The independent. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Kan.) 1860-1874, 1865-03-18
for the gatle folks.
THE CHILD'S STORY.
Ry CHARLES DICKENS.

y S0tS dcos tuCtC wan q u0SCiCts uuu 4
he set GU, upon a journey. 1t was
Il magic journey, and was 10 seem
very long when he commenced il,
and very short when he got half way
through.
He travelled along a rather dark
path for some little time, without
meeting anything, until at last he
came to beautiful child. So he
said 10 the child:
"What do you do herer
And the child said:
81 an, always at play; come and
play with me-"
So he PLAYED with that child the
whole day long, and they were We
~ merry. The sky was so blue,
and the sun was so bright, the wa
ter was SO sparkling, the leaves were
so green. the flowers were SO love-
ly,and they heard such singing birds,
and so many butterflies, that every
thing was beautiful. This was in
line weather. When it rained. they
loved to watch the falling drops and
10 smell the fresh scents. When il
blew, il was delightful TO listen TO
the wind, and fancy what it said, rs
i, came rushing from its home
where was that! they wondered
whistling and bowling, driving the
clouds before il, bending the trees,
rumbling the chimney, shaking the
house. and making the sea roar in
fury. But, when it showed. that
was hes, Of all, for they liked moth
ing SO well as 20 look up at the
white fakes falling fast and thick.
like down from the breast Of mill
ions 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 astonish-
ing picture books, all about scime-
tiers and slippers and turbans, and
dwarfs and giants, and genii and
fairies, and blue boards and bean
stalks, and riches and caverns and
and forests, and Valentines and Or
sons, and all new and all true.
But one day, Of q sudden. the
traveller lost the child. He called
to him over and over again, buteot
no answer. So he went upon his
road, and went on for a little whiIe
without meeting anything, until al
last he came 10 handsome boy
So, he said TO the boy:
"WI,at do you herel"
And the boy said: !
81 am always learning. Come
and learn with me-"
- So he learned with that boy about
Jupiter and Juno, and the Greeks
and the Romans. and don't know
what; and learned more than ! cod
tell, or he either, for he soon forgot
great deal, of it, But they were
not always learning; they had the
merriest gapes that ever were play
ed. They rowed upon the river in
summer, and skated on the ice in
winter; they were active atoot and
on horseback; at cricket, and all
games of ball; At prisoners base,
hare and hounds, follow my leader,
and more sports than | can think of;
nobody could beat them. They had
holidays too, and twelfth cakes, and
parties where they! danced till mid
night, and real theatres where 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 10 friends, they had such dear
friends and so many of them. that ]
want the time to reckon them up
They were all young like the hand
some boy, and were never TO be
strange 10 one another all their lives
through.
Sill, one day, in the midst Of all
these pleasures. The trnveHer lost the
bov as he had lost the child. and az
ter calling him in vain, went on up
on his journey. So he went on for
little while without seeing any
thing until at last he came 10 a young |
man. So he said 10 the young
man:
"What do you do here!"
And the young man said:
81 am always in love. Come and
love with me-" s'sta'e
Sc he went away with the young
man. and presently they came tot
one Of the pret,iest girls that ever
was seen-just like Fanny in the
corner ihere-and she had eyes like
Fanny's and abe laughed and color-
ed Just as Fanny does when ! am
taking about her. So the Young
man ieli in love dirsctly-just as
somebody ! won't mention, the first
lime be came here, did with Fanny.
Well! he was teased sometimes-l
just as somebody an Fanny used tol
quarrel and they made it up, and
sat in the dark. and wrote leitersI