The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1867-02-19
MISCELLANY.
The Russet Apples.
A STORY FOR CHILDREN.

know. but, then, you'll forgive me il
I'll tell you funny one TO day won't
youi "Icll you what used to do when
| MAS little like you T. Bless your little
bright eyes! II should, l am afraid
you will think Aunt Fanny was once the
nuughticst little girl you ever heard of.
"No you won't" Well, let me see.
There was the time spoiled the new
calico frock No, can't tell that this
time, it's too long and there's the story
about getting the currant wine; and
breaking the cream pitcher and stealing
grandma's russset apples; and
Oh you need not laugh and spat your
hands 30, because aunty did 50 many
naughty things; fer, he sure, wicked
children always get punished, and some
times oh 10 much You see | am pun
i>hed yet, for | have not forgotten any of
those sad days.
SO Nettie wants the russct apple story.
How many more! All hand up Glad
you ali think alike for once. Well, keep
quiet.
Once, great while ngo, when war
little girl not larger than Dora, my
dear mother used to make cheese They
did not put up their cheese, then, as they
do now ina neat cheese box, just to fit it,
and send it off to market when il was six
weeks old; neither did they put cloths
around them as they do now, to hold them
together; but they kept them all summer
on the shelves, turned them every day.
rubbed grease over them, and made them
smooth and solid and late in the fall,
when they were ready for market they
put then, into cheese kegs, the same size
round as the cheese, and yard or more
deep, putting few shavings or sweet fine
hay between them, to keep them from
moulding and, so packed, they were sent
TO New Orleans, or anywhere where peo-
pie would buy them.
said | was going to tell you about
apples did l, Pussy' WE'LL So am
don't be in such hurry. But l mus,
tell you about the cheese kegs first, or you
will not know what mean and, if you
interrupt me again, what il should clip
off Il whole inch from one Of your golden
curls, to put with my gray ones, hey'
Father had nice orchatd. guess
there were never larger or better apples
One spring they were nearly all gone, but
mother thought she would save few
golden russcts till the boys came home
from "down the river" where they had
gone TO sell tho cheese, butter. apples,
potatoes, corn, oats, and everything that
grew on the farm so she put them away
in the dark cellar,in cheese keg There
WAS not more than Il peck of them, ma
king two layers on tho bottom of the
narrow kcg, which was nearly AZ high as
my head when stood beside it.
One beautiful Sunday morning. in the
last Of May, all the families that could
have horses to ride were gone TO meeting.
In those days all the people rode on horse
back, and sometimes they pu. Ii tie girls
like me on behind father or mother on q
blanket. That day mother had taken
Kate, and left me, and l didn't like it
very well. l went pouting around, try
ing as hard as | could to get into mischief
and be unhappy. So, this beautiful Sun
day morning, in May, was in very
bad humor. First, l sat dowr, as my
mother had told me to do, and read some
because knew she would ask me when
she came home. / ran my eyes over the
chapter in the testament 1--WE had no
pretty books them but l did not remember
a word then went into the garden, and
climbed into the apple tree to look into
the cat birds nest. knew ought not
to. Getting down I ripped the gathers
Of my dress. knew mother would ask
me how it all happened, and felt 70
cross, but not a bit sorry. Then sat on
the porch steps, and because l felt cross
and hateful, would not let the pewit 20
and feed her little ones in the mori,e
hole over the window. Oh! how the
little brides peepcd, peeped, 0nd stuck up
their tiny bare heads, and opened their
great yellow mouths. Oh how naughty
| was.
'Did they die r Oh, no. was too
restless 10 sit there long enough to stsrve
them to death. l went into the house,
and, thinking l was hungry, went down
cellar for piece Of bread and butter, and
there l saw mothers apple-keg. | went
up to it, and looked in. Oh, how good
they did smell!
"Take one and eat it-mother won't
know it," some wicked spirit far down in
my heart seemed to whisper l was in
no mood to avoid temptation. ] got n
wash tub, turned it bottom up by the side
of the high keg, leaned over the edge,
and reached in 80 far as could; but my
arm was little too short. put my
body little further into the keg still
was too short. l made one more plunge,
and down went, head, neck, shoulders
and body; and there was, standing on
my head, heels in the air, and my dress,
which was stout homespun h!ue.a
white linen, holding me fast by being
caught over the top of the keg.
Oh, you may laugh as much as you
please, you little gipsies; but l did not
laugh, can tell you. knew that Sallie
was out in the cheese-room, turning the
cheese and Dan had gone down into the
meadow, to see II the red lilies that grew
there were in bloom. / did not want
Sally TO know, for shc was a tease like
! Won Harry \ and Ia navar haar ,ba l.a,