The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-11-15
aerning stkr and Catholic Messenger.
Inv neI.NANA SUNDAY. NOVEMBER Is ,s74.
JUVENILE COLUMN.
LITTLE FAN.

little FAN.
Little Fan lived with her grandparents
in a valley hidden among high mountains.
Her granny was a powerful smart wo-
them. Her grandsir' was as hard and cold
as one of those faces that you see cut by
Nature in the side of rock. Whom they
were young, he had given to his wife a
plain board house-a mere shell. She plas-
tered, papered, and painted ii, made rag
carpets, and mats SO bright and quaint that
they looked like Turkish rugs. In all the
windows were hanging baskets and "beau.
pots" filled with flowers, and round the
house chung vines and climbing rose bush.
ca. She taught herself to read and write
in her wilderness, and then taught her
children and grandchildren--for there was
NO school within many miles. Butat the time
1 speak of, Little Fan alone was left at
home in the valley with the old people.
You must know that Fans granny had
one castle in the air. She hoped some day
to go aud see bedridden daughter, who
lived far away. Grandsir' thought the
plan great nonsense. GA woman hadn't
ways said "jest you stay at home, Miss
Baggs, and watch the critturs, and see to
me and Little Fan, and let them as marries
your darters, look arter ems"
Mrs. Baggs never argued. She went
about her work, and did as much as three
OTOIN6Ty WOm0us kucuS 1OE IoCIctSttUuS
she and Fan used to 60 far into the woods
and gather long plumy grasses and beauti-
full lichens, and Of these she made orna-
ments to adorn her best room. There
were swarms of butterflies about the house,
and when they dropped dead amid their
pretty frolics, she would fasten them among
the feathery grasses, and made her room
look prettier than ever.
But often and often che and Fanny would
talk of her castle in the air, and they would
take out the stores of cloth and linen, spun
and woven by Mrs. Bags with her own
hands, and lay aside the best and hand
soonest to take to "poor Miry, when-well,
dear kno,os when, but some day, when Baggs
can spare me !" that was the way granny
always ended these talks.
Now Fanny knew that the great obstacle
to the journey was want of money. MIR.
Baggs was rich man for that region, but
he was very "near," everybody said, and
money. So the little girl made plan, and
asked granny to help her carry it out. In
the woods grew the sweetest berries, and
close by them grew birch trees with their
pretty white bark.
"Do you make birch boxes. granny"
said Fan, sand I'll I'LL them with berries,
and take them over the road and sell them
to the passengers that go by in stages and
pods"-("pods" meant any vehicles except
stage. coaches).
So on the next day but one, Fanny walk
ed . mile to the high road, and stationed
herself in the shade by brook where every
one stopped to water the horses. She sat
down on log and waited, with beating
heart, for the sound of hoofs. A rabbit came
out of the woods and raced along the road,
stopping now and then to eat q partridge
rose with a whir-r-r! and flew away.
Down the hillside, between pines and
birches, red-tipped maple and broad leaved
moose-wood, ran gurgling brook to join
the rushing river. On the tub, always fill
ing and running over with crystal water,
sat q little bird and drank while all around,
on noddipg grasses, purple 6reweed, and
crimson "pison elder" quivered golden
butterflies.
Hark! Rumble, rumble, laundering
along, came the red coach with its gray
horses. Fan trembled as sbe rose to her
feet and took up the little tray holding ten
birch boxes filled with ripe strawberries.
The stage drew up by the brook, and down
sprang Charlie Beane, the driver, to water
his horses. Fanny raised her tray towards
the windows of the coach and said to a
lady, "Would You like to buy some berries,
ma'am they are quite ripe"
"No, thank you," answered the lady,
but something about the child attracted
her, and she said, pleasantly, sit is warm
day, isn't it 81
:'Yes'm," said Fan ''I though should
have melted picking these berries. went
two miles into the woods" She spoke
cheerfully and like the straightforward
little girl that she was.
"Did you Z" said the lady, smiling
..snppose take some, after all. DON'T you
think it might amuse me to eat them Z"
"Why, yes'm," said Fanny, "I think it
might; they're very good. 1 think if I
was passenger I should buy some."
The lady took out her purse while Fan
chose nice box. "They're SO ripe" she
said, "they squash right through the boxes"
and abe looked as il she would like to eat
them herself.
suppose it was her pleasant manner
more than the berries that attracted pur-
chasers but in a few minutes all her boxes
were bought, and ten ten cent pieces lay
on her tray. How Fans eyes danced, and
her heart too, as she thought of granny.
By this time the horses heads were REIN
ed in again and Charlie Beane was on the
box. "Land's sakes. Fan !" said he, "what
be you doin' here 7"
Fan smiled and confided to him her plan
of going to see poor stAunt Miry."
ola !" said he, sis that all Wall, you
u =.