[The next list of Officers and Members will be published in the May Number of LITTLE FOLKS; the fourth one in the June Number; and so on, from month to month. In reply to many inquiries from Officers and Members, they are referred to the notices in the March Number (page 184), and in the present number (page 255). ED.] PRIZE ESSAYS ON "THE USES AND BENEFITS OF THE 'LITTLE FOLKS' HUMANE SOCIETY" (see pp. 51, 186). .་ SECOND PRIZE ESSAY. NEW society has been started by our friend the Editor, in which all readers of this Magazine have been invited to join. It is called The LITTLE FOLKS Humane Society," and it has for its object the promotion of kindness and consideration towards all living creatures. Now I suppose every one will admit that there is great need, even in this civilised country of ours, for the working of such a society. It is too well known that much unnecessary suffering is often caused among animals, as frequently by acts of omission as by actual pain inflicted on them. Many children are unkind from thoughtlessness more than from real cruelty; they will carefully feed their pets one day, and the next totally forget them, in the eager pursuit of some novel and exciting game. To such as these the Society will prove very useful, for being bound by a promise to be kind to the utmost of their power, they will naturally exercise greater thoughtfulness than they might otherwise have done. How much good may be accomplished if only those who enrol themselves Members of this Society will endeavour consistently, day by day, to act strictly in accordance with the promise they have given! And will not the animals themselves repay us for any little effort we make on their behalf? I think so. Many anecdotes teach us how very sensitive all living creatures are to acts of kindness; besides, of what infinite use and service this Society will be if it helps in any way to check the unkindness to animals, which seems part and parcel of some boys' natures. How many boys there are who think it manly to take birds' nests, to stone frogs, and to hunt cats, forgetful entirely of what the poor victim of their merriment is suffering. Cruelty (whether thoughtless or intentional), like all other ill weeds, grows apace, and many acts of negligence, cruelty, and injustice in men may be traced to the little weed of unkindness which, flourished unheeded in the child. And now with regard to the benefits which may arise from the starting of this Society. The animals and lower creatures will not be the only ones to experience its good effects. The giver as well as the receiver of kindness is blessed, and although we shall speedily find ourselves benefited from our efforts when we witness the willing and faithful service rendered us by the very animals we may often have neglected and perhaps used unkindly, still, after all, I think the greatest benefit will be found when we are grown up, for the man or woman who is consistently kind to animals from a sense of duty will almost invariably prove a kind and charitable member of society, and not devoid of that personal sympathy towards his or her poorer brethren, for the lack of which so much charity falls short of fulfilling its object. UNA M. HAIGH. (Aged 9.) Walnut Tree House, Walmer Hill, Certified by ETHEL READ, Resident Governess. PRIZE POEMS ON "THE FIDELITY OF A DOG TO ITS MASTER” (p. 119). Down the rocks the party clambered, and with care the pathway trode; Now they clung, and now they hung, and now they tramped along the road, Till unto the gushing river-side the mastiff led the way, Where, unconscious, their brother, Father Nicholas, still lay. With what joy they plucked the body up, and bore it safely home! How the dog was pressed, and oft caressed beneath the convent dome! But though pleased at this endearment, Nic would most of Still to see that figure breathing, and to hear his master's First Prize, divided:- Half-Guinea Book, with Officer's Medal of the "Little Folks" Legion of Honour, to PERCY F. THOMAS (15), 62, Wellington Street, Woolwich, and Half-Guinea Book, with Officer's Medal, to BERNARD W. WELLER (15), 58, Brixton Road, London, S. W. Second Prize (Seven-Shilling-and-Sixpenny Book), with Officer's Medal-SYBIL M. W. WYNDHAM (13), 18, Norham Road, Oxford. Honourable Mention, with Member's Medal:-CLIFFORD CRAWFORD (9), 21, Windsor Street, Edinburgh; ALICE PUCKLE (15), The Hollands, Langton, Tunbridge Wells; UNA M. HAIGH (9), Walnut Tree House, Walmer Hill, near Deal, Kent; FRANK LINDO (16), 101, Sutherland Gardens, Maida Hill, London, W.; CLARA RAMSDEN (14), 107, Little Horton Lane, Bradford; KATE SHACKLEFORD (13), 3, Dalton Square, Lancaster; GEORGE C. NEECH, (16), 4, Lennox Villas, Church Road, Willesden, London, N.W.; MARY WATSON (11), Chilton Lodge, Bridge Road, Hammersmith; EDITH H. POLEHAMPTON, (12), 36, Rua da Cerca, San Joas da Foz, Oporto, Portugal. THE "LITTLE FOLKS" HUMANE SOCIETY PRIZE STORY COMPETITION. OR a Competition this month, in connection with the LITTLE FOLKS Humane Society-open only to those who shall have enrolled themselves as Members of the Society-Prizes are offered for the best Short Original Stories illustrative of the good effects of Kindness towards Animals-and the choice of the actual subject will be left entirely to the competitors. The Prizes to be awarded are a Guinea Book and an Officer's Medal of the LITTLE FOLKS Legion of Honour for the best Story, and a Seven-Shilling-and-Sixpenny Book and an Officer's Medal for the best Story, relatively to the age of the Competitor, so that no Member will be too young to try for this Second Prize. The Stories must not exceed 500 words in length, and all Competitors must be under the age of 17 years. The Stories must be certified as being strictly original by a Parent, Minister, Teacher, or other person of responsible position, and must reach the Editor on or before the 10th of April (the 15th of April for Competitors residing abroad). In addition to the two prizes and officers' medals, some of the most deserving Competitors will be included in a Special List of Honour, and will be awarded Members' Medals of the LITTLE FOLKS Legion of Honour. All communications should have "LITTLE FOLKS Humane Society" written in the left-hand top corner of the envelopes; and it is desirable for Competitors to give either the numbers under which they appear in the Register of the Society, or the approximate dates of their enrolment as Members. PHIL'S PORTRAIT. Phil drew near, one disbelieved her. and they all pointed at him, saying"Look at him? is he like that?" The dispute was high when Phil said "You come here at twenty minutes to nine to-morrow, and I'll stand here, and you'll see-that is, if the sun shines enough to make my shadow." Next morning the sun did shine, and quite a party stood waiting for Mary, Phil, and Dick. Baby Dick gave a shout of delight as Phil's face fitted neatly into the chalk outline. "Well, I never!" said the big girls, and they did not know their teacher was behind them until she said "Why did you disbelieve Mary?" "What's the matter, Mary Barton?" sayingasked an under teacher. "She's been drawing teacher, and she says it's her brother," eagerly shouted several. The face certainly did resemble the schoolmistress, and Mary saw every "I shouldn't try for being an artist, Mary, if I were you; I don't admire my picture much!" On hearing this Mary laughed, and then ran into school holding Dick by the hand. MINNIE DOUglas. |
