d.

The leader of the delegation came a step nearer. "Your Honour, I can
only attempt the merest outline of our general position. Several of my
associates will take turns in acquainting you with the details of our
case. Our complaint is that we, the children of this country, are being
overworked. Formerly it was supposed to be the inalienable right of
children to remain free from the cares of life. That theory has long
been abandoned. The task of solving the gravest problems of existence
has been thrust upon us, and every day that passes leaves us saddled
with new responsibilities. But the limit of endurance has been reached
at last. We feel that unless we protest now the whole structure of
society--its economics, politics, art, and religion--will be shifted
from the shoulders of the world's men and women to the shoulders of us
children. I hope your Honour is willing to hear us."

"Of course, my dear," the mayor answered softly. He said, "My dear," and
he said it tenderly because he had recognised in the speaker his own
daughter Helen, whom he had supposed with her mother at the theatre.

"Step forward, Flora Binns," said Helen, and Flora Binns, who was only
eight, blue-eyed, and with ringlets of gold, approached and curtsied
prettily. "May it please your Honour," she said, "I am the delegate from
Local No. 16 Children of Weak and Tempted Stage Mothers' Union. We wish
to place on record our opposition to the modern society drama, which so
frequently throws the duty of supporting the climax of a play upon
children under the age of ten. Although the playwrights are fond of
showing that our papa is a brute and that our mamma is an angel, they
invariably shrink from the logical conclusion that our mamma is right in
planning to run away with the man who has offered her years of silent
devotion. So the playwrights make one or two of us appear on the stage
just in time to arouse in our mamma a sense of duty to her children and
to prevent the elopement. Now we submit that the office of justifying
our entire modern marriage fabric is too burdensome for us. Don't you
think so, Mr. Mayor?"

"Why, yes," replied the mayor, thoughtfully.

"And they make use of us in other ways, sir. In fact, whenever the grown
up persons in a play are in difficulties and the audience is beginning
to yawn, the author sends us to the rescue. Why, only the other day we
children saved a Wild West melodrama from utter failure. It took three
of us to