Circle in this state. Best regards to one and all.—William Frantar (age 12), Box 336, Eveleth, Minn. (Lodge 69).
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OUR FINE MAGAZINE
Dear Editor:—This is my first letter to the Mladinski List, although I have been reading it for several years. I like the ML very much. I think the letters, pictures, articles, and jokes are very interesting. I’ll try to write a letter every month from now on.
There are five in our family and we all belong to the SNPJ lodge 120. I am eleven years old. I go to Gallup Central School, attending grade 6a. My home room teacher is Mrs. Finley. I hope I will be promoted to Junior High this second semester which will be in January.
I was very lucky this Christmas and received many nice things from my parents, relatives, and friends. I also got two Defense Savings Stamp albums with some stamps in them and I will try to fill them up soon. I will be happy if I will have some pen pals. I promise to answer all letters promptly.—Rosemary Marinšek, Box 1042, Gallup, New Mexico. (Lodge 120).
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A PLEASANT FEELING
Dear Editor:-—Receiving the check from the SNPJ for my drawings gave me a very pleasant feeling. I know other members were just as thrilled as I was. Knowing that we are going to be awarded makes us do it a little better and more often. By the way, I wonder if anyone else is framing the covers of the ML? They make very nice pictures. A friend told me that they look better than some pictures that we buy. That is a real complement.
The Women’s Club annual celebration on Thanksgiving was a success. This was their sixth year at taking over and running for a day. Santa visited our Club House on Christmas eve. To the children he gave candy, nuts and fruits. The adult members present were given a dollar’s worth of tickets to spend that night.
On January 1st, I went to Carrick and watched our teams bowl. I cheered them on with the oth-
ers who weren’t bowling. Until I write again, I remain—Dorothy Dermotta, Box 101, Avella, Pa.
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"I WAS THRILLED"
Dear Editor:—This is my second letter to this fine magazine. I am 15 years old and have been a member of SSPZ since I was one year old. Now I am a member of SNPJ. I was pleased to see my drawing in the ML last month. I was thrilled when I received an award for my drawings. Thank you. I will be glad to continue drawing pictures for the M. L.
My congratulations to M. Vrhovnik, Juvenile Director. I wish him lots of luck with his work. I met him when he showed pictures of Slovenia at West Point and later at Girard. My sister and I sang at the tenth convention of the former SSPZ in Cleveland in 1940, and I can still remember the national Vrtec festival. I hope that SNPJ will also have a similar festival.—Ava Krizay (15), R. D. 1, Salem, O. (Circle 7).
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VICTORIA IS GRATEFUL
Dear Editor:—Here it lies, on the desk before me, and my heart skips a great bit every time I look at it. What is it? Why, the four dollar check I received from the Mladinski List for the articles and poem I’ve submitted to “Our School.”
Success in such a form is indeed encouragement to write more articles. I really do not know how to express my appreciation, but from the bottom of my heart, I say “Thank you” a million times. I think ML is a fine magazine. It is the best magazine I’ve ever read. The stories, articles, illustrations, and the attractive picture covers are just swell!
I am fourteen years of age and attended the sophomore class of Robinson High School in Moon Run, where I am taking the commercial course. I enjoy school very much. Corresponding is my favorite hobby. I have obtained several good pen pals through the ML, but I’d like to secure many more. The ones I have are: Rosemary Janežič of Euclid, Ohio; Marilyn Zdrasky of Park-ville, Minn.; Margie Bartol of Traunik, Mich., and Annie Filipsich of Biwabik, Minn. My favorite sport is baseball.
I think Anna Mele’s letters, from Moon Run, are very interesting. Keep up your good spirit, Annie. Hoping to hear from more pen pals, I send my best wishes for the long continuation of this fine magazine. Best regards to all.—Victoria Ambrožič, RFD 5, Box 424, Crafton, Pa. (Lodge 88).
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TWO GREAT MEN
Dear Editor:—I have decided to drop another letter to this fine magazine. First of all, I want to thank Olga Delost and Dolores Udovic for their Christmas cards. I also want to thank the SNPJ for the check of two dollars.
