Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-11-08


said my father; butt was Just like him, too,
for when pulled his sleeve and whispered,
'.Do, please take him, father" be answered,
ayes, Pussy, IN try him, and see II he's a
good, honest industrious boy"
"You look tired and hungry said my
mother 10 the young stranger.
''ve walked seven miles, ma'au, and l
haven't had anything to eat but some apples
I found on the way
'Dear meH and my mother hustled of to
the pantry. i.s UT
AAer this Richard Sears was like one Of
our own family. He WAS . bright lively,
active boy, and,we all grew much attached
to him. as a...... .s. "a la.f.
lie and were the best of friends, for be
was only two years my senior, aad we went
of into the woods berrying together and
over TO the meadows for fresh mint, de
caught and tanned a grey squirrel for me
he put up swing in the old barn; and at
last my father said,
81 think shall send Richard to school this
winter with Rosanna. He can take her over
the hills on his sled when il SHOWS, and he's
such lively boy it is pity he can't have
good eddicatiOn.' air. b.. 81. aa. ...
That's Jest what I've been thinking Sam
wei, answered my mother; and 50 it was
settled that Richard Sears should remain in
our hmily. a...a
somebody's been at that bell pear tree,
Rachel said my iather, coming into the.
house one afternoon where my mother sat
stringing quarters Of apples, which she was
preparing to dry for the winter.
"Why, father, you don mean SOP
9Yes, do two on ems gone. thought
I'd stop and see If they was doin' well rs
came up with the last load of corn" .. ..-
knew my father was very angry, and be-
cause he was generally 50 kind and cheerful
like, his anger was terrible. I've heard my
mother say she never saw him thoroughly
| riled" but once in her life and that was
when some o the British troops passed
through our village in the old war, and broke
/ into neighbor Parsons house, and insultet
the old lady. who was bedridden, splittn
up her arm chair and breakin the Gro kery
but though that was long aiore my day, rre
seen his face settle down sometimes into.
a white rigidness, and his voice take on a
low deep tone that fairly made me catch my
] breath.
1t did now as he said; Il wish could
catch the rascal that stole those pears. Ia
make him feel the weight of this about his
shoulders, and he snapped the great OK whip
he carried.
AT last he started to go out of the kitchen,
and then he turned back as though new
/ thought had struck him. s8 a.-.
"RosaEns, sou tell the boys and girls
about here that I'll give a silver dollar to the
one that can tell me who stole the bell pears
| from my tree" .....
"And if / find out fRther?n
"Iil give you the dollar then, my child
! Il was not more than a week atterward,
when on going to bed one night at eight
/ o'clock, ] stopped a moment at the window
TO lock out for 1t was still, beautiful night
and the moonlight lay like thin sheet of
| freshly fallen snow ali over the earth. l can
see just how it glistened on the spire Of the
old stone meetin' -house, and silvered the tops
/ Of the trees, and lay like lace-work on the
great meadow opposite our house
And as stood looking there, saw our
back-gate open, and small figure came into
the garden aud approached the house, and
then suddenly it turned about and went down
among the quinse trees, and then / saw it
pause before the bell pear tree. My first i'm
pulse was to call my father, but thought of
the dollar he had promised me and I was
always brave child. 90 ! Jest slipped down
the back stairs, and 0ul into the back yard.
stole softly through the grass and past the
ounces close up TO the bell pear tree
Who's there ?" called q quick voice.
knew it.
40, Richard SearslD It was all said.
BE hel1 both the pears Ia his hand; one
Of them was half eaten
Isaw the blood steal up into his cheeks.
"Whet brought yon out here, Rosanna ~
80, Richard, what would father say2'
al only did it for a little fun, Rosanna,
and he offered me the other pear. I drew
back. ....... ...-....
al wouldn't touch it for a thousand dol
lars" .w
"Dear me, what girl you areI" a...
"And what boy you are, to be a thiefl
BE blushed deeper under the name, and
turned toward the house. He sprang before
me. .4.r #.a-.
"Rosanna, what are you going to do?'
~ must tell my father l...
"Hen be very angry. He'll send mt
away a.is.,la IT.
81 know he viii, Richard
"And ] shall be all alone in the work
again. O, don't tell him, Rosy, don't"
t.But must. IPll seem as though helpet
to steai EN- If don't"
t'Was it really stealin' ~ and he asked tn
question douhtully, g.
"0i course il. was, Richard, and God
very angry with you for you know he's see
you, if father hasn't"
The boy looked up 70 the sky momen
a with a new, solemn awe in his face.
81 only thought it was good sport, Rosy,
: be said. -....... ...s.-.
r stood still looking at him sorrowfull,
e and at last be threw thethe ground pear on
t'Don't fell your fathers he said, in
:, voice 50 full Of entreaty that the tears rushe
q into my eyes. "Don't you remember, Ros
II the day you went with me to the pond to &
mint, and how you came near falling in
the water, and l Jest saved you, and wh
good times we've had together all stmmt
At and how | havn't got any mother or al
-, friends in the whole world, except your fol
! dyou2 Do not tell your father, Rosy"
= sat down on great stone in the gra
le and cried. Richard cried too. At last
slipped my arm around his neck. - VI
a. "NO, | won't tell my father Richard,
you'll promise never to do so again, and
|, ask God to forgive you for this great sin"
y 'Tll ask Him, but he knows that 1 did
- think that it was really stealth, . and llnt
y that he spoke the truth. - ~ ff
ho So we went up softly to the house, a
nc there was new bond betwixt US, which
ther could forget. Two days afterwafd Z
"a father discovered one Of the pears lying
the foot Of the tree-the other had disr
IA peared-and be concluded the thief had dr.
l'S ned II in sudden fear of baino discoverpd
J. He as angry, ami Richard, who was in
-, noon, quietly slid out Of il and | kept
~ ~ eyes very steadastly fastened on the boo
~ was not reading.
~ Well TO make the story short, the win
~ went BY, and the birds OF May were singi
;,5 once more in the trees, and the boughs W
all trined over with blossoms. ILLI
-e's One day my father came in to dinner
he had been plowin' all the mOrnin'-and as
sat down and wiped the perspiration from