The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1863-09-25
SfIntellal1eolts.
THE CHILD's STORY.
BY CHARLES DICKENS.

Once upon time. good many years ago,
there was traveller, and he sat out upon q
journey. Ii was magic journey, and was
to seem very long when he commenced 1t,
and very short when he got halt way through.
He travelled along rather dark path for
some little time, without meeting ANYTHING,
until at last he came to beautiful child
So he said to the child: "What do you do
here2" And the child said. III am always
ut play; come and play with me-"
So he played with that child the whole
day long, and they were very merry. The
sky was so blue, and the sun was so bright,
the water was so sparkling, the leaves were
so green, the aowers were no lovely, and they
heard such singing birds. and saw 50 many
butterflies, that everything was beautiful.
This was in fine weather. When it rained
they loved to watch the falling drops, and to
smell the fresh scents. When II blew 1t was
delightful to listen to the wind. and fancy
what it said, as II came rushing from its
home-whcre was that? they wondered
whistling and bowling, driving the clouds
before it, bending the trees, rumbling the
chimney. shaking the house, and making the
sea roar in fury. But when il showed that
was best Of all, for they liked nothing so well
as to look up at the white fakes falling fast
and thick. like down from the breast Of mil
lions Of white birds and to see how smooth
and deep the drift was, and to listen to the
hush upon the paths and roads.
They had plenty Of the finest toys in the
world, and the most astonishing picture
books; all about scimetars, and slippers,
and turbans. and dwarfs, and giants, and
genii, and fairies, and blue boards, and bean
stalks, and riches, and caverns, and forests,
Valentines, and 0rsons, and all new, and all
true.
But one day Of u sudden the traveller lost
the child. He called to him over and over
again, but got no answer. SO he went upon
his road and went on for little while with
out meeting anything, until ut last he came
to q handsome boy. So he said to the boy,
"What do you do here 2" And the boy said,
al am always learning. CONC and learn
with me-"
So he learned with tbat boysbout Jupiter
and Juno, and the GreekS y6d the Romans,
aud don't know what 4; lbd learned more
than could tell, or hsAtfhr-tor he soon
forgot great deal Of BIT they were not
always learning; ICY had the merries,
games that ever wyh playedi They rowcd
upon the river in summer, and'skated on the
ice in winter; they were active afoot, and
on horseback; at cricket, aud all games at
ball mt prisoners base, hare and hounds,
follow my leader. and more sports than can
think os-nobody could beat them. They
had HOLIDAYS, too. and twelfth cakes, and
parties where they danced till midnight, and
real theatres whore they saw palaces OF real
gold and silver rise out Of the real earth, and
saw all the wonders Of the world at once
As to friends, they had such dear friends,
and so many Of them, that want the time
to reckon them up. They wero all young
like the handsome boy, and were never to be
strange to one another all their lives
through.
Still one day, in the midst Of all these
pleasures, the traveller lost tho boy us he had
lost the child. and after calling him in vain,
went on upon bis journey. So he went on
for little while without seeing anything,
until at last he came to young man. So he
said to the young man. "what do you do
here2" Aud the young man said, "l am al.
WAYS in love. Come and love with me-" :
SO he went away with the young man,
and presently they came to one Of the pretti
est girls that ever was seen-just like Fanny
in the corner there--and she had eyes like
Fanny's. and she laughed and colorcd Just NJ
Fanny does when am talking about her
So the young man fell in love dircctly-just