The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-12-12

,"S, o,uuueiing tongue tnat trlpped and
halted over the simplest speech should
glide over those musical notes without an
error!
Then Johnny's pigs we're objects of
interest between them. As their iptima.
cy ripened, Johnny grew confidential
he told her names and their history, their
traits of character their individual vir.
tues and vices were revealed to her why
this one was called "Greedy Boy" and
that one "Sly Boots" And thus it came
to pass that Annic's little curly head.
crowned by sun-bonnet in summer. and
by red aud white knit cap, with wors.
ted balls bobbing round her face. in win.
ter (for shade hats nubias aud fancy RIG.
maroles were not then invented) might be
seen almost any fair day surmounting the
high peaked broad fence, in earnest con.
iabulation' with old Johnny Mingo. And
one memorable day Johnny lifted up the
top of the sty, and showed her what he
called "about the hansermist sight. he
guessed. she over did see !"
Oh, such dear, darling little pigs -
twins, trlplets, quartettes-I don't know
how many nature is bountiful to moth.
er pigs; and there they all lay side by
side, like peas in pod, white and shin.
lug, and their cunning little tails all
twisting and curling, and their dear ma.
ma gruntiug in proud and happy content.
Little Annie was delighted (all chill.
dren love young things; they are in sym.
pathy with their own YOUTH, and never,
she thought, was any thing half SO pretty
before There was ono especial piqlinq
upon which her affections seemed to con-
centrate. "Oh. look at that one I. it is
such a dear, darling of a little pigpie.
Oh, 1t she could only hold him a little
while in her own hands :" And old
Johnny, grinning from ear to ear, took
up the distinguished favorite, brought
him to the fence, aud, first wiping his
dear little cloven feet upon the sleeve OF
his old jacket, reached over and put him
into the extended arms of the delighted
child.
That even pigs are protticr when
they are young" has passed into a pro.
verb; and Annie sat down on the fresh
green grass and cuddled the little thing
in her lap, patted its plump round sides,
examined its merry bright eyes, pretty
pink snout, and lightly twisted tail
smoothed its little pointed ears tenderly
in her hand, and fairly screamed with de.
light when piggie got one of her fingers in
his inexperienced mouth and beTan To
suck it.
But the dinner bell rang, and Annis
had to restore the borrowed treasure.
"Ho is dear, darling beauty of pig ~
she said, as she gave him back to John.
ny in rather exhausted condition from
the close embraces of her fat arms and
warm little hands land l think you are
a very good, kind man to let me hold
him. and | like you real we'll" And
Annie skipped away, little knowing how
old Johnny's great loving heart leaped
with JOY at her simple words.
From that time forward they were
greater friends than ever. Many gau
dy tulip or gorgeous dahlia, many rosy
apple or yellow musk-melon, many cab
bage or squash, many Thanksgiving
nuddnr or Christmas nie, was handed
n tinted >ca-shell or bunch of tropica
fruit or foreign feathers did johnny picl
up among his sea-faring friends cooks O.
stewards or cabin-boys) for little Mis-
Annie. And STILL in and out, through
all their harmony, blended the one key
note, the memory Of that "dcar little pig
gie :"
All the little pig had grown up lon
J ago, and gone out into the world as porl
and lard, as souso and bacon, but Ami
did not know that. Johnny, with an in
stinctive delicacy Of feeling that woul
/ have done honor to gentleman, neve
told her that "Ile had growod too bi
for the sty,' he told hcr, "nnd so he ha
to sell him. He believed he had gone t
) sea-"
He never told her that he went piece
' meal, with pork ca.k for state-room
: and Annie--litte unsuspecting Annie
, always thought of her early favorite Q
i, roaming at large in some fair foreig
, land, eating sweet acorns and chestnut
: in the leafy shade of some grand primevt
c forest. And why not Strip from lii
D all the sweet illusions that gloss its har
realities and who would care to live ?
t At length there camo change I
e Johnny. Nancy was taken sick. and sh
= had n sore time Of it for the evil spir
: that had possessed her store her" great
+. before it came ont of her; and Miss Al
, nie-now growing TO be a sensible litt
i lady-sent in soups and broths and tea
! all ostensibly for the comfort of Name,
Il but in reality for regard to poor Of
Johnny, who had no rest, day or nigh
+. with her. One day he came to the plat
of meeting. peering over the high fepc
: with broad laugh upon his dark face.
l. "Well, Johnny, and how is Nancy t,
day p asked Miss Annie.
o "The Lord he be praised, Miss Al
/, ME Narncy she is gone, sure and sa
| tin ~
e "Gone gone aehere, Johnny ?"
"Oh. | dunno ,char, Miss Annie, thi
are amt my business. She's gone dea
as sure as you're alive :" said the widow
d er, with a loud, ringing laugh. "Y'
see, telled her last night ser to he
i 'Narncy,' sez |, if yer don't die to-nigh
J. | shall, for sartin'-for you see. Miss A
D ME, | was all tuckered out tending
e her-and she did, Miss Annie, she do,
j. il jest as sure as gun, and the town
r folks say they'll come this evening al
e bury hor, and I'm resigned, Miss Ami
= The Lord be praised -
D "But, Johnny, you will be all alol
"a now, won't you?" said Annie, not ju
'f knowing how to treat the case.
"Yes, Miss Annie, thank you; Il
dogs is all killed, and the boys is all
the states-prison. and now Nancy's too
'e and there's only the pigs and me-thaI
the Lord !" And Johnny, with degr
, of raa,.not,au tlat ,.,.ukt lova .o1.,,