The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-03-27

striped with faint purple and Furnished silver,
like the shells and flowers of the deep sea,
where the moonlight buds and blossoms foi
ever and ever; and then she ihought if she
could only just reach over. and dip one Of her
little fat rosy feet into the smooth shining
water--just once-only once-it would be
so pleasant! and she should be so happy
and then, if she could but manage to scare
the fishes a little--a very litlle-that would
be such glorious fun, too-wouldnt it, you
Well and so---she kept STOPPING and stoop-
ing, and stretching and stretching, and sing
ing TO herself all the while /" sir, she said |!
sir, she said I'm going milking, sir, she
said !" till just as she was ready to tumble in,
head-frst, something jumped out Of the bushes
behind her, almost touching her as it passed,
and went plump into the deepest part Of the
pool saying, once! once with heavy
booming sound, like the tolling Of great
bell under water, and afar off.
Goody gracious what's that !" screamed
little Ruth Page, and then, the very next mo.
ment she began to laugh and Jump, and clap
her hands to see what scampering there
was among the poor silly fish, and all for no
thing! said Ruth, for, out came great good
natured bull-frog, with an eye like bird, and
big bell-mouth, and back all frosted over
with precious stones, and dripping with sun
shine, and there he sat looking at her awhile
as If he wanted to frighten her away, and
then he opened his great lubberly mouth at
her, and beloved out once , once and va
nished
Luddy tuddy! who cares for you =" said
little Ruth; and so, having got over her fright,
she began to creep TO the edge OF the bank
once more, and look down into the deep water.
TO see what had become Of the little fish that
were SO plentiful there, and SO happy but a
few minutes before. But they were all gone,
and the water was as still as death !; and
while she sat looking into it, and waiting for
them TO come back, and wondering why they
should be SO frightened at nothing but a bull
frog, which they must have seen a thousand
times, the poor little smpletons and thinking
she should like to catch one Of the smallest,
and carry it home to her little baby brother,
all at once soft shadow fell upon the water,
and the scented wind blew her smooth hair
all into her eyes, and as she put up both hands
in hurry to pull it away, she heard some
thing like whisper close to her ear, saying,
tpice trice ,--and just then, the trailing
branch of tree swept over the turf, and fill
ed the whole air with a storm of blossoms,
and she heard the same low whisper repeated
close at her ear, saving, twice twicet and
then she happened to look down into the wa
ter---and what do you think she saw there!
"Goody gracious !-mamma-ist that you!"
said poor little Ruth, and up she jumped,
screaming louder than ever, and looking all
about her, and calling, mamma! mamma!
see you. mamma! you needn't hide, mammal"
But no mamma was to be found.
"Well! if that isn't the strangest thingl"
said little Ruth, at last, after listening a few
minutes, on looking all around everywhere,
and up into the trees, and away off down the
river path and then toward the house-'.T
didn't think | saw my dear good mammals
face in the water, as plain as day, and if
didn't hear something whisper in my ear and
say t,oice, iicicer'-and then she stopped and
held her breath and listened again-"if
didn't hear it, as plain as ever heard any
thing in my life, then my name isn't Ruth
Page, that's all, nor Teenty Tawnty neither!"
and then she stopped, and began to feel very
unhappy and sorrowful, for she remembered
how far her mother had cautioned her never
to 90 near the river, nor into the woods alone,
and how she had promised her mother many
and many time never to do so, never, never!
And then the tears came into her eyes, and
she began to wish herself away from the
haunted spot, where she could kneel down
and say her prayers; and then she looked up
to the sky, and then down into the still water,
and then she thought she would just 60 and
take one more peep, only one, just to see if
the dear little fishes had got over their fright,
and then she v ould run home to her mother,
and tell her how forgetful she had teen, and
how naughty, and ask her to give her some
thing that would make her remember her pro-
misses. Poor thing! little did she know how
deep the water was, nor how wonderfully she
had escaped! once, once! twice, twice! and
she still yentured third time!
Well and so-don't you think, she crept
along, crept along to the very edge of the
green slippery turf, on her hands and knees,
half trembling with fear, and half laughing to
think Of that droll-looking fat fellow, with the
big bel-mouth, and the yellow breeches, and
grass green military jacket, turned up with
buff and embroidered with gems, and the
bright golden eye, that had so frightened her
before, and wondering in her little heart if he
would show himself again; and singing all the
while, as she crept nearer and, "nobody asked
you, sir, she said! sir, she said! nobody asked
you, sir. she said" till at last she had got near
enough to look over, and see the little fishes
there tumbling about by dozens, and playing
bo-beep among the flowers that grew under
meath the bank, and were multiplied by thou
sands in the clear water-when, all at once,
she felt the turf giving way, and she put out
her arms and screamed for her mother!-
Goody gracious! how she did scream! and
then something answered from the flowing
waters underneath, and from the Towering
trees overhead, with mournfu sweet sound,
like waiing afar off, thrice! thrice! and the
flashing waters swelled IN saving, thrice!