Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-03-11
Che family Circle.
Giants Errand.

= y
ow lives on Snow Hill, the very highest
her-Annie Brace, Il dear little girl about
who hasn't as yet got any name at all :;
Grandmother Brace said; We'll, | must
take the poor little orphans; they've no
body else to care for them
So she brought them both up to her tiny
bit of Il brown house on the top of the
high hill. OF course baby must have
some new milk every day to drink ont of
queer little bottle which Grandma Brace
held in one hand while she put the other
under baby's head, which had scarce Il
single hair on it. | wish you could have
seen Annie Brace trot down the Hill to
Farmer Browns every morning with a
little tin pail to get the milk. it was more
than half a mile away, and some days it
was so cold Jack Frost nipped her noae
and ears Annie did not care for that; not
she; for if ever Jack Frost was friends
with anybody it was with her; and as she
flew down the hill, with steps as light as a
fairys, he delighted to frolic with her; he
pinched her cheeks till they We're redder
than roses; he sent the warm blood ting
ling through every vein in her little body
till she felt like dancing jig with every
pretty bush by the roadside, and he cover
ed her little hood with jewels that sparkled
like d" diamonds bright
Everybody at farmer Browns was glad
to see the little blue hood with diamonds
on it coming into the yard, hut no one
more glad than Giant; he leaped on her.
put his great paws on her shoulder, and
said, by n thousand joyful signs: "Oh.
how glad l am to see you Annie Brace .
Dear little Annie Brace, how glad | am to
see you" And Annie wished, oh, so much .
that she could have him to always live
with her. But then who would have look
ed after Farmer Browns COWS and sheep?
When Mrs. Brown had put the milk into
the little tin-pail and given Annie a cookev,
or an apple to put in her pocket-Giant
stood by to see her do it-she must 90 back.
Sometimes Giant would run Il little WAYS
up the road with her, barking and frisking
and scampering off into the deepest snow
drift he could find, and then frisk back
again to look after the cows and sheep in
his masters barn yard, while Annie went
on her way.
One day in February it showed all day
harder than it ever showed. even on Snow
Hill, before; so Gradma Brace said, us she
stood at the window and saw the great
drifts on every side grow higher and high
er till she could see no fence no gate post
not even the ounce bush in the garden
for all We're covered under the pure, white,
beautiful snow, and still it showed and
showed all that evening and all the night
through, till the two lower panes in Grand
ma Braces kitchen windows were COM
pletelv covered, and she could scarcely see
there i'll the morning, it was so dark. -
do hope Farmer Brown will break Il road
through pretty early" she said to Annie, -"
or baby won't have any milk"
SO Annie climbed into chair and looked
out to see the oxen come up the hill plow-
ing through the snow, as they always did
after great storm. She knew she could
not 90 for milk; for her little body would
have been quite covered up in those deep
drifts no. not even if baby were to starve
Grandma Brace had no idea of having
baby starve she made ri rowroot cruel to
make the milk 90 farther, and put that in
the bottle; but baby wouldn't touch it; She
made up faces at it and spit tout. Grand
ma worried little then, but She said "
L ~
and he'll bringa pail of milk along"
But the forenoon passed and he didn't
come; the afternoon came and went and
he didn come, and the twilight shadows
fell upon the little brown house half buried
in the snow-drlitS. and he didn't come 1t
was long, long day. Annie looked wea-
Iily down the hill ten thousand times to see
the oXen's heads. and poor Grandma had
her hands full to quiet baby, who mOaned
and frettei ana screamed by turns, she
WIS so hungry, poor thing. And though
the pantry was full of good things, she
couldn't eat any-no cracker soaked in tea,
no sponge-cake crumbled in wine, no Gus
lard boiled or baked, no catnip tea, no bar
ey Cruel. nor any other liquid that could
be thought of. SO things looked pretty
serious as night came on.
Down at Farmer Browns, things looked
serious too. The day before, what he call
ed "a crck," came on, and he could not
stir out of his bed His boy, John. had
gone on visit, and poor Mrs. Brown had
% put on her husbands great high boots
md wade out to the barn and feed the oxen
md COWS and sheep and hens. And the
good farmer was in such pain she had all
'he could do to battle his side, put on hot
1annels, and rub him in hot whiskey to
give him a little ease; and so she never
once thought all day of baby milk Just
Us it began to grow dark, she started up
md almost screamed, for then she remem-
oered it. But what could she do? No wo-
nan could wade through the drifts be-
ween her and Gradma Braces, and no
nan either for that matter, and if she
could. she must not leave her husband.
"Idon't know but that child will starve."
the said There was nobody to hear her,
out Giant, who came up wagging his tail.
Is if to comfort her.
81 know what I'll do.' she said, Jump
ng up quickly and going to the pantry
She called Giant and let him see her pour
nto basket.
Giant had often carried that basket with
he mems dinner in it over to the pasture,
md he began to wriggle all over even to
he tip of his long tail, rs he saw her get it
He knew he was to take it somewhere
But would he know where? Could he I'M
lerstand?
Take that to Annie Brace" she said
Annie Brace" looking straight into his
eyes.
He had often been there with his master,
md he gave a little bark, and wagged his
all. as if to say, Yes, indeed, know all
bout it, And Mrs, Brown opened the
loor, and he set off.
Annie cried that night. 1t was getting
lark, and everything was dismal She be-
ieved baby would starve to death; and
very dreary story she had heard came in
o her mind. till if blind creaked she
vas frightened half out of her wits
whats that?" said grandma, as she
leard thump on the door,
'.Oh! it's bear! it's a bear" scream
d Annie.
Nonsense! Hush! 1t must have been
he wind!"