The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-02-28

Grandmama and her Little Eeart-Leav!

oar liIllt one llaA4 elDhA-
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Grandmama and her Little Heart-Leaves.
Under an old oak, before 4 little cot
tage in the forest, grandma sat busily
knitting.
Have YOU ever seen a grandmother
without knitting work? ] never have.
As soon as she gets up in the morning
the needles begin to click, the fingers
are busy making stitches, and the yarn
gets shorter rs the stockings longer.
This work is not laid aside until late
in the evening, when she goes to bed.
Yes, If gTandmama has no sewing to do,
then she continues to knit, whether she
is in the garden, sitting before the door,
or taking a walk in the woods.
Oftentimes her ball falls and goes roll
ing about here and there, like n little
mouse, and when it gets all covered
with the dry leaves and MOSES that will
cling TO it, then ii does not look very
nice.
But the worst of it is, if Mite should
see the ball rolling, she would spring for
the little round thing that glides so
quickly about, even If she were upon
the roof of the house She fancies it to
be tempting mouse.
When she catches the ball she PLAYS
with it, tOsses it about hither and
thitEer, until the yarn gets in such a
dreadful snarl, that it gives grand
mother great deal of trouble to disen-
tangle it.
But for whom does grandmother knit
so much? Her little grandchildren, of
course; and also for her dear daughter,
the mother Of the grandchildren, who is
always busy with other work, and for
her little darlings' father, too.
When they all have stockings, petit
coats and jackets enough, then she knits
for the poor. l think if it were possible
she would knit stockings for the
sparrows too; but they would look COM
lcal enough wearing stockings, wouldn't
they?
Graudmama was seated under the old
oak with her grandchildren-her little
'Heart-Leaves." They were named
Hermann and Gertrude, but grand
mama had given her darlings the pet
names of "little mOuse,n ''little gold
fish, "birdie' and "chickie.n
The children liked sitting under the
oak very mEch indeed, for they had
only to bow their heads, when loi they
would find beautiful toys, such as the
acorn cups Of last year, and different
kinds Of insects that were beautiful to
see. Among them was the "lady-bug"
and wee bits Of purple spiders, that were
just as pretty as pretty could be. And
such velvety MOSES were there, too re-
sembling miniature trees. Yes, it was a
complete little moss forest.
But the moss forest was very differ
ent from the great forest, not However
because 1t was so much smaller, but be-
cause the children could make a bed of
IL under the oak and tumble about on II
rs they pleased.
There were two other persons under
the oak besides grandmother, Hermann
and Gertrude. Upon the bed of moss
sat Nicks and Lie. Nicks was a little
black wooden rabbit, plump rs possible.
with a bright, glossy skin. Even if
ne were made Of wood he looked about
INN with his black eyes, Just as if he
We're alive, and his ears stood straight
up III the AIR and made him look funny
enough. lie seemed to understand
everything that was going on about
MN. suppose the skin over the ears
had bursted and showed two pointed fires
II made no difference to him.
Nicks had just eaten his supper and
there was some of it left. Now he must
smoke just as HeTmann's father did,
when he sat before the door after the
days work was done.
Hermann called Nicks his son, and
ltermaun's Parents were Nicks' grand
parents, and Hermann's grandmama
wv Was httle Nicks' great-grandmama.
l Inls relationship could be quite easily
Nick,s. play-fellow was Gertrude's
pretty Lie, with her stub nose. This
little nose made her somewhat resemble
Nicks, but she did not look like him in
any other respect.
Nicks had black eyes; she had blue:
he had long ears; hers were tiny bits of
ones! He had black skin and wore a
red collar with a little bell, while her
dress was a variety Of colors. To be
sure she wore 4 red necklace, but then
il was made Of beads and there was no
bell attached to it; i'm a word, Lie was
not n rabbit, but doll.
These play-fellows lived very harmon
iously together, even if there were so
little resemblance in their looks. They
would play with each other by the hour
ana were never heard TO quarrel.
1t often happened that Nicks would
tread upon Lie, but she bore his treat
hlent without q murmur. Gertrude
would never have allowed Hermann to
nave trod her under foot, and if he could
eser nave been so impOlite as to have
turn the blow. - 9-'' "0u'U -
r.;o931 099n the whole Nicls was very
!iIiISnuly iIy 10 Lie, and She had MANI
JolS Ilues upon his back. He would
1o;asl OCCASIONALLY 9l throw her of, but without
sT1ls nagf oSi of h;l any harm. harm. He always saved
part ol ms dinner for her. which ,,,os
NeI? Alngi tnough indeed l Iize conId ~,
eat it. Yet Nicks was non 1-.1e ,i'N Toulu not
for il, for he did not know the. tfle wiser ser
could not eat 1t. Hermann and 90 1;l1e
trude knew, however, that people con-
not eat grass. e''n-
The children often laughed rigbtb baor
tily at the generous, stupid fellow. Tbero
were a great many little jokes related
Of Nicks and Lie, which grandmother
generally heard first, for she always had
time TO listen to them.
Her knitting work was never laid aside.
even though she was occupied with the