Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1865-10-06

thinkyou are playing by the way, and you will
get a scolding.'
The child did not seem to hear. Something
else absorbed his attention. The bakers wife
went up 10 him. ana aa,e hin a friendly tap
upon The shuuidcn What ue you thinking
aboutp' said she.
'Ma'am, said the little boy what is it that
singsP
There is no singing said she.
YesH cried the little fellow. Hear II =
Queak. queak, queak, queak =
My friend and the woman both listened, but
they could hear nothing. unless it was the song
of the crickets, frequent guests in bakers
houses.
1T is a little Bird said the dear little fellow,
'or perhaps the bread sings when it bakes, as
the opples do
NO, indeed, little goosey r said the bakers
wife those are crickets They sing in the
bake house because we are lighting the oven,
and they like to see fre.'
'CricketsP said the child, ARE they really
cricketsp
'Yes. to be sure said she, good humoredly.
The child's face lighted up.
'Ma'am,' said he, blushing al the boldness Of
the request, Il would like ii very much il you
would give me a cricket.
"A cricketp cried the bakers wife, smiling
what in Nhe world would yos do with a crick-
ell, my little friend? | would gladly give you
all there are in the house, to get rid Of them,
they run about so.'
'Ob, maam. give me one, only one, il you
please" said the child. clasping his little thin
hands under the big loaf, they say that crickets
bring good luck in houses; anil perhaps if We
had one at home, mother, VINO has so much
trouble, would Tot cry any more
why does your poor mother crv p said nv
friend. could no lnuUer haln IL in tho.
conversation.
'On account Of her bills, SIR said the little
fellow. Father is dead, and mother works very
hard, but she cannot pay them ALL
My friend took the child, aud with him the
great loaf, into his arms, and really believe
he kissed them both. Meanwhile, the bakers
wife, who did not dare to touch a cricket her.
selt hfd gone into the bakehouse. She made
her husband catch four, and put them into a
box with holes in the cover, so that tuey might
breathe. She gave the hox to the child, who
went away perfectly happy. When he had gone
the bakers wife and my friend gave each other
a.good squeeze OF the hand. Poor little lei
low, said they both together. Then she took
down her account-book, and finding The page
where the mothers charges were written, made
great dash all down the page, and wrote at
the bottom, paid
Meanwhile my friend, to lose no time, had
put up IN paper all the money in his pockets,
where fortunately he had quite sum that day,
had begged the good vile To send il at once to
the mother of the little cricket boy with her
bill receipted, and note, in which he told her
she had son who would one day be her iov
anf pride. They gave it TO bakers boy vii h
| long legs and told him to make haste. The
child, with his big loaf, his iour crickets and his
/ little short legs. could not run very fast, so
that, when he reached home, he found his moth
er tor the first time in many weeks with her
eyes raised from her work, and a smile of peace
and happiness upon her lips. The boy believed
that it was the arrival of his four little black
things which had worked this miracle, and do
not think he was mistaken. Without the crick-
cts and his good little heart, would this happy
change have taken place in his mothers for
tune ?-OW Young Folks.