The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-08-22

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daughter. He named her Pinky in her
cradle, because her little fat cheeks and
her cunning little nose were very pink
indeed. Every one said that Pinky was
a pretty baby, but when she grew older
she was prettier still. Her blue eyes
shone like two stars, her mouth was
like rosebud, and her hair was as gold
en- as the sun at MONDAY. Yet Pinky
was not vain, although she had polish
ed steel mirror in which she could see
her face; and twenty robes of gold and
silver cloth did not even turn her head.
Lord and Lady Sweetbriar loved to see
their little girl decked out in gold and
gems, but Pinky cared more for pebbles
than for pearls. There was a garden
attached to the castle, and Pinky loved
to play there. She built castles with
pebbles and tumbled them down again !;
she gathered flowers and crowned her.
self with wreaths. But she loved best
to take off her shoes and wade in little
silver brook that ran among the trees.
She would splash her little pink toes in
the flowing water, and clap her hands
in delight. Pinky also loved to dig in
the ground, so her father gave her a
little rake and hoe, and she spent many
hours in her own flower garden, work
ing away merrily amid roses and lilies
and flowers of every hue.
But in the winter she could only make
worsted flowers, and sometimes she
thought that tedious work. But Pinky's
mother could play on the harp, and
every day there was music and dancing.
Lord Sweetbriar was good to the poor,
and he often took his little girl with him
when he went to give loaves OF bread
away, that she might early learn to do
the same. Pinky was so sorry for the
poor that often she would slip out of
the castle unseen, and go and sing a
HYMN for them to make them forget
their troubles.
One winters day Pinky felt quite
tired of making worsted roses, and her
mother who was busy could not talk to
her; she put on her swan s-down hood,
and took loaf of bread in her hand,
and went out to find some poor little
girl who was hungry and would be glad
to eat it all up.
1t was cold, so Pinky thought it best
to cross the woods to the village near by
instead of keeping along the roads. She
walked a long away, and still there was
no village in sight. Then she knew
| that she was lost She tried to make
her way back, but all the time she went
farther and farther from the castle. At
last she felt so tired that she was obliged
to sit down under tree, and she was so
hungry that she ate up the bread to the
last crumb
Pretty soon it grew quite dark, and
Pinky heard bowling noise that made
her afraid.
"Ohw she said, tears running down
her pretty cheeks, "a fox or an owl
may eat me all up -
But she knelt down and said her
prayers, and after that she was not at
all afraid.
She curled herself all up in little
heap, wrapping her cloak about her,
and soon was fast asleep. Two foxes
came by and smelt her and then went
away shaking their heads. Then there
came three owls, and they gazed at her
solemnly, after which they took up
their station on the branch of an old
oak opposite, and gave Pinky a mid
night concert, but the little girl never
woke up.
By and by the snow fell in great
flakes and covered her all up, so that
there was nothing at all to be seen of
her ut last, and all the while the owls
kept on singing, but Pinky never
stirred.
When the morning came, and the
owls had gone home to their caves,
Pinky awoke. She opened her eyes,
she tried to get up out of bed, but she
was buried under heavy snow blanket,
and she could not toss it off at ONCE. In
few minutes, however, she was on her
feet, and as she trod the soft snow under
foot she laughed merrily Before long
she felt very hungry, and she resolved
to make her way home as fast as she
could in order to get her breakfast
This was not easy, for she sank deep in
the snow at every step she took. On
she went, however, step by step, sing
ing hymns to cheer herself the while.
But ut last her limbs were stiff and her
voice was hoarse, so Pinky was obliged
to stand still and rest
Then Pinky saw little bird stretched
out just before her on top of the snow.
Pinky said, Little Birdy, are You
frozen % and she took up the poor bird
and Rugged it to her breast to make it
warm. Soon it came to life again. She
felt it stir its wings, and then she said,
Birdy, 1 wish l had a pair of wings
like you that might fly over the snow.
But the bird for answer only flew mp in
tree near by. Then Pinky thought,
II will climb up to the top of the tree
and see which way my fathers castle is
from here.
Alas when Pinky had climbed up
half, she found that the upper branches
broke off in her hands, and she dared
venture no farther. So she sat down
upon one of the great limbs and looked
around. Presently the little bird that
she had brought to life flew into her lap,
bearing branch covered with berries.
"Thank you, Birdie" the little girl
said, and she ate them every one and
wished for more. Then the little bird
brought other birds with him. and they
filled up her lap with berries so that she
had even more than she wanted, and
said, " Brides, there's enough for you
and me. Then all the birds dined with
her, pecking away at the red and purple
fruit.