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All contributions for the Junior Section must be sent to Canadian Jewish Revifew, 319 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario. Any boy or girl in Canada is welcome to join our Junior Section, and to contribute poems, stories, essays, etc., etc.
My dear cousins:
Ye Maker of Limericks, who has a verse that is taking form in his brain, says that I must leave him enough space to print it, and Cousin Judith, who has been watching sparrows all morning says that she wants a whole column to herself, so I'm afraid that unless I say what I want to say very quickly, I shan't have any space left for it. First of all, there s our competition on "WINTER." Forget not that your stories, essays and poems must reach the office by February 15, and forget not that there is going to be a spirnmgly nice prize for the winner.
......which is item the first. Secondly,
rememter that we want ever so many more contributions from our family. Let's see how many of the "old" cousins can introduce "new" cousins to us; because then the "new" ones will be
"old" ones, and so on..........Just fill
out this little card, and mail it at once.
Review Junior Section:
I would like to join the Cousin-Family of the Canadian Jewish Reviews
My name is.....................
I live at.........................
I am................years of age.
Which will make you a full-fledged member, which is item the second.
Then, thirdly, don't forget to let us have some nice new ideas. We want stories from our budding authors and authoresses; poems from our coming poetesses and poets; essays from our essayists, funnies from our humorists. . . . . . .and best of all, letters from all of you. Which is item the third, after the which I must say good-bye to leave space for the others.
Cousin David.
Dear girls and boys:
For the longest time I've been wanting to scrape up an acquaintance with five very saucy, very fat and very little sparrows that visit the top floor fire-escape just across the court from where Cousin David, Ye Maker of Limericks and I reign supreme. And I just didn't know how to go about it. For although I had been watching them every day for weeks, the conceited little creatures had never vouchsafed me one single glance! Y'see, I just couldn't telephone to ask them to come and eat 'tnice fresh homemade raisin bread crumbs" off my window-sill, because I didn't know a thing about bird-telephony; and I just couldn't send them a three-cornered billet-doux, because, oh, well, because I just couldn't! As I watched them it occurred to me that King Solomon, who knew the language of the birds, whould have ,hacf no trouble whatever. He would have called ever so softly in bird talk: "Come over here for a few moments and visit with me," and sure enough the birds would have accepted his invitation, politely, after
the manner of all sparrows......But,
being myself and not King Solomon, it behooved me to think of other ways of becoming acquainted. First of all I thought that I would make about three hundred and fifty-eleven bread pills and thread them on a long firm silken cord, which we would throw Jrom our window to the fire-escape on
bring them that much nearer to our window-sill. Once they saw the window-sHI and our eager lonesome faces, I, was sure that they would stay. But it didn't work, because my arms got terribly tired long before I, had made thirty-seven bread pills, and Ye Maker of Limericks got himself all
tangled up in the silken cord........
and Cousin David and I had to rush to the rescue. # <
So we sat u� down with mournful, thinkative faces, and thought and thought and thought. And whilewe pondered, Ye Maker of Limericks jumped up and said "Shhhhhhh." We "shhhhhed" ever so quietly, and looked out on the window sill to see what hnd excited Ye Maker of Limericks, who is usually most awfully placid. And sure enough we had left a few crumbs out there, and two of our very fat, very saucy, and altogether adorable little sparrows from across the Vay were feasting right merrily. Without an invitation, or anything! Which really was a good joke on all three of us! Especially next day, because The Wise One (which is what we call the perkiest of the birds) brought four of his relations, who in their turn will most likely
bring five others to-morrow......and
so on ad infinitum. We are all three bothered with a mathematical problem, and perhaps the cleverest of our cousins will help us to solve it. Y'see if one slice of bread supplies enough crumbs for some birds, how many slices of bread will supply enough crumbs for ever so many more birds? Please send your answers in at once, because we want our daily parti s to be "altogether enjoyable" (as tis said in court society) and then again there is no saying wrhat that perky Wise One will do, if he's oot pleased! Is there?
Cousin Judith.
MAIL BAG
Toronto, Ontario, January 14, 1924.
Dear Cousin Judith:
I suppose you thmk I am very mean for not writing, and I'm not going to stop you for I have no excuse to make, I am 'so bad that I guess I am not worthy of being a cousin. Am I? But anyway I am going to make up now, and every week you're going to have a letter. Does that appease you? I want to congratulate Primrose on her essay for her "Best Friend." I think she is a brilliant flower for the garden, don't you? Don't think that just because I do not write I do not read the page. For I surely do, and always look forward to Friday. (When it comes.) I think your new competition is very nice. It makes a nice subject to write or talk about- Well, I have nothing more to say, only good-bye till next week.
From "Fighting Flo."
P.S.�You allow a P.S., don't you? Maybe I come back to your mind when you see my name.
Dear Flo:
I certainly do remember you. Your
rm name is not the sort that one forgets, remember I Was just a bit scared when first I saw it for fear that you might demonstrate, but so far, so good, and
Ebody's happy. I hope you make on the r' Every week letter.*' you approve of our new contest, you must see if you can't win a prize with your entry. Let's seel How do yon feel Primrose, about all the >nioe things Flo has said about yon?
Judith.
