Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1842-07-20
One evening I was bent nnon c,,ch,,,

to the great danger of precipitating myself
out of the window, [ cannot tell but AT
length found myself in possession of a
freely. was slightly disappointed 10
find it nothing but lille black bug. and
concluding | was mistaken. was Just ready
to lei it go, when the fire CLEANED out
from his darkened body. and changed nv
mind. To retain him in my hand was to
deprive myself of his radiance; to let him
Hy away was not to be thought Of; and
to call my sister, or mother, or Ruth, To-
bring me a tumoer to put him under,
would be drawing down upon myself the
rebuke of being " very naughty girl for
being up so late, and what was still hard
er to bear, a reference to my sister Fanny.
But the freely must be kept at all haz-
ards; and | SIT down again by the win.
dow to wonder how should keep him
To imprison him in my bag, drawer, or
closet, did not seem very feasible. "Oh
| that | had a tumbler % | inwardly ex-
claimed and ( lumber resolved to
have
Icould creep down the front stairs into
the parlor, and into the parlor closet TOO,
without any body knowing i'll knew
could-and thus secure the very thing I
wanted. was sometime executing nv
project. At every step halted 10 be as
sured l was not heard-then the creakins
of my own steps upon the stairs made ms
start; and then I had to feel my way, for
| the starlight of the FREELY could nor aid
me. Success attended my efforts. and [
returned to my chamber with a glass COB
let, under which my prisoner was duly
ushered, and then he fared and fiekered
at my pleasure.
| l thought to awaken Fanny, but she
might make unpleasant inquiries, and so
| let her sleep on. How much better
: this goblet is than tumbler,n L thought;
"and it's what mamma would never have
! let me .aken. Oh, must be so careful
of t!' And at that moment, just as [
was making some untoward movement, 1
accidentally pushed the goblet from the
table. l: fell-it broke-and the fire fly
few away.
What reversion of feeling From
the greatest exultation to divest wo.-
!" What shall do2'' Iexciaimed aloud.
/ The fly could be replaced, but the goblet
-one of mammals beautiful cut glass COB
! lets which were never used button thanks
giving day, or when some very particular
person appeared at the dinner table l-onc
of the goblets which adorned mammals
china closet Oh, it must be so quickly
missed, and so much lamentedI
/ MV-first thought after the disaster was
to learn if any person in the house was
disturbed by the noise. Fanny was still
sleeping, andsas no one came up to cur
! room, ii soon became evident that no one
had been disturbed "But what shall I
do2' asked myself again and again, as
sat down on the floor TO attempt to col
| lect the scattered fragments. The goblet
was broken into four pieces, and so could
not be boiled together, as [ knew mamma
| had sometimes done with broken china
My first impulse and my best one was to
arise and GO right down to mamma, and
tell her all about the whole affair but
had not courage to do it. Mamma must
know it, and The sooner the better" said
duty.
perhaps she'll never know itP whis-
| bered fear.
But she must she will" persisted
duty.
I Nobody knows it but you Cant you
keep secret ?" said fear. "She will re-
prove and frown-and your brothers and
sisterst what will they say?"
How | did long to go; [ knew that
mamma would approve my honesty; that
she would be sorry, indeed, but that she
would not frown or or say one word worse
than could say. or think myself, about it,
Almost in spite of my better judgment.
my fears prevailed-and there sat, I
hardly know how long, thinking what
precautions were necessary TO keep my
secret | went to the window TO tltow
out the glass fragments-bu surely the
morning light must discover them, and
then the dreadful inquiry would be made,
"who did it2'' 1t made me tremble TO
think of it!
was afraid to keep the pieces in nv
room all night, lest somebody should DIS
cover them before was up. At length,
with degree of irmness worthy Of bet
ter cause, Iresolved TO steal down the back
stairs into the back yard, and threw the
glass under the barn. With slow and
cautious steps descended the stairs INTO
the pantry there peeped through the
: crack of the door. and saw mamma stand
} ing at the kitchen table with several ofihe
, children about her. They were talking
7 very fast, and mamma was smiling. and
t tthey all looked as happy as could be.
In the meantime, was standing there
IN nv bare feet, with my little cotton
/ night-gown on, holding fast the broken
S glass until it cut my hand. Then l visit
/ ed could rush to mamma, and tell her
e laIl about il! Then | enyled the haPpi-
d ness of the children "0h. shall new
er be happy again" exclaimed. Then
y Il 4 L a