Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-01-24
Qhe family Circle.
What Jimmy got from the top of 4
Tree

What Jimmy got from the top of a
Tree.
It wss II q wateTlDg-place--a country
hotel, where there vas q spring of horrible
water. watch tasted lke-we1I can't
think o. anything di-agreeabie enough 20
compare 81 to-where all this happened
I t was IN the end OF the season. ANA the
tall winds were beginning TO blow and
most OF the ladies' and gentlemen who had
been spending the summer enjoying the
pure air and making believe TO enjoy the
horrible water, were expecting 10 depart
10 d day or two On the particular after
noon Of which am writing. a large por-
ton of the company were out on a lawn,
and several OF them had croquet maiietz in
their bands But they We're not playing.
They were all gathered around Z t8il pine
tree, which stood in one corner OF the
lawn. This tree had a very long, slender
trunk, with a few branches. almost at the
very top. And on one of these branches
there hung q ladgs hat-s pretty little
hat trimmed with flowers and lace, with .
blue veil, which was now wrapped around
and around the branch This hat had Just
been whirled from the head Of she young
lady who owned it. by sudden gus: Of
wind. This lady was very much annoyed
by the accident.
It's too bad, said she am going
home tomorrow. and this is the only hat
have to travel in. And ] cant wait here
until can send to the city Tor another"
Cannot you wear your straw has OF a
bonnet said friend.
No." said she. ! don't want to
travel IN 8 bonnet, or straw hat. either
Can't somebody get my hat down p
Look here. boys, cried one Of the gen
tlemen, to some Of the waters who we're
just coming out Of the house, III give .
dollar TO any one who will get that hat
The walters then came down 70 the tree
and one OF them started TO climb il. But
ne found it q hard Job. The bark was
smooth, for a pine tree, and By the time be
had gone up fifteen or twenty feet he was
glad TO slide down again.
The gentleman now doubled his offer,
and another tried, and another, but neither
climbed as high as the first man. Then
another gentleman added two dollars 10
the prize, and more walters came, and also
boys from the hotel and the neighborhood,
aud they all tried aud all failed. By this
time there was quite lively crowd around
tie tree and a young man in a red necktie
said it vas real joIly-ever SO much better
than croquet. Then three more gentlemen
added two dollars each to the prize. aud
the excitement became intense Every
body who could climb a; all tried the tree.
but 10 one got one-thlrd OF the way up.
Then as it was necessary TO keep up the fun,
and mis- money seemed very safe the young
man il the red neck-tie offered FIVE dollars
more And Just at this moment jimmy
Clark came running down 10 see what was
the matter. Jimmy was about eleven,
years old, a bright, smart fellow, and as
active as q cat. His mother was a widow
who lived on a very little farm, about Z
mile from the hotel When jimmy saw
what had happened, and that fifteen dol.
lars was offered for the recovery of the
bat. his eyes sparkled. tie was a reading
boy. and he remembered what be read. and
it now flashed across his mind that the
savages in the Pacific islands climbed
higher and smoother trees than that. And
what Is more, he knew how they did it.
Without saying q word, he turned, and
ran for the woods as fast ss his legs would
carry him. In very few minutes he re-