Dear girls and boys:
How would you ILUe to finish my limerick?^ Y'see, I have written the first
finished limerick to me, caret Section.
a &6V�e aameo) tobogganed down a
� � � k ? f � ? � ���^*h*a � '
4 � � . *.��� * � � , ^ � t *' * 1 *f ^ - * U
Au revoh*,
Ye Maker of Umerfca?.
i t *V�1' > ��� � \ , -
Dear Cousin Judith:
I received my Oriae ou the essay "Mv Best Friend," which I appreciate vary much and must thank you greatly. I think this is a great inducement as not many newspapers1 would give inch an appreciated gilt.
f must dose now, dear Judith, with love and best wishes to yon and Couaia David. Wishing the Club every success,
I remain.
You devoted Cousin,
VftfavMt."
Dear Primrose:
I'm glad you like your prise. Do write another of your long, newsy letters. This short one seems quite unlike you. . What do you think of our "new" cousin idea? � And will you help?
Cousin Judith.
Those of you who have access to a library, and like to browse among the shelves, may have run across books by Johan Boier. If you haven t as yet, vou will I hope, when you grow up, because he has written some splendidly clever books. Here below is a little bit of a thought of his, that's to serve as a sort of tantalixer to whet your appetite so that you may look forward to meeting him again in the years to come.
Cousin David.
A CHILD'S WINDOW By Johan Bofcr
The best education for any child is a window through which it may gase out upon the fairy world.
The fisherman's hut where I grew up was gray like the sea and the sand on the beach�like the rocks around. But if I kneeled upon the wooden seat under the window I saw far away the red, yellow and white painted houses of the well-to-do. It was like a bit of paradise to stare at, and it was evident to my mind that the people living in those bright houses must be bright and beautiful, and that I must have a house like that when I grew up. Out there near the sea, where the winter gales raged, the rocks were bare and a tree was a rare sight, but from that seat beneath the window I glimpsed far away hills�forest clad with spruce, fir and silver birch. Fairy tales I Fairy-world 1 Imagine the crowds of birds and beasts that they must harbour! I should have to go there when I grew: up. Out there near the sea the sou was poor, few families possessed more than a cow or two and milk was a costly thing. But from the window seat L saw large farms in front-of the forest, and there would be Bocks of cattle and sheep and horses. There the people would drink milk with their porridge, not water sweetened with treacle; they would have enough wool tb weave good clothes for themselves, and need not shiver with cold. And jus$ imagine the quantities of meat and real butter there must be�these people surely did not eat hah and hah and fish again every day of their lives as we did. It was evidently an absolute necessity for me to have a farm hip: that when some day I grew up.
So great and so da riling may the world be when seen frost such a window, and so happy may childhood be when there are such wonderful things at which to gaxe.
February 15, TO*
Ha wears no shoes upon his feet, _HKfrl*t upon his head;
"68t iabe, I know, UO .Cage with bars \ , ~" ; frora^Valking in the snow ptinto^lt with staraV;^ i^j.'-'
TBOl)GHT FO� TO-DAY�WHAT . |8 WQRTH WfflUS
Tb he worthy i not simply reapactable,
To 8*a#y hard, think quietly,,
Talkltatty; act frankly,'
To bear all cheerfully, do all bra very,
Await occa**U*> �never hhrrfrrr
III a word, to let the spiritual Ufa
Grow, up through and above Ae com-
That my '^raipioay of life.'
it
Boob open your mind, broaden your ms&dt-aaa strengthen you as notning else can.
<�-r��-r, . �
(Dedicated to my friead Dr.^S. Simon of Roanoke, Va.)
Like a lonely tree in deserts.
Is the world without a mend. World, so fuflof hurts and haxarda,
World, where Wood aad fcea^ty Head, World, you were-oot much desired
Had you not loves* charm and grace; Every flower 1*ad expired?
If the sua withheld hxfl Cace, Every fewer would luv^ perished,
Were no ram or dew on earth; Were not friendship, naught were cherished;
Love and friendship give life worth. Gold can never buy; such treasure*
Heart alone can win a heart: Friendship pours the wine of pleasure,
Friendship's kindness turned to art. But how beard for friends to sever
And rjeTeatfuea apart away I Still our spirits meet together
Where the friendliest thing? hold away.
�Alter Abeiaon.
THS LAND OF BEGINNING AGAIN
I wish there were some wonderful place Called the Land of Be�mamg A^ain,
And all of our poor selfish grief, ' Could be dropped like a shabby old coat, at the door, And never put oa again.
I wish 1 could come oak, ail unaware
Like the hunter who finda a lost trail, And I wish that the one whom our bfindness had done The greatest injustice of all Could Be at tbegabsvKke an old friend that waits For the comrade he's gladdest to hail.
We would hud that the things we Intended to do, . But forgot and remembered too late,
Little praises unspoken, little promises woken,
And all of the thousand and one tittle duties
Neglected, that might have perfected The day for one less fortunate.
It wouldn't be possible not to be kind
In th Land of Beginning Again, And the ones be misjudged and the ones whom he gru<, Their moments of Victory here, ' . Would find m the grasp of our loving handclasp More thaa penitent Hps could explain.
For what has been hardest, we'd know had been best And what had seemed loss would be ? gain. '
For'There isn't a sting; that wouldn't take wing When weVe faced it, and laughed it away,
Aad I tbfcak that the laughter is most what we're after la the Land of Beginning Again.
So I wish that there were somf wonder-
THE SNOW BIRD
When all the ground - :~ is white,
The merry snowbird i-nrr.rs:
ruTplace
' Cafted the Land r1 : � . ,;n,
Where all our r,v<aK^ d4J ,,ur Hearts rbr* v.'. w ~ :r*~*;r �r-! a*h rrSef
Cr i ^ dropped like kr *<j shabby