Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1853-11-19


Aud poor little Snowtp was never happy
! when Christina wos out of her sight, but ran
restless here and there, chirpnp as il she
would have chirped her heart out. But as
soon as ever she saw the child coming back,
she twisted round and round upon her little
yellow legs and fluuered her tiny wings for
10y. They were usually 10 be seen both to-
gether in the garden, where Christina sat rea-
ding or knitting and sometimes had to weed
the beds and water the flowers. In this gar
den stood an old cherry tiee with large fiat
stone near its roots. Shristina now always
went to sit on this stone, because Snow tip lik.
ed to scratch and nestle in the sandy earth
earth round it, shaking the dust over her
wings and feathers There the child instant
| y went, though her mother sometimes asked
her why she never sat upon the nice seat of
green turf which her brothers had made on
! purpose for her. But she would always an
swer that Snowlip could not bear the place,
and always ran to the old tree as soon as they
came into the garden, where she followed it,
because she never liked to be far away from
Snowtip when she could help it, Thus, then
these two lived through the spring and sum
mer in great fondness, and Snowtip had wan.
ted nothing more than few crumbs which
Christina had always saved off her own piece
of bread for her, though she could have done
without them even, as in summer there is
plenty of scratching and picking tor chickens
out Of doors But when Autumn came, and
took every leaf from the trees, and the win.
ter's snow bid almost every berry and seed
from the poor little birds, then our two friends
we're obliged to remain in doors, and came n-
to sad trouble, For o day Christmas moth.
er t,ok her little girl, aside and said to her.
my child, you are very good and obedient
and Therefore am sorry to take SnOwtip from
you, but SO it must be. The chicken must
not be starved aud we have neither corn nor
bread to spare. Therefore do not cry, but
put on your new Sunday frock and 60 to the
clergyman's lady, who is your godmother,
with your chicken under your arm. | am
sure she will take care of it Tor your sake, and
it will be much better off at the parsonage
than it is at our poor cottage.
When the little maiden heard these words
she began to sob and weep so bitterly that it
greved her mother TO the heart; and Christi
ma said -
"On, mol no! mother, pray you not to make
me do that; for | shall not know what to do
when Snowtip is gone o, why cannot we
keep the chicken? for it will soon be hen,
and will then lay eggs for us?"
The poor child cried SO much and begged
SO hard that at last her mother said, "Wel
tEen must cons nt and you shall keep Snow
tip; for trust that the good God, who has
fed us hitherto will continue so to support us
in our poverty that we may always have a
crumb or two left for snuWtip"
So Snowtip remained an inhabiant Of the
cottage, and garden; never leaving Christina
for moment, and sleeping in her arms at
night. One thing seemed odd, and that was
that Snowlip ran every day in the garden to
the stone uear which it used to nestle in the
cool earth in summer time. When Easter
was passed and the days got longer Snowtip
laid an egg which Christina took in great tri~
umph to her mo lie F.. And from that day
forth Snowtip laid an egg every day for seven
whole years-which was as long as it lived
and was perfect treasure to the house. The
hen was always faithful to Christina and
when she was grown great girl, and had TO
drive the COWS, or work in the fields, Snowtp
always ran or flew by her de, oil else Chris
tina carri her upon her wrist, as we some
times see in pictures knights and gentleman
used to their falcons Everybody wondered
at those two and the old women laid their
heads together and said il il had not laid eggs
they would never have believed it was really
a common hen.
Still, though Christina ard Snowtip could
not now sill aid play in the garden, as they
did when they were both young y yet Snovtip
continued to go and scratch constantly under
the old cherry tree, and always loved the
spot, in remembrance Of that first summer
whom Snowlip came TO her.
When Snowtip was seven years old, and
Christina (who was tall and Handsomely ff-
teen, Snowtp had the pip and its eyes grew
dm,. and its wirgs hung down, and it could
e 1t very little but clncked sorr wfully. Chris
f tina was truly greived, and fed and stroked
her darling IN the tenderest way. But it was
: all of no use, Snowtip died one fine morning
and Christina found her lying by the old stone
on the very spot she had scratched and nes-
tied so often. There was great sorrcw that
i morning through the whole house, and every
: body praised the departed Snowtip. Christi
ma shed many tears and took the poor hen il
! her arms TO kiss her once again, saying:
'Oh my own hen my poor darling hen!
! am sure you had more true ard faithful
heart than many of mankind possess; anC
YOU shall be buried carefully. where the sweet
est and freshest flowers will bloom upon you
/ grave. And Christina and her mother agreed
that Snowtp should be buried where it had
chosen its own pet place in the garden, anC
t always went to scratch and nestle. For it il
but right that every one should b. laid tC
, rest in the spot they loved best while the!
$ lived.
The mother and dau- therefore wen
D to the old stone to dig liIle grave for Snow
E tip where they had found her body, When
they had duga litle while Christmas spade
4 struck something hard and she exclaimed
"What is it mother?" And her mother felt i
] too, and moved the earth away from it. They
then saw a little box. ana dug it carefully
out 1t wns made of oak and had iron cor
E ners. Christmas mother lifted it up, and a.
t it felt very heavy she exclaimed joyfuly.
S Suppose il was a treasure that your Snow