Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-11-01

fists the tears that would come, but of
which, being a boy, he was secretly
quite ashamed.
Presently great, gorgeous clump of
rhododendron, little in advance of
them, moved the two girls to a simulta-
neous ecstacy. They had never in their
| lives seen anything SO beautiful as this
great tropical looking shrub, rising
high above their heads, and making a
glory in the air with its magnificent
pink blossoms. Needless of Freddy,
they sprang forward breathless with
eagerness; and he, finding that his
short little legs were unequal to hisam-
bition, resigned himself to his position
like philosopher.
"Me tan't keep up, no way. Guess
me stay here, and rest Teddy. Oracle
sure find me when she come back
here"
And so Oracle surely would, if he had
kept right there in the path. But pres
emily a yellow butterfly few by-one,
two, three-a cloud of yellow butter.
flies, all going one way. It was too
much for Freddy,
"They be veal geld, I guess" he
cried, looking after them longlngly.
I" Me get some for mamma-wear in her
ears-say, Thank 90. Feddy.'"
So the little short legs, set in motion
again by the longing to please mamma,
started on once more, this time right
away from the path, in and ont among
the trees and the butterflies fitted ON
before, as if blown by wayward wind,
here and there, here and there, but al
ways away from the path. And in half
an hour only the wind, and the butter
flies, and the Heavenly Father looking
down, knew where was Freddy.
The girls thought that it was not
more than fifteen minutes when they
turned to look for him but then the
rhododendron blossoms were pink, and
the sky was bright, and q bird with a
golden throat sang to them and all the
time Freddy was stumbling on right
away from the path. Oracle was the
first to think of him.
"Why, where is FreddyP" she ask.
ed, with startled face.
"Oh, he's all right enough !" Kitty
answered, " trudging along on the path
like little snail Well go back for
him presently. Just see this kalmia.
We must get little for your mother"
Oracle yielded, to yield was the fatal
weakness of her character. She gath
cred a splendid bunch of kalmia; then
some cardinal flowers burning at her
feet attracted her; and then, at last,
she turned resolutely:
"Now 1 must find Freddy. Poor
little fellow! I shouldn't wonder if he
was crying. We've been away from
him as much as twenty minutes"
Kitty glanced at the western sky, and
saw the sun hanging low, great red
ball on the misty horizon. She made
no remonstrance now against looking
for Freddy. She was more frightened
herself than she would have cared to
own.
Back along the path they few, Oracle
in advance. At last she looked round,
her face white with terror.
1T was here we left him, Kitty
just by these blue flags. We started on
for the rhododendrons, you know. Oh,
where is he, where is he? Freddy
Freddy Fred p
But no little piping treble made an
swer. Would that voice ever answer
her again -? And, if it didn't, what was
the use of living? And she had thought
she was tired of him.
The two girls made frantic little
rushes from the path in every direction,
not going far either way, for on every
side the woods shut in round them, and
already the twilight was coming fast.
At last Kitty said
cit is of no use, we are wasting time.
1t is growing dark, and our best way is
to hurry home, and send some one to
look for him who can find him quicker
than we can"
"Well, then, you go, but I must stay
here and look. I've got to find him,
you know-he is my brother"
A." All very well, if you could" Kitty
said, dryly. "I don't see how you'd
help matters, though, by getting lost
yourself, and giving the men two to
look after instead of one"
Oracle had not courage enough to re-
sist this argument, which, indeed, had
it's firm base in self-evident fact So
the two girls hurried homeward breath
lessly. Once there, Kitty stopped out
side to tell the story to her father,
while Oracle burst into the room where
her mother was.
"You may do anything to me, NAM
ma, anything. If you should kill me,
1 deserve it. And I don't think 1 should
care. I'm not fit to live"
" Then certainly you are not fit to
de-" and Mrs. Medford laid her hand
on Gracie's throbbing forehead. "But
what is the matter? Why should ]
do anything to youP and where is
Freddy ?"
That's what I've done, mamma, =
lost him p
Lost my baby? Where ?"
" In the woods, mother He stayed
behind, when thought he was coming
and got lost"
!. my baby, my poor little fellow
J alone in the lonesome woods, and nigh
, coming on p
As long as Oracle Medford lives, sht
will never forget her mothers face a
that moment. She had never seen sucl
look before. She began to cry, bu
, no one noticed her. Needless of whit,
, gown, and thin slippers, or head, every
throh of which had been torture all tina
long afternoon, the mother sprant
/ through the adjoining room, and wa
! ont of doors, and on the path towards
the woods, before Oracle had drawn
half-dozen sobbing breaths.
Mr.. Smith saw her, and tried to stol
, her.
" Don't 60" he said 1--WE hove go
lanterns, and am going now with boil