The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1874-05-02


Matty Martin and her sister Fan
played out of doors all last Summer
Even rainy days did not keep them in,
for behind their house was q barn with
great wide open doors and broad floor.
A covered walk led to IL, along which
the children loved to scamper. In the
front yard there was a round arbor of
evergreens, which made capital doll
house. There these little girls carried
their tea-stt on pleasant mornings, and
there the dolls took tea at all hours of
the day. .....
The children's father was a farmer,
and he took care of a great farm belong
ing to Mr.. Preston. who lived in the
handsome h0Is on the hill. Mr.. Pres
tons garden and orchards stretched
Gown the valley to the farm house
where the Martin family lived. lie was
fond of his trees and crops, and watched
the fruits with care, but most of all he
priced his young pear orchard. Last
Summer some Of the trees were bearing
for the first time, and he told Mr.. Mar.
TIN 10 see hat nobody touched them.
One bargamot pear tree had three pears
on it, and Mr.. Preston wished to sur
prise his wife with them. She wa: a
French lady, and was used to them in
her own country; but they are not CON-
mon here.
Well, one afternoon Matty and Fan
ny Martin had played everything that
they knew.
'What would you do?" said Matty to
Fan.
What would you dol" said Fan TO
Matty.
Mat!y looked up the orchard path that
led towards Mr.. Preston's. The smooth
gravel walk, with It's grassy border and
shading trees, looking very tempting.
They were strictly forbidden to go there.
al guess we shouldn't hurt the trees,
just to look at them," said Matty, with
an injured air. 81 don't see why we
can't take walk into the orchard"
"Nobody's ever there" said Fan,
"and mothers in the sittipg-room. She
-san1 see U.S."
So, hand in hand, they stepped care
fully up the walk, treading softly at
first and keeping exactly in the middle
SO as to be sure they did no harm. All
was quiet, and the way grew prettier as
they left the farm house behind. Pacing
on, they came to beautiful pond, with
seats of twisted wood upon the green
banks. They passed an arbor covered
with vines, out of which peeped the
rich garpe clusters. "Isn'ti 1t splendid!"
said Matty. "And oh, what lovely
apples" said Fan. "Aren't you glad
you came?" Still farther on were flower
borders. The air grew sweet with late
blooming pinks, four-o'cocks and mig
nonetes. Time flew past while they
were lost in the new delight of peeping
into the green house, and gazing at the
bright scarlet beds of geranium, and
the nasses of gray and crimson plants.
At last they met man at work in
the grounds, and lie asked them what
thnir namaS nara Than tho iittIa ,xi,I
started off on run for home. They
could see the house from the high gar
den ground where they were, but could
not find the straight gravel path again
They dashed over the lrass anI across
the orchard, running among the trees
till they we're out of breath. Then they
threw themselves down at the very
worst spot the could have chosen. 1t
was close to the hergamont pear tree,
and the three pears hung down within
there reach. They were hard, and
quite unfit to eat for weeks to come, but
these children knew no better than to
think they were delicious.
I'm awful hungry" cried Fan.
"Nobcdy wants these poor, ms'able
peals," said Matty. "There's lots of
great big trees, you saw yourself, all
loaded down with be.yew-tiful pears
and peaches and everything"
81 know it, said Fan. "Nobodyll
never care for these few old things"
So they each plucked and tasted, like
their mother Eve before them. Very
wry faces they made over the dry, hard
unripe fruit, which little more time
and sunshine would have made luscious.
They were quite vexed, so that Matty
even snatched the third pear roughly
from the tree, flung it with the Others
on the ground. And having GOT their
breath by this time, they set off again,
and reached hume safely. Their mother
had visitors, and had not missed them,
and no questions were askel. Their
dlsobedieuce appeard to have been quite
success. .. .-.
But one evening the naxt yvealr thair