was no moan antagonist, for with its 

 sharp bill it was able to inflict a painful 

 wound. It was truly wonderful to see 

 with what strength the long, slender 

 neck and bill was thrust at whatever 

 came within reach. When given a rea- 

 sonable amount of room they thrive well 

 in captivity, and several specimens have 



been kept at different times in the zoo- 

 logical garden in Lincoln Park, Chicago. 

 The Least Bittern inhabits North 

 America from British Provinces, Mani- 

 toba, Ontario, — southward. It winters 

 from southern Florida southward and 

 breeds throughout its range. 



Collins Thurber. 



AN AUNT JANE STORY 



HISTORIC STONES 



The children were gathered in the 

 library one snowy morning, very intent 

 over a newspaper, when Aunt Jane ap- 

 peared at the door, work-basket in hand. 

 "Do come in," cried John, ''we have 

 some wonderful news for you. Would 

 you believe it ? The secret of the 

 Sphinx has at last been solved." 



"Indeed ! I'm glad to hear it. The 

 latest information I've had regarding 

 the great stone image is several years 

 old. It refers to the finding of the stone- 

 cap with sacred asp on its front, 

 once worn by the Sphinx as a helmet." 

 "You are not up to date, then," said 

 Alice gleefully, "for we have just read 

 that this mystery of the desert is a gigan- 

 tic image of Ra-Harmachis, or the god 

 of morning." 



"There is, then, some significance in 

 the position, for you remember, it faces 

 the east." 



"O Auntie!" exclaimed Edith, "do 

 give us a talk about stones, for the 

 Sphinx hewn out of solid rock suggests 

 a subject for us." 



"Please do?" joined in the rest of the 

 group. 



"Such a topic is of interest on account 

 of its antiquity," Aunt Jane replied. 

 "When Sir John Herschel was a boy he 

 asked his father, William, what was the 

 oldest of all things? The great astron- 

 omer is said to have picked up a stone 

 and replied, 'Here, my child, is doubtless 

 the oldest thing that I certainly know 

 of.' " 



"But, Aunt Jane, let this talk be about 

 Historic Stones, please, as we have be- 

 gun with the Sphinx, for I'm sure they 



could all tell wonderful tales if they had 

 voices," said John. 



"Some of them have been given a 

 voice," she replied. "Think of the 

 Rosetta stone in the British Museum, 

 discovered in 1799. This stone has 

 proved a valuable key to the interpreta- 

 tion of hieroglyphics." 



"Do tell us about some more stones 

 that had voices, or are historic?" Alice 

 requested. 



"The Moabite Stone has a curious 

 history. Portions of it are preserved 

 in the Louvre. It contains the oldest 

 alphabetical writings now known, for it 

 gives an account of a revolt of King 

 Moab against Jehoram, King of Israel, 

 800 B. C." 



"When I go to Paris I'll look it up in 

 the Louvre," said Howard. 



"I've already seen one historic stone," 

 John eagerly exclaimed. 



"Indeed !" cried the others, "where 

 and when were you so favored?" 



"Aunt Jane will remember the day 

 •she took me to see Lincoln's monument. 

 A stone is kept there which is about 

 three feet long by two and a half wide, 

 that came from the wall of Servius 

 Tuilius. It was sent to Lincoln in 1865. 

 It has this inscription: 'To Abraham 

 Lincoln, for the second time President 

 of the American Republic, Citizens of 

 Rome present this stone from the wall 

 of Servius Tuilius by which the memory 

 of each of these brave assertors of 

 liberty may be associated. A. D. 1865.' " 

 "Bravo! John, your memory is better 

 than mine, in this case, as I had for- 

 gotten about the very interesting stone 



72 



