The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1855-04-07

by the way" " my small but elderly COM
panion remarked, "would you have any Oh
jections to my bringing my sister to you:"
The more saw of so original family the
better, thought; 70 told him should be
delighted to sec his sister.
lie crossed over to the cabaret again, and al
most Immediately afterwards returned, lead
ing little maid.
She seemed about year younger, or a
year older than her brother could not tell
which. 1t did not matter which. She was
very fair, ard her auburn locks were confin-
ell beneath little prim blue Mittens,
striped woolen shirt, a w., ee chemisette,
blue hose, and trim little .abots, all these had
The little maid. She had a little chain and
golden cross pair Of Scissors hanging by a
string to her girdle, a black tabinct apron,
and little silver ring on the forefncer of
her left hand. Her ewes we're very blue. .but
they could not see my dusty boots, my pipe,
and three days beard. They could not see
the great feIled tree, her brother IN his pea
coat, the sky. the sun going down beyond the
long straight banks Of trees They had never
seen any Of these things. The little maid
was blind.
She had known all about me, however, a.
far as the boots, the pipe, the dust, the bread
and cheese, my having come long way. and
not being whec!wrish, went. long SINCE
At least she seemed quite au fait on gcner-
topics connected with INV social stanlinc, or
rather sitting. on the tree and taking seat
on one side of me: her trother, the little
man on the other, the two little children be-
gan to chat most delightfully."-.
Mamma worked in the fields. In her own
fields. She had three fields. Fields large as
that distance measured by little maids arms
after the manner Of her brother in reference
to the sausage question: Papa made wheels
They loved him very much but he beat mann
ma. and drank wine by cannons. When he
was between two wines (that is, ,:runk(. he
knocked L:li's heal against the wall O.ii
was the little man. When NJ. lie Cure tried
to bring him to sense Of the moral he laugh
ed at his nose. lie was farcer. was Papa
lie made beautiful wheels, and earned mo-
nex ike that {arm measurement asaint, ex-
ccpt when he went we'ldingi.ing (nocer).
when he always came back between two wines
and between the two fell to the ground. Pa
pa went away. long tahe' ago. Before the
white calf at the fa7n was born. Before An
drew drew the bad number in the corscrir-
ton and went away to Africa. Before Lii
had his grand malady QittIc man looked a
hundred years old, with the conscious expcri-
ence Of grand maady. What was it: FL
crhantiasis, spasmolic neuralgia: Something
wonderful. with long name. | am surrey
Papa sold the brown horse, and the great bed
oak, before he went away lie also bruis-
mammals head with bottle previous to his
departure. lie was coming back some dav.
lie was sure to come back NJ le Cure said
no, and that he was worth nothing. but MAN.
ma SAID. Yes. and cried; though for mn part,'
concluded the little maid. when, ,between her
self and brother she had told me all this, II
think tha: poor papa never will come back.
but he has gone away among those Be,louin
Turks who are so mechants, and that they
have eaten him up.
The little blind fairy made this statement
with an air Of such positive vet mild con-
viction, crossing her mites of hands in her
lap as she did so. that for the moment would
have no more attempted to question the prev
alencc Of canabalism in Constantinople than
to deny the existence Of the setting sun.
While these odd little people were thus en-
. tertaininc me. Heaven knows where nv tho,s
were wandering. This strange life
they led. The mother away at work; ihe
drunken wheelwrisht father a fugitive (he
must have been an awful rullian): and stran-
sest Of strange phases. that these two little
ones should be left to keep public house -
thought Of all these things. and then INV
thoughts came back to, and centred themselyes
in the weiri little figure of tn e blind girl be-
side me. 1t was but poor little blind girl
in blue petticoat and sahots vet SO ex.
qu's'tely regular were the features, so golden
the hair. so firm, and smooth, and white-no,
marble, not wax, no: ivory, yet I,ar,akins o
all three; the complexion, SO symmetrical ev.
cry line, so gloriously harmonious the whole
combination Of lines, that the little maid
might have been taken then and there a, sh.
sat, popped in frame. with "lsaffaei,e pink
IT." in the corner, and purchased on the spo,
for five thousand suinea>.
lcould not help noticing from time to time
during our conversation, that the little man
IN the peacoat turned aside to whisper some
what nysteriously to his sister, and then look
cd at me more mystcriou<ly still. lie ap-
peared to have something on his mind, and
after nod Of apparent acquiescence on the
part Of the blind girl, it soon came out wha,
the something was.
My sister and !, said this small person
hope that you will not be offended with us.
but would you have any objection to show us
your tongue:"
This Was emphatically a startler. Could
the little man be physician as we'll az pub
''can did As he asked me: though I am