February is the birthday of two great men— Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was born in Kentucky on February 12, 1909. His parents were very poor. In his days
he became known as “Honest Abe.” He was elected President in 1860.
George Washington, the first President of the United	States,	was	born	in Virginia	on February 22, 1732. His	family was rich.	In those
days people traveled by wagon or stagecoach. Washington was elected as President on April 30, 1789.
Best regards to all ML readers and writers.— Matilda Doles, 110 W. R. R. Ave., Verona, Pa. (Lodge 680).
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A LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA
Dear Editor:—This is my first letter to the Mladinski	List. I	am 9	years	old, and in	the fifth
grade.	My teacher’s	name	is Mrs. Tarr. I have
six sisters and one brother, and my Mother and Dad.
In March it will be one year since I have been in California. I came from New Mexico. I live in San Pedro. I go to Bandini Street School. I like it very much. I had a very nice Christmas. There are ten in our family, nine of whom are members of SNPJ lodge 416. I think this is all for this time. I would like to have some pen pals. Best regards to all.—Ruth Chagenarich, 984 Santa Cruz, San Pedro, Calif.
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FROM SAN PEDRO. CALIFORNIA
Dear Editor:—One of my New Year’s resolutions was to write to the Mladinski List every month. I am 13 years old and in the B9 grade. On March 11, it will be exactly one year since I am in California.
I always read everything that Emily Mileta and Zora Gostovich write as I knew them in New Mexico. We were in the same lodge 416. At the present, here in San Pedro, there is no SNPJ lodge, but my Father said that he is going to see that one will be organized soon. He was the president of Lodge 416 in Van Houton, N. Mex., for several years.
My Dad and brother and grandfather work for the National Defense Program in the West Coast Shipyards. I wish to have some pen pals and I will answer their letters promptly. I also wish to say hello to Emily Mileta (I might mention that since our country has been attacked by Japan, we have had a few blackouts along the coast.) Best regards to all.—Rose Chagenovich, 984 Santa Cruz, San Pedro, Calif.
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TOO BUSY TO WRITE
Dear Editor:—I am very sorry because I haven’t written for such a long time, but I am very busy with my schoolwork. I am writing this letter during the holiday vacation.
I have just finished reading the January issue of the M. L. I also read the article Michael Ver-hovnik wrote. I hope he will write more often for I am sure everybody liked it as well as I did.
Mr. Claus was swell to me. I received many gifts for which I am very thankful. The present I appreciated the most was the new Underwood typewriter I received from my mother and dad.
I belong to the singing club Škrjančki which is
soon going to celebrate its 7th anniversary. We had a Christmas program on Dec. 21. It was a great success. We had a good orchestra and plenty of good refreshments.
On January 9, I celebrated my 14th birthday. Which reminds me that I have been writing to the M. L. for five years, ever since I was nine. I still remember the 1st letter. I was afraid to write but my mother gave me courage and “šlo je.” Now I am in the ninth grade at Collinwood High school, a school which about 5,000 children attend. My best regards to the editor and writers and readers of the M. L.—Violet Vogrin, 19708 Shawnee Ave., Cleveland, Ohio. (Lodge 137).
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"THIS FINE MAGAZINE"
Dear Editor:—The Mladinski List is a very interesting magazine to read. It has just been lately that I have had the opportunity to write to this fine magazine. Before I was in the SSPZ lodge. Now since the merger I receive a copy of the M. L.
Before I started receiving my copy of the ML, I always read my girl friend’s. It has been very interesting reading, the letters, stories, jokes and puzzles. I am 14 years of age, and a freshman of the Thomas High School. I take five subjects, which are: English I, Algebra I, Civics, Science adn Gym.
I would like some girls and boys to write to me. I will answer every letter I receive. I think I have written enough for my first time. I will try to write to the ML every month.—Mary Alice Paling, Box 15, Pierce, W. Va.
