Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-13
STRAWBERRYING ON THE NOUN.
TAIN.
BY P. THORNE.

BY P. THORNE.
One Friday night the children all came
racing home from school out of breath.
Dinner-pails, sun-bonnet, hats, were all
dropped on the kitchen floor.
where's mother?" was the chorus.
"In the pantry" and into the pantry
tumbled all the children.
Mother, can we go strawberryin' on
the mountain Tomorrow"
Roy and Lois and Chef are going,
and they want us to go, oh, perfectly
awfulm
Roy knows place up in his fathers
pasture where the berries are thick as
hair You can pick bushel in no time.
Roy said So"
When Mrs. Kendall had said eyes"
the next thing was to hunt up pals and
baskets to carry, for they were to start
right after breakfast, and farmers break
fasts come pretty early in summer time.
Their forethOught proved unnecessary,
however, as the next morning they were
all wide awake when the birds began to
sing, and up long before breakfast.
A thick fog made everything look
gloomy at this early hour, especially the
children's faces. Aaron was known to
be reliable weather prophet, so out to
the barnyaTd they all went, where Aaron
was milking.
"Aaron, do you think it's goin' to rain
today? Aunt Olive says it is, because
the water boiled out OF the pot so yes
terday."
Aaron said nothing for minute. Spirit,
spirit, went the straight white streams of
milk on to the pail bottom, while the chill
dren stood anXieusly around, feeling that
everything hung on Aarons words
"Wa'al," said Aaron, finally, with de-
liberation, " dunno. Praps your Aunt
Olive is right, but l guess that rain won't
come afore to-mOrrer. Things are iXin'
that way, but 'twon't come to-day. Too
many cobWebs on the grass-the swal-
lows flew too high last night. 1t was
clear as bell when | went to bed last
night. But it's goin to be mighty hot
day. If you younkers don't sweat some
pickin' berries out on the mountain, I'll
lose my guess"
When the sun was up little higher
his rays began to penetrate the fog, and
presently away it rolled in feecy clouds
up the mountain-side ard off into the
blue sky where it soon dissolved and
disappeared. The children could eat
but little breakfast, they were so excited.
They said they weren't hungry. when
their mother demonstrated, and they
didn't believe they should want any
lunch either; but when they were about
starting Mrs. Kendall appeared with a
heavy lunch-basket.
Lets not look in it." suggested Mile,
"sos to be surprised bime-by. Mother
always puts in such good things"
Teddy insisted on carrying two big
| baskets, in spite of his mothers advice.
"Pooh!" he said, 81 guess can fill
these easy enough. I'll fill the lunch
basket, too, after we've emptied It,"
d" If you bring home enough so we can
| have ,short-cake for supper Sunday
night I shall be satisfied" said Aunt
| Olive
At the gate they met Roy, Lois and
! Chef, all laden with baskets and tin pals
| Bose seemed to think he could pick
strawberries too, as he was bounding
around Roy in great delight, evidently
| feeling himself one of the party. They
| climbed the railfence, and struck into
the field that lay between them and the
mountains foot, feeling as bright anC
| joyful as the morning itself.
1t was such pleasant morning. Every
|
! to the airy cObwebs on the grass; the
shadows still lay long and cool across the
| fields; bird songs rippled from every tree
and bush, and the air was fresh and swee
with clover fragrance. They heightened
| the way by chasing the little yellow but
| terfies, by catching bumble"bees il
their hats, by seeing who could wall
| longest on top of a rail fence without
falling off, by trying buttercups under
their chins to see who loved butter
Crossing piece of woods, Ralph found {
nice sassafras bush, which they dug VI
for its spicy root. Then they came to
| young mOOseWOOd tree.
Aaron says the Indians used moose
wood bark for strings" said Ralph
WED better get lot of this"
But finally it was resolved to leave
this, some swamp-apple flowers the girls
wanted, and various other treasures o.
the woods, till they returned. Alter
crossing the swamp by jumping IRON
tuft to tuft of the long grass, they be
gan to ascend the mountain. Down un
der some low bushes in the grass, Ralph
who always saw everything, discovered
a ground-bird's nest. While they stOoC
admiring the cunningly hidden nest
with its four speckled, brown and white
eggs, the ground-bird came, and flew
back and forth as near their heads as sht
dared, with pitiful cries of distress. Qnt
must be harder-hearted than our Chill
dren we're to resist such an appeal. They
passed on. leaving the little home unmo
Tested
To look at a mountain is one thing; Il
climb it quite another. 4 mountain i
so deceptive. From the bottom it look
one even slope to the top; but once com
mence the ascent, and you find valley
and gorges you never mistrusted below
There seems to be almost as much dow
hill as up.
The children pressed stoutly or
stumbling over rocks and stones, slip
ping up in steep places sometimes, an