Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-05-29

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and he drove a stake at each corner; and
found some old sheeting, and made sort
of tent over the table, so that the sun
should not shine under and melt the corn
balls. When it was all arranged, and the
table set out, with the corn-balls on one
plate and maple-sugar cakes on another,
it looked very tempting, and the children
we're extremely proud of it. Dotty cut
sheet of paper, and printed upon it the
following notice:
Corn balls , sentsapece.
Sugar l sent apiece.
Please help yure sells and put the mum
ney on the table"
This was pinned to the tent, right over
the table.
The first day four people came to visit
the waterfall; and when the children ran
down to look, after they had driven away,
half the provisions we're gone, and there
on the table lay four shining five cent
pieces The next day was not so good
| they only made four cents. And so it went
on all summer Some days a good many
people would come, and good many pen
MES be left on the table, and other days
nobody would come, and the wasps would
eat the maple-sugar, aud fly away without
paying anything at all. But little by lit
/ tie the tin box in mothers drawer got
heavier and heavier, until at last, early in
October, Dotty declared that she was tired
OF making corn balls. and she guessed the
city folks were all gone home; and now,
wouldn't mother please TO count the mon
ey, and see how much they had got?
So mother empted the tin box into her
lap with a great jingle of pennies and
rusting Of fractional currency. And how
much do YOU think there was? Three
dollars and seventy-eight cents. The sew
enty-eight cents mother said would Just
about pay for molass es; so there were three
dollars all their own-for Dotty and Dim
/ pie to spend as they liked
You should have seen them dance about
the Kitchen Three dollars Why, it was
a fortune 1t would buy everything in
the world They had fifty plans, at least,
/ them over, and had such red cheeks and
excited eyes, that mother said she was
afraid they wouldn't sleep one wink
all night. But, bless you, they did, and
we're as bright as buttons in the morning.
/ For a week there was nothing talked
about but the wonderful three dollars.
I And then one eveni.g father, who had
\ been over to the village, came home with
la very grave face, and, drawing news
paper from his pocket, read them all about
4 the great fire in Chicago.
/ lie read how the flames, spreading like
wind, swept from one house to another,
and how people had Just time to run out of
their homes, leaving everything TO burn;
how women with babies in their arms, and
/ frightened children crouched all that dread
full night out on the cold, wet prairie, with
out food or clothes or shelter how little
boys and girls ran through the burning
streets crying for the parents whom they
could not find how everybody had lost
everything.
' Ga - said Dimple, almost crying, as she
listened to the piteous story, " how dread
ful those little girls must feel, And l
suppose all their doIies are burned up too
| wouldn't have Nancy burned in a fire
for anything and picking up an old doll,
OF whom she was very fond, she Rugged
her with unspeakable affection.
That night there was another long, mys-
serious coniabulation in the childrens bed
and, coming down in the morning hand
in hand, Dotty and Dimple announced that
they had made up their minds what to do
with the corn-ball money
" We're going to send it to the Sicago, g"
said Dimple, to those poor little girls
whose doIlies are all burned up"
q low viii you send it?' asked their
mother.
q" In letter, said Dotty. " And please
pa, write on the outside From Dotty
and Dimple, to buy some dollies for the
little girls whose dollies were burned up
in the fire"
So their father put the money into an
envelope, and wrote on the outside just
what Dotty said Aud when he had got
through he put his hands in his pockets
and walked out of the room. The chill
drcn wondered what made his face so red
and when they turned around there was
mother with tears in her eyes.
q" Why, what's the matter cried they.
But their mother only put her arms round
them aud kissed them very hard And
she whispered TO herself: "a OF such Is the
kingdom of Heaven "-.Susau Cooli9gc IN
. Iudepcnaeut