Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-03-08
Our aJuuns folks.
Little PatSey's First Grief.
By CELIA BURLEIGH.

/ MOOR anu klCh6u, tlil uCI llILiC Idt hCelS
must have been quite pulpy. Her soft
golden hair was all tumbled about her
/ flushed face and from her eyes, blue as
violets, the tears streamed, OVERLOOKING her
dimples, and slipping away and hiding
themselves in her club by neck.
Very cross and naughty she looked, to
be sure but, if you could have seen into
her poor little heart, think you would
have been too sorry for her to blame her
bit
She was having her first grief, and did
not in the least know how 10 bear 1t or
what to do with it; and between ourselves,
| have known many older people not much
wiser.
Patsey had never known the care Of
father or mother, and so had never missed
it. When she was few days old, she had
been taken to an orphan asylum and
there, with u great number of other babies
she had been dressed and undressed,
tucked into bed at night, and taken up to
be washed and have her breakfast in the
morning. As she grew sweeter and pref
tier every day, everybody liked her and
was kind to her ; so she tumbled about
the floor with other babies, and was just as
happy as the day was long.
1t does seem strange that when things
are Just as we like to have them some
thing disagreeable is almost sure to hap
pen. When our life-car is running so
smoothly that it does not seem to be run
ming at all, Just then comes an ugly jog,
and we are off the track everything
changed in q minute, and such Earring
and jolting that It seems as if nothing ever
could 90 smoothly again.
Now the thing which had happened to
Patsey was not very dreadful indeed,
many persons would have thought it not
dreadful at all, but piece of great good
luck
\ farmer and his wife. who had no chill
dren had concluded to adopt her and
henceforth instead of living in the asylum,
and being one Of a great family Of little
ones, she was to have papa and mann
ma, and be the only child in the house
hold Instead of being shut in all the
year round by the high walls of the asy-
lum, and hearing outside only the clatter
Of wheels, the bells Of the mi.kmen, and
the noises Of the great city here were
the green grass and the trees waiting TO
make friends with her, clear brook that
kept singing Come and play, come and
play, as it hurried by, laughing and
dancing on Its way to the sea, and away in
the distance lay the great hills, smiling to
think Of all they had TO tell her in the
years TO come.
But Patsey cared for none Of these
things She had a ride with one Of the
nurses in the steam-car. and had liked it
very much for the engine whistled, and
the fences ran past her, and the horses
tossed their names and galloped away
across the fields. Then there was a dark
tunnel, that frightened her bnt Just Us
she was going to cry it was gone and there
was the sunshine, and the beautiful cloud
mountains beyond the hills.
After this she had a ride in d stage
coach. which she liked very well, too. And
then the nurse had brought her to this
house, which wasn't bit pretty-where
there were no rows Of nice little cribs, aud
no children to play with-aud had given
the bag, with her clothes in it. TO the
farmers wife, and then had gone away
and left her And here, stealing another
glance at the good woman who had done
her best to comfort her, poor Patsey
screamed louder than ever and went on
beating her pudgery little feet on the floor,
a. if she had a spite against them and was
bent on pounding them to Jelly.
Let her alone, wife was the wise
counsel of the farmer. Let her have her
fit out, poor dear when its over she'll feel
better.
So Patsey cried till she was too tired to
cry any more and then the beautiful sleep
angel came and kissed her eyelids, and
hush ed her sobs, and opened to her, the
gate of dreams.
When she woke, she was lying on bed
in a corner of the room. Everything
looked so strange that at first she could
not remember where she was Then it came
back to her, and she was about to begin
to cry all over again, when the iron tea
kettle that was hanging over the fire be-
gan to behave in such an unacount; 70
manner that she stopped to see what
would do next. Such great, round bel
lied, jolly tea-kette as it was, with the
funniest nose, out OF which came pouring
great clouds Of steam, and little round /
lid that danced up and down for a minute. /
as if beside itself, and then suddenly set /
tied down, as if determined that nothing 1
should upset its gravity again.
But its spirits were constantly getting
the better of 1t and, at last, as if trying
to be dignifed was quite too much for .
tea-kettle of its fun-loving disposition, it
began to sing one of the merriest songs,
while the lid jumped up and down again /
faster than ever, did the double shuttle, and /
came near pitching head foremost into the .
FIRE
And what queer fireplace it was, tax
ing up almost the whole Of one side of the .
room, the tea-kettle going on in that mad .
way over the blaze, and a short cake bak-
ing demurely before the Goals. All this
was so new to Patsey that she lay watch
ing it, almost forgetting that she had in
tended to cry. Then red headed girl
hustled in, slipped knife under the short
cake and twirled it round, pulled out the
table, and began setting it for tea. The
farmers wife sitting by the window, knit
ing, hummed time, which if less merry.
was not less pleasant than that of the tea
kettle. Presently the farmer came in, took
off his straw hat and hung it up on a
hook
Come, wife, let's have supper he said
cheerily; then, lowering his voice How's
the little girl ? Patsey shut her eyes and
pretended to be asleep but liking the
voice, she opened them again. WHY. /,
there she is, waking up just in time for
supper, 1 declare
So she is, said his wife, laying down
her knitting and going to the bed
You've had nice sleep haven't you p =.