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PEN PALS WANTED
Dear Editor:—This is my first letter to the M. L. I am a member of Circle 31. Our manager, Joe Mlekush, went to the Army and we now have a new manager, Josephine Smuke, and she is doing fine.
I am thirteen years old and in the eighth grade. My subjects which I take are Science, English, Arithmetic, History, Cooking, Art, Music, writing and gym. My homeroom teacher is Miss Ohl.
On December 21, our Circle, No. 31, held a Christmas party at the Croatian Hall. We played bingo and exchanged gifts. Everybody had a good time.—I would like very much to have a few pen pals. I’ll be waiting for your letters. Best regards to all.—Dorothy Tomazin, 2285 Burton St. S. E., Warren, Ohio. (Lodge 321, Circle 31).
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FROM RANKIN, PA.
Dear Editor:'—I haven’t written to the Mladinski List for a long time. I am 12 years old and I am in the seventh grade. My teachers are: Miss Coyle, Miss Calhoun, Miss Thomas, Mrs. Rodgers, Mrs. Bailey and Mrs. Fare. They are all good to me. I would like to say hello to my pen pals. I would like to have more pen pals, girls and boys. I will answer all letters that I receive promptly.
Here are some scrambled names:	1.	Aem
Eswt. 2. Hslerey Pemlte. 3. Nneada Burdni, 4. Berrot Lay tor, 5. Tbtee Advis. Answers: 1. Mae
West, 2. Shirley Temple, 3. Deana Durbin, 4. Robert Taylor, 5. Bette Davis.
I will try to write more next time. Best regards to the ML readers.—Mary Ann Grskovich, 101 Kenmawr Ave., Rakin, Pa.
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WANTS MORE LETTERS
Dear Editor:—This is my third letter to the M. L. I have received five letters in the last two months. I would like to receive more.—The SN-PJ lodge in Piney Fork had a dance. My uncle from Pennsylvania played at the dance with an orchestra. He plays an accordion. The dance started at 8 o’clock, and we came home at four Sunday morning. I danced almost every dance.
Two of my friends, who are not members of the SNPJ, would like to know if it will be possible for SNPJ members to write to them. They are Helen Curtis, age 16, Box 363, Piney Fork, Ohio, and her sister Mary, age 13, of the same address.—My best regards to all.—Dorothy Sker-betz, Box 7, Piney Fork, Ohio. (Lodge 176).
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FROM BLACK DIAMOND, WASH.
Dear Editor:—Hello, SNPJers everywhere! I am wishing you lots of luck and happiness in 1942. I haven’t written to the ML for quite a while but will try to do so more often this year.
I am continuing my accordion lessons regularly. My teacher says I am improving steadily. On December 22, the Black Diamond Grade School gave an operetta called “The Magic Christmas Bells.” There were about 75 to 80 people in it.
The girls from the fifth to eigth grades have organized a basketball team. Our instructor is Miss Price. The girls are also planning to have a First Aid class, which I think is a worthy cause. I would like to say hello to my cousins in Colorado and to Ann Čretnik. Best regards to all.— Delma Tomsich (age 13), Black Diamond, Wash. (Lodge 57).
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THANKS THE SNPJ
Dear Editor:—This isn’t the first time I am writing to the M. L.; I have written before to this fine magazine. I have entered in the “Our School” contest and have won two awards. I want to thank the SNPJ for the $3 award which I won in the last half of 1941. I am 5 feet, 2 inches high, have brown hair, green eyes, and am 13 years old. I would like to have some pen pals. Best regards.—Virginia Barton, R. D. No. 4, McDonald, Pa. (Lodge 231).
Fair Turn—Or Is It?
“Now, Willie, you must let your brother have the sled half of the time.”
“Yes, mother, I do. I have it going down the hill, and he has it going up.”
Good Old English Gas Station Man: “How’s your oil?” Fresh Freshman: “Fine. How’s yo’ all?”
