St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-06-26
flor hr Children.
Angels Uuawares.
HOW INTENDED MISCHIEF WAS TURNED
TO GOOD.

Sweet Hill creek. Now. sitting still
any where was a very unusual thing fol
Tommy to do. and know of but one
thing that could keep him quiet foI
that length of time, and that he was
engaged in. He was fishing. He was
not alone. for Mile was seated on the
messy bank near by. Mile was not
fishing. but she took as much interest
in it as Tommy did, and her large blue
eyes were watching the floating cork
with great seriousness.
There - exclaimed Tommy sudden
ly, as the cork began to bob up and
down in the water, 1--WE got bite
keep real still now -
what do you guess it is9 asked
Mile, in Il subdued whisper.
Tommy made no answer, but as the
cork moved more violently he gave a
quick jerk. No fish came up on his
hook, however, and he threw the line
with loud splash into the water again.
"May he it was shark" said Mile,
her eyes opening at the thought.
Tommy laughed.
''Why. there isn't any sharks in here.
Sharks live way out in the ocean long
with whales and other big fish" he said.
II should think it would take an
awful big pole and hook, and an awful
strong man to pull out whales when
they caught EN-" observed Mile, after
few minutes reflection.
..IIo that isn't the way they catch
whales. They catch em with a-why,
with a-some kind of a lamgoon or
other. They throw it ut EN-, eXclaim-
ed Tommy, not very lucidly.
Mile WAS about to reply, when Il
crashing was heard i'll the bushes. and
presently Charlie and Fred came push
ing through to the bank of the creek.
"Hcllor exclaimed Tommy, ''where
are You fellows going ?"
''Oh, we are going over into the
woods near Uncle Jake's after buckle
berries" answered Charlie. I'VE came
by your house to call for you, but your
mother said You were over here. Come
along. wont You p
1t didn't take much urging. for Tom
my had not succeeded very well i'll his
fishing, and soon the party of four were
on their way, laughing and chatting.
toward Uncle Jake's.
Uncle Jake was an old colOred man.
who had formerly been IA slave, but
now he lived in Il small cabin i'll Il lone
some. out -ol-the-way place along with
his little grand daughter. Nancy. He
earned his living by travelling about
the country with an old horse and
wagon gathering up rags and old iron,
and he usually carried IL small quantity
of tin-warc, cheap pencils, and IL few
trnketS. which he gave III exchange.
The children were always pleased to
see him. and many Il pound of iron OF
their saving found its way into his
wagon. while Uncle Jake's pencils were
quite the thing to draw pictures with.
And then. too, they liked occasionally
to visit his cabin. especially during
hucklcbcrry season: when they could
pick berries. and also stop for awhile
and listen to the old mans stories of
life in the South.
As the little party came to the edge
of the small clearing, in the centre of
which the cabin stood. they paused for
a moment.
Il guess Uncle Jake is off on one of
his trips. Ii looks so lonesome like.
and don't see him anywhere round,
observed Tommy.
IL tell you what" said Fred. sudden
ly. "Nancy is ut home, though. Let's
go and pound on the door. and then
run and hide. It'll scare her like any
thing.
Now. the children never stopped to
think how wrong such an act would he !:
they simply wished to startle Nancy Il
little by causing her to come to the
door. only to find no one there. SO
they moved cautiously over the open
space until they they reached the door {:
then Charlie gave several loud rapS
with stick. and they all started to
run. But alas one thing they forgot
Carlo. Uncle .Jakc's biz dog. Carlo
came bouncing around corner. and
barking so iiercely that the children
were unable to get away from the dool
at all and instead of frightening Nancy
they were very much frightened them
selves. Mile fairly crying with terror.
just then the door opened. and Nan
cy appeared. Her little shining black
face was streaming with tears.
sob. I'm :" glad you've come" she
exclaimed, jumping up and down when
she SAW who her visitors were. 81 was
ics' prayin' an prayin' for somebody Ia
come"
"Why. we didn't mean to scare You
so bad as all that" said Tommy, little
rcmorScfnlly.
"Oh. We didn't scare me any; faint
that. hut gI9m'pa is sick or something
He .ics' stay in bed all the time. an
don't talk to me one bit, and there's
nothing for us to eat.
.'Iou poor little thing" exclaimed
Tommy. pityingly, at the same time
pushing his way into the small room.
the others following.
The children found matters just a.
Nancy had said. Uncle Jake was lying
on bed at one side of the room in Il
high fever, and quite unconscious OF
what was going on about him.
"Whv, how long has he been sick ,
cred about the bed.
Ever since Yesterday" answered
Nancy quietly. She was becoming quite
comforted from the sympathy and pres
cncc of the children.
and You haven't had anything Ia
eat ! Why, oh" Mile did not wait
to finish the sentence. or for an answer
either. but turned suddenly and ran ont
of the door. Presently she came back
with two lunch baskets, one belonging
to Tommy and herself. and the other Ia
Charlie and Fred.
"There'S something to eat for YOU
she said. placing the baskets on the
rough pine table.
Good thing we didn't eat it, re-
marked Fred. as he helped Millie ar
range the tempting tartS and sandwiches
on the table. Now. little Nancy. help
yourself. You are just welcome"
Il think You're real good replied
Nancy. taking an offered sandwich, IAN
when gram'pa gets well I'll get him to
pick the awfulcst big basket of buckle
berries for We: see if ] don't ~