Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-11-08
Porcupine Ridge.

u . n " = y u = T. = " n T. p
| don't sec what you spoke to her for
She sells matches
That's nothing my papa sells matches,
too"
10 that isn't the same thing at all
Your papa has a big store with a sign She
tramps around the country and stops at all the
houses just like beggar"
But she isn't a beggar And if she were
I'd speak to her
"Wel, you might, but then wouldn't
speak to you"
Bretta stopped walking and looked at her
friend with wide open eyes.
declare" said she, if | was madder
than mad I'd speak to folks; and what busi-
ness would it be Of yours if talked with all
the beggars in the country, so long as treated
you well 2'
4" A good deal of my business" retorted
quick k-tempered little Vic; people that talk
to me mustn't talk to dirty match girls and
ragged beggars. So goodbye, Miss Bretta
| should be happy to walk along with you,
but we might meet old Alick Gates or Liz
Lorts out asking for cold vctuals and you
wouldn't want my society after you had found
some much pleasanter."
Thereat Miss Viola Ketchum made a cour-
tesy and walked off with such crushing dignity
that Bretta hardly knew whether to laugh or
cry. She did both at last, as she sat upon
messy log, Just in the edge of the woods,
thinking it all over. 81 declare, said she
presently, eaping to her feet, " | know just
what I'll do :"
But as what Bretta had decided on is
no concern Of ours just now, let us hurry off
down the road to find Vie. That little lady
had hardly got out of sight of her friend be-
fore her pride wilted and her tears began to
fall
"Oh, dear {" she said to herself " meant
to have such good time with Bretta to-day,
because it's Saturday, and no school. Here's
my basket full of luncheon that mamma put
up for us, so we could stay in the woods till
sunset five wanted to but I've upset every
thing, getting mad about nothing. Well I
can't 20 home yet awhile, for then | should
have to tell all about it, III 90 off alone
and see if can think out how to be a better
girl"
So Vie turned off the road, and climbed a
fence or two, wound her way through boggy
meadow and berry thicket, then plunged
into the darkest piece of woods in all the
country.
al guess I'll 90 to the breakers said she
-" nobody can fud me there, and | can
climb down Porcupine Ridge and eat my din
ner by the waterfall"
What were the breakers Well, in tha
region of our world--a little north Of tho
Allegheny mountains-there were many
streams and creeks, winding about among th'
hills aud whenever they grew full Of rain
and strong, they swept down the dirt from
their beds and banks, and wore deeper way
through the soft shale So some of them haC
cut the country up into deep dels and steel
gorges, which no one could cross withou
great labor; these cuts or chasms were called
breakers, perhaps because they broke th
land up so or, the children said, because i
any one should fall down them he would brea
all his bones.
Vie wasn't afraid of being broken in pieces
SO she rambled along by the gorges peerinI
down now and then, three hundred feet, t.
see the bed of the creek cleaning along it
rapids A few birds--King6sher they wer
-darted here and there into the water an
among the trees aud vines of the slopin
bank on the other side many smaller bird
fitted, looking to Vie no larger than flies.
" Here is Porcupine Ridge" said she
=" now for scramble !"
You would have thought it " scramble
if you had seen the dear child going down.
. The narrow path was slippery with pine nee
dies, and it was ouly by catching at shar
rocks, hugging rough barked trees and holC
ing by tough old roots that had twisted then
selves clear cut Of the soil as if they coul
; not bear to be in prison, that she reached I
g last small fiat, half way down, where liz
ing stream Of pure spring water waltzC
away from messy rock high up, and viii
tied a merry dancing tune as it flashed alor
d down, to join the whole party of dancing W
J, terfalls at the foot of the breakers.
Now" said she, as she settled dow
!. upon the rank green moss, with the dashiI
: : water on one side, great lichen coverC
: rock TO lean against, and a little gushii
= spring bubbling out of the soping bar
- three feet away" Now I'm in the deepei
!, coolest, best place in the world, and | CT
:. think it all out clear. No, this isn't Il
= deepest place, for it is ever so far down
= the bottom but il is the quietest, for ey
V the birds don't come here as they 60 to 9th
places.
4" wonder how | would feel to be be
gar and / wonder what makes folks so po
and ragged. There is old Alick Gates th
say he was just as smart and strong and go'
10 TO work as any one till that stick of timb
le struck his head and ever since then, thoul
n he hasn't been really crazy, he hasn't know
a how to get along at all. If he works,
h makes his head aohe so he Just roams aroun
lie and talks to himself, and when he gets hu
70 CRY, goes to the nearest house and asks 4
1t bread and meat | suppose he can't help b
p ing beggar, and I'd give him cold victua
d --or warm victuals either but shouldn
% want to talk to him.
N Gas TO Liz Lorts, I've heard that b
y mother sends her out asking for things, Al
. whips hor like fury if she comes back with
: empty basket Seems to me | ought to
u awful glad I'm not Liz Lorts Why, 81
% don't play at ALL aud she's just about my ag'
u | wonder how she would feel if | should me
y her and say Good morning Elizabeth! Wor
g you come homo with me and have game
croquet?' But wouldn't do II for hundr'
y dollars"
Vie laid her head down upon little hi
} lock of moss, and shut her eyes. "Oh, ho
. sweet and cool it is here,' whispered sh
softly do they have such places In heaye
| wonder7 When go up among the angel
is after have seen the crowns and harps al
h white robes, and listened to the singing awhil
n | shall say, Now, dear angels, may go
the woods and find the waterfallsf VIII
will the angels say to mo when they meet n
I first 2 wish / could guess. suppose The
!. will pity me because have lived in POI
world whore God isn't very well known al