Important Dont's
Read Them Twice, Thrice
DON'T address your mail intended for publication in the ML io the Main Office of the SNPJ, to Slovene National Benefit Society, or to some person. The mail so addressed may be delayed and will be late for the intended issue. Address all such mail to Mladinski List, 2657-59 So. Lawndale Ave., Chicago, 111.
DON'T write with pencil; use pen or, still better, typewriter.
DON'T write on both sides of the sheet. Paper is cheap.
DON'T draw your picture with ordinary ink. We cannot use such drawings. Draw only with the India ink.
DON'T draw in colors! It's a waste of time because we cannot use it.
DON'T fold your drawings! Send them between two card-boards in a large envelope.
DON'T omit your name, address, age, and lodge No., together with the parent's signature on the back of every piece of drawing or beneath any writing.
And most important of all: DON"r copy any rhymes or pictures! Be honest with yourself and us! You can't get away with it very long! We are checking on that.
OUR OWN JUVENILE CIRCLES
(Continued from page 23.)
joint program was presented at the Longfellow Schoolhouse in Delagua. Another success was attained!
Thus, month by month we have been adding activities to make a successful year. The program on Dec. 14 ended up our year. We are very thankful to have an organization like the SNPJ. In 1942 I am sure our officers will cooperate as well as all the members.
ANN HARVATIN, President Box 342, Delagua, Colo.
All Fixed
“I’m sorry,” said the conductor of the fast through train, “but, I can’t use this ticket. It says New York to Buffalo—not Buffalo to New York.”
“Don’t worry about that,” replied the nonchalant passenger, “I intend to ride backwards all the way.”
Thankful
A young hillbilly from an isolated ranch bought an ice-cream cone, walked outside to eat it, then carried the cone carefully back to the soda fountain. Handing it to the clerk, he said: “Much obliged for the use of the vase."
Introducing Book Friends
By Belly Jarlz
ABOUT A LADY OF MERCY
Clara Barton, by Mildred Mastin Page.
This is a story about a movement which concerns us more today than ever before. The Red Cross organization—which has been doing its work of mercy these many years—did not always exist. The movement had to grow. This movement, like any other great achievement, needed people who would devote all their life to its work. So many things we have today are taken too much for granted, as if they always had existed. Liberty, public schools, decent labor laws, and health clinics were achieved only because many devoted pioneers were willing to spend their lifetimes fighting for these causes.
Clara Barton was born on a New England farm, on a Christmas Day, many years ago. This Christmas package for the world had very little schooling in her youth although she began teaching school when she was only fifteen years old. Now this doesn’t mean that Clara Barton was ignorant. On the contrary, she was very well educated at that tender age. She was gifted with a good mind, but more than that was the fact that she came from a good family and was surrounded with an excellent environment. Her brothers, sisters, and parents all cooperated in teaching her reading, writing, algebra, Latin, the classics, and all the other subjects necessary for a complete education. However, the aforementioned was only one phase of her education. One must have a strong body as well as a well equipped mind. Nor did her family stint in this respect either. They saw to it that she received ample physical training.
As Clara’s brothers and sisters grew up and became occupied with their chosen tasks in life, she grew lonesome as there were no other children living close by with whom she could associate. Her parents became concerned about her, and were advised by a visiting scientist that the best thing for Clara was that she become a school-teacher. At first, Clara was afraid of the big boys in her school, but she won them over when she showed them that she could play ball with the best of them. At the completion of her first year of teaching, her school was voted first in discipline, in that section by the Town Meeting. She was offered better positions. She accepted and made good. Perhaps school-teaching would have been her life work if the Civil War did not so rudely break out just at that time.
There were no organizations to take care of the sick and wounded in those early days when the
battles of the Civil War were being fought. Many, whose lives could have been saved, died helpless and weeping on the battlefields. We know that Clara Barton did not just go to a battlefield and bind up a soldier’s wounds and—presto—the American Red Cross was born. No indeed, to get America to join the International Red Cross was a long and bittter struggle. But let’s leave that side of the story for later. Heroic Clara Barton refused to remain behind the lines until the battles were over. She carried out her mission of mercy while bullets fell like hail all around her. Whenever she learned that a major battle was to take place, Clara tried to get to the field at the time of the battle. She saw that the wounded had clean bandages, food, and comfort. The equipment with which she worked was donated to her by friends who answered her many appeals for help. All this she did in spite of all the good advise of the “higher-ups.”
