Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-06-07

Till that night. She couldn't have been
herself; some impious spirit must have
taken possession of her for the hour, or
she would never have been guilty of that
raid on the garden A dark deed, beft-
ting the time. | choke with grief while
record it of her Whether she found
weak spot in the fence, or took the leap of
an antelope, | never had the heart to IN
quire; but in some way she entered that
forbidden precinct, and walked straight
across it-is shown by her tracks-only
shipping a few turnip-tops by the way, to
Christie's way.
Now cattle do not commonly eat dais-
ise-you know that You have seen them
often enough blooming untouched by the
roadside, or in the pasture with all the
grass beside them gnawed close. y toad
on a Journey across the hardest grazcd
field would be sure of finding an inn, a
shady resting-place, beneath daisy
ciump That, again, is why ! said Maid
| Brindle must have been disordercd in her
mind.
1 For she ate Christies daisy up branch
and leaf, then lay down on the spot-as
/ if brooding over it could DO any good
and slept souudly till Aurora came forth
| from the chambers Of the East, and Josiah
ditto from the kitchen with his milk pail
/ Let us draw curtain over what follow
ed Yet through the curtain we shall
/ hear poor Christie sobbiug and crying, cry
ing and sobbing, enough to melt our eyes
to tears. Her motler pitied but could not
help her her father took more practical
view Of the matter, and, passing his cup
for more coifee-poor Christie sat through
breakfast without tasting a mor~cl-he
said with emphasis
Maid Brindle shall pay damage, little
daughter, as true as you've a heart aud
she has horns. Come now, stop crying,
and tell me what you valued your daisy
at how much should you have asked for
it if somebody had wanted to buy p
" Why, papa, l should have told them
in the first place l didn't want TO sell, and
and | should have asked-shou.d have
asked as much rs two dollars" -obbcd
Christie, to whom that was large sum 81
money
Very well" said her father, She
shall pay YOU. Mother, tell Hannah to
skim Maid Brindle's milk by itself begin
ming with this morning, and soon, until six
pounds Of butter are made from the cream.
That viii sell for two ~hiIlin@s pound,
and the two dollars are 10 be given Chris
tie for her own"
This fat Of Justice had the effect to di-
vert the child somewhat from her great
sorrow, so that after breakfast she nibblcd
crackcr-though then and for days after
wards She refused to touch m.k-and
went to school aad learned her lessons well.
1t was quite comforting TO tell the tale to
her schooImates and receive their -ympa-
thctic too bads
On Wednesday, which was half holiday,
as the little scholar came running i'm ut the
gate with her slate and books Hannah
said to her from tine Kitchen must add
with an untimely smile:
Your butter all ready, miss. There's
six pound Jumps, as yailcr rs huttercup-
and shiny hard as lee, each stamped with
CROWN cock on Top. Aud 1 he-rn your
father say to ii 10 put the horse I'D tho
wagon after dinner. and take the butter o
you down 10 the store and yet YOU th,
money on it, But you'll have 10 com,
back atoot, or lca~twayS, l ~hd -'po~g
you'd ruthcr. For SIS TO 20 round BIS
Beach Corner and fetch home some pigs
LA. ha-two dollars, hoT rich you. be,'
Hannah had given the programme cdr
rectlv aud duly Christie found herself
, riding beside Josiah, watching the weigh
Ing of her butter AT the store. and on th,
way home alone and on foot with "a twl
dollar greenbock wrapped IN bit of IA
/ per and clenched tightly in her right hand
Time had partially healed her daisy
wound the afternoon was balmy bright
the birds sang as if they had never known
9 "a grief the cash in hand seemed q bette
: equivalent for her flowers than She coult
have imagiuel ii ever would. and Christie
was-ycs, happy.
Hall way home She choose to leave IN.
dusty road for a path across her father
field and through a thin grove of pine
and oaks. When in the middle Of TIL
grove, walking slowly, thinking what t
3 dc with her money, some one near b-
spoke her name
Christie Christie , Christie 80
Three times there might be something
omnous in that The child was too start
led to answer promptly but after the thir,
call, She said, timidy, looking all aroun.
and seeing no soul.
Here | am.
Then all was silent q while. The voice
was not lIannahs, nor her mothers, mol
any ones that she knew 1t seemed to b.
strangers and cross grained besides, a
if its owner mad some sort OF grudge again,
her. Well, how odd.
So you've seen fit to make much adj.
about nothing, SAID the voice again, quot
..
dollars and set all the family against me
y three-year-old heifer must be very cor
rect in her behavior a girl three time
three years old can be as silly rs sht
pleascs. | wonder that money don't burr
your fingers off.
At this moment, when Christic's sur
prise was the greatest, there was a Sigh
movement beyond thickct twenty yard
distant and Maid Brinde turned her fac,
full on hers. The child had been on th,
point Of running away with all speed bu
while none the less doubling and amazed
there was on the heifer's face, framed II
evergreens with a twig Of immortal oaE
tipping her comely horns, a mild sorrow
, an appeal for forgiveness and pity, which
| in spite Of everything touched a tender
place in Christie's heart and held her JUS
t there, waiting for whatever should happier
/ next.
The COW opened her mouth with low
1 moo, and continuation there could be nc
t doubt, wonderful as it was, that the face
t and voice belonged equally to the quadru-
I ped:
This is the first time we have met
since that unfortunate affair. Before that
] you used to come and talk with me every
2 day. 1t seems we are to be sworn encmie,