The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-09-30
The Two MlschieTeus Cousins
BY \. q. II.

On clear, moonlight night, two girls
sat by an open chamber window, think
| ing of something TO do. 1t was about
| 10 o'clock. The other members of the
| family had all retired to rest, and had
| supposed that these two cousins had
done so too. But their minds were far
from asleep. They were going to en-
oy themselves for once, all by them
selves. They sat musing and watching
| the beautiful scenery around, until
they thought the rest must be asIeep.-
From the window by which they were
sitting, they could easily climb to
| shed below, thence to the top of the eel
lar, from that to the kitchen roof, down
the other side to the piazza, and de-
scend to the ground by a ladder.
Or from the kitchen they could go
still higher to the main building. The
latter they concluded to do first.
1t was but the work of moment to
take off their boots, and it was but
short time before they were on the
highest part of the house-a large two
story building.
How lovely the surrounding land
scape looked! They could do nothing
for some time but admire the beautiful
scenery. The moon and stars were
shining brightly, while the brush burn
ing short distance away, like huge
bonfires, reflected the light all around.
Their happiness seemed complete
Here they sat for long time.
"What if a team should come
along?" said Edna.
80, we would get close together, and
they would think We were the CHM
ney," said Annie.
"Come, Annie, don't sit here any
longer; let's go TO the barn and get
some eggs"
"That will be fun indeed, but won't
they hear us getting down ?"
"No, not if we are very careful
1t was not long before they were at
the barn. Annie climbed up on the
hay to get the eggs, when loI hen
was on the nest
"Annie, you'd better not scare her
of, for if che should cackle, what would
they think at the house?"
"But we must have some eggs, Ed
ma We come for them.n
So Annie pulled the hen off. She
did not cackle much, just enough to
frighten them terribly.
They got some eggs, and were about
starting for the house, when Annie
thought some cucumbers or melons
would taste good. They proceeded to
the garden, and were soon seated on
the ground among the cucumber vines.
ave shall catch such cold, know
we shall, !" said Edna. Just think-out
here barefooted! What will mamma
say"
so, we must wonder tomorrow how
We got such cold, when we are al
ways so careful w
"But Is it not wrong to deceive ?r
suppose it is but we are having
such o nice time. / don't believe we
shall take coldI Amt we having fun
though, and nobody to bother us ~
Having finished their eucumbers,
they went to the house, and were soon
heated upon the roof, thinking of what
they had done, and in what a queer
place they were.
ibid you ever think, Annie, we
should ever be upon the roof of this
house?u
No, and 1 guess we had better get
down. Can't we think of anything else
to do? Let's go over in the lots, and 4.
get some plum5 ~
"The grass is so wet, AN afraii to
go thereW
We can put on our shoes ~
They descended carefully to The roof
Of the shed, in the chamber window.
found their shoes, and were soon on
their way to the plum-orchard. 1t was
about half q mile distant, and they had
to climb fences and wade through the
damp pasture. They ate some, filled
their aprons, laughed a good deal, and
their steps.
When they returned to the house,
what was their surprise to find the lad
der was taken away. While they were
what could have become of
it, the front door opened, and out came
Annie's mother and father. So alarm
I'd had been the mother, that she wept
with joy to find her daughter safe; but
Annie's father was very angry. The
,wo girls were sent to bed, and the
,ext morning Edna was packed off
home, with letter to her parents tell
hem how bad she had been. Annie
no presents for her birthday,
md tell you, the two mischievous
cousins were very sorry for their fault,
nd promised themselves that they
would never pain those who loved them
" such conduct again.-W Rural.