When the Civil War finally came to its bloody end, Clara Barton went on a lecture tour. On these tours she tried to impress the people with the importance of the work to which she had dedicated herself. One evening she approached the audience, tried to talk, but she could not utter a sound. The doctors advised her to rest for at least three years in some far off place, like Switzerland, in order to recover from her breakdown.
In Switzerland, a certain Doctor Appia approached her and told her that he knew all about her work of mercy in America, but he said that he couldn’t understand why the United States did not join the International Red Cross. After learning all about the fine principles that the International Red Cross stood for, Clara came back to America determined* that we would become a member. She was shuttled back and forth, from official to official. She appealed to President Hayes and to President Arthur. Finally, her efforts were rewarded when President Garfield announced to her that he would sign the treaty making the United States a member of the Red Cross. However, it wasn’t so very easy to get our people to adopt that treaty. Many people talked just like the appeasers of the “America First” organization of recent days. They wanted “no foreign entanglements”—and, “there won’t be any more wars”— and, “Clara Barton is interested only in building up a nice little racket for herself.” Weaker people would have given up the fight; but Clara worked and fought. Then one fine day they made her the first president of the Red Cross of the United States of America!
DIZZIE DOT DRAWING PUZZLES
By HARVEY FULLER
Sonny is going on an errand for his father, but he will not be alone. Draw a line from dot to dot and you will see that he might have a little adventure along the way.
ANSWERS TO PUZZLES ON JUST FOR FUN PAGE
Washingion-Lincoln quiz: 1—b; 2—a; 3—b; 4— c; 5—True.
Get Your Man: 1—manner; 2—mane; 3—many; 4—Manila; 5—mandate; 6—manual.
Brain Teasers: 1—a; 2—b; 3—d; 4—bobbin, baby, barbarian, battle, bombard.
Riddle-Me-Ree: a—k; b—j; c—g; d—1; e—h; f—i.
Problem: 48 years and 23 years.
Doesn't Know
Gypsy: “For $2 I will foretell your fortune.”
Mrs. X: “Are you a genuine fortune teller?”
Gypsy: “Of course—I am.”
Mrs. X: “Then you ought to know that I haven’t got $2.”
Pining Away
The director of the zoo was away on a short vacation when he received the following note from the chief assistant:
“Everything all right except the chimpanzee seems to be pining away for a companion. What shall we do until you return?”
Observation
The teacher was testing the power of observation of a class. Slapping a half-dollar on the desk, she said sharply:
“What is it?”
Instantly a voice from the back row called, “Tails.”
STORY TELLING
One player is chosen as referee or starter. The players sit in a circle and draw straws to see who starts the game.
This player begins to tell a story, and at any time—in the middle of a sentence if it seems like a good idea—the referee says, “Next!” At that signal, the story teller stops, even if he hasn’t finished a sentence, and the player to his right must take it up at the point where the other left off. If any story teller flounders in his attempt to carry on his story, no one must speak or help him in any way. Anyone who fails to continue the story must pay a forfeit.
Giving Up
If Columbus had turned back after sixty-five days of sailing uncharted seas, no one could have blamed him, but no one would remember him. Even if you have a good excuse for giving up, remember that all the rewards go to those who stick till they get what they are after.—Boy’s World.
Boianically Speaking
A tourist asked a Texas hotel manager what attractions the city offered.
“A helium plant,” replied the hotel man; “the only one of its kind in the world.”
The tourist thanked him and said, “I hope it is in full bloom.”
Unlikely
Barber: “Will you have anything on your face when I’ve finished shaving you, sir?”
Customer: “It doesn’t seem likely.”
What About Your Circle? Is It Active?
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