Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1869-07-28
Misfellang.
The Good Trapper,-A Colorado Story.

How strange 1t all seemed 10 little
Winifred One year ago, or as she reck-
oned it, one snow-time and one flower
time ago, she was living in Boston, and
now she was in Colorado 1t was great
change-this going from comfort and lux
ury to place where comfort was hard to
find, and luxury not to be thought of
where they had log-hut instead of a
house, and pig in place of a poodle. But
on the whole, she enjoyed it. Her father
was better, and that was what they came
for, because the doctor had said Colorado
air would cure him. And, though mother
often looked tired and troubled, she GER
tainly never used to break forth into
happy bits of song when ia ther was sick
in bed, as she did now that he was able to
cut down trees In the forest. Besides,
who ever saw such beautiful blue flowers
and such flaming red blossoms in Boston
And what was the frog-pond compared
with these streams that now. in the spring
time, came rushing through the woods
silently sometimes, and sometimes SO noisy
that if it we're not for their sparkle when
they passed the open sunny places, and
the laughing way they had of running into
every chink along the banks, one would
think they were angry! Yes, on the
whole, Winifred liked Colorado; and so
did her little brother Nat though, if you
had told him Boston was just around the
corner, he would have started to run
there without waiting to put on his cap.
Such little mite of a fellow Nat was.
and so full of sunshine Only one thing
could trouble him; and that was to be
away from mother even for half an hour.
There was something in mothers way of
singing, mothers way of kissing hurt little
heads and fingers, mothers way of putting
sugar on bread, and mothers way of rock
ing tired little boys that Nat approved of
most heartily. He loved his father, too,
and thought him the most powerful wood
cutter that ever swung an axe, though
really the poor man had to stop and rest
at nearly every stroke.
See these two children now trudging to
the little stream near by, quite resolved
upon having fine rocking in fathers ca
noe. This queer boat, made of bark. and
sharp at both ends, was tied to stake.
Now that the stream was swollen and flow
ing on so fast, it was fine fun to sit, one in
each end, and get bounced about as
Winnie said
You get in first, because you're the
littlest," said Winnie, holding her dress
tightly away from the FLASHING water with
one hand, and pulling the boat close to the
shore with the other.
"No, you get in first, cause you're
gal" said Nat. :" L don't want no helpin.'
I'm goin to take off my toos and tockies
first, Ca use nanny said might"
-5rsss c5uid say Shoes and stockings quite
plainly when he chose, but everybody said
50 toos and tockies' to him so he looked
upon these words, and many other crooked
ones, as a sort of language of Nat, which
all the world would speak if they only
knew how.
In at last-both of them-and a fine
rocking they had. The bushes and trees
threw cool shadows over the canoe,
and the birds sang, and the blue
sky peeked down at them through several
little openings overhead, and altogether,
with the p.ashing water and the birds and
pleasant murmur of insects. it was almost
like mothers rocking and singing.
At first they talked and laughed softly.
Then they listened. Then they talked a
very little Then listened again, lying on
the rushes in the bottom of the canoe.
Then they ceased talking and watched the
branches waving overhead; and, at last,
they both fell sound asleep.
This was early in the morning. Moth
er was very busy in the cabin, clearing
away the breakfast-dishes, sweeping the
room, making beds, mixing bread, heating
the oven, and doing dozen other things.
At last she took a plate of crumbs and
scraps, and went out to feed the chickens.
winnie Nat :" she called, as she
stepped out upon the rough door stone.
Come, feed the chickens :" Then ad-
ded, in a surprised way, to herself {:
Why, where in the world can those
children be? They must have stopped at
the new clearing to see their father"
At dinner time she blew the big tin horn
that hung by the door, and soon her hus-
band came home, alone, hungry, and
tired.
"Oh, you little witches." laughed the
mother, without looking up from her task
of bread-cutting "How could you stay
away so long from mamma ? Tired,
Frank2'
"Yes, very. But what do you mean
Where are the youngsters ?"
She looked up now, and instantly ex-
claimed in frightened voice, as she ran
out past her husband
90 Frank I've not seen them for two
or three hours / thought to be sure
they were with you. They surely wouldn't
have staid all this time in the boat"
He followed her, and they both ran
to the stream. In an instant, the mother
Fastening on ahead through the bushes,
screamed back
90 Frank. Frank The boat is
gone ~
All that day, and the next, and the
next they searched. They followed the
stream, and at last found the boat-but
1t was empty. In vain the father and
mother and their only neighbor wandered
through the forest in every direction, call
ing: Winnie . Winnie Nat Nat ="
In vain the neighbor took the boat and ex-
plored the stream for miles and miles-no
\ trace could be found of the poor little
lreatures, who, full of life and Joy, had so
lately jumped into the fathers canoe to
e have a rock"
! Where were they? Alas they did not
themselves know. They only knew that
ney had been wakened suddenly by great
Fump, and that when they jumped out of
e canoe and started to go home, every
pg was different. There was no foot
mo clearing where trees had been cut
no sound of fathers axe near by,
mothers song, and the stream was
g on very angrily over its rocky bed
,anoe, which had broken loose and