Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-11-10
Che family Girtle.
Mrs. Opossum and her Daughters
BY ELLA FARMAN.

"Tm Just moped to death in this dull
stump, so"' exclaimed the eldest Miss
Opossum, one summer afternoon.
Moped. should think so;" respond
ed the next sister, Miss Didelphida, who
was named after the grandmothers of
their family back to EYES time, and who.
also. was the scold of the household.
" The holes in this old peat carpet actual
ly let ones feet into the cellar, and the
moss hangings are falling to pieces-we're
amfW shabby! It's no wonder nobody
calls. If mother would only rent that
nice stump on Marsh Square. or take
house out on Lakeview Avenue"
80, my children" sighed the mother,
" how often must l remind you that the
hunters and their dogs frequent those
front streets! But added she. - as you
will now soon be of age. it is only proper
that you should see something of the
world; and as you are too large to sit in
the pouch. you shall to-day ride, outside,
upon my back"
During their mothers absences they
had frequently been up in the observatory
at the top of the stump. The view cover
ed hundreds Of acres. The "Old World"
lay spread out on the other side of the
pond. Castles, and towers, and spires.
black forests and mountains, the Misses
Opossum concluded them TO be. And
now they asked. with one accord. 90,
mother, shall we make the European
tour?'
She shook her head. But yon shall
90 as far as the pond. You are really old
enough to seek frogs for yourselves; and
it is also time that you learned the mys-
teries of hen-coops. Dogs and boys must
be dared some time in our lives"
She washed and ironed the solf fuzzy
polonaises of each of her fair young ladies
| with her own red motherly tongue, and
babe them sharpen their claws well upon
the wall.
| One by one. fair as the morning. they
alighted outside. where they had never
| been before unless carried in the maternal
pouch. They raised their keen little
noses in the air. They snuffed 4 dozen
delicious scents.
90, thou good mother. thou must sure
ly be losing thy nose" cried Miss Obos-
sum standing Oh her hind feet. and looking
eagerly about. Il know that there are
many rabbits hereabouts. Would that l
had permission to be off,
And thou, mother" added Miss Cap
riccia. " why hast thou never told us how
near the wild grapevine grew? Yondcr,
too. is pokeberry Methnks we might
have fora ed for ourselves weeks ago"
go, thou ungrateful mink, to yonder
grub, and see if thou canst hang support
ed by thy tail. Until then how canst thou
hold thy squirrel steak to eat it?'
| Miss Capriccia tossed her head, ran
nimbly to the leafy grub, scuttled within,
and was soon seen upon 4 branch next the
top. She was. at least, three feet from
the ground. Her sisters cheered loudly,
but her mother sat anxiously watching
her. Three times the child snapped her
slim black tail, again and again she crack
ed it smartly like a whip; but it would
not catch upon the branch above. Pant
ing, she paused, blushing until her eyes
were pink,
Come back into thy mothers pouch,
my daughter. and be content to have thy
dinners provided" cried Mrs. Opossum
Thou wilt find out in the great world
that. like that rough branch, nothing will
lower itself to thee like thy mother S
smooth tail"
But at last the little qurkv black tail
caught; and Miss Capriccia. letting 90.
and calmly folding her hands, swung clear,
back and forth. head downward. hanging
by her tail alone. She vaulted. at last, in
to the family midst, where she was receiv-
ed with many plaudits.
They were now eager to be off They
gazcd wishfullv up into the tallest trees,
wishfully off along myriad fine paths that
ran, criss-cross, in every direction. Their
! claws curved with the true climbing in
stincts, their tails snapped with elastic
vigor. they felt that wonderous things
were to be accomplished with their funny
iointed, clawlcss thumbs. which, they had
been told, were like the thumbs Of that
ingenious monster. Boy, who constructed
traps and fired off guns.
Indeed it had for some time been the
dream of the youngest-Nliss Radgcrina-
that she should, some day, invent an air
gun, with which the tree-peoples should
vet be able to defend the forests against
intruders
But Mrs Opossum restrained them. 1T
would be well. my dears, before setting
out, to once more rehearse the Life-pre-
sesrving lesson
80, how tiresome" cried they all
And" quoth Miss Capriccia, "old peo-
pie do fal into red tape deplorably. 1t is
well that creatures are born young. since.
otherwise. all enterprise and progress
would be at an end"
Nevertheless, the four sisters ranged
themselves in the usual row. erect upon
their hind feet front paws folded.
One by one Mrs. Opossum tapped each
upon the head lightly. One by one each
kecled over upon tie ground lifeless 1t
was a sad sight. Gradually the pretty.
Silken bodies stiffened. Slowly Il film,
the death film, crept over eight lifeless
eyes. The mother lifted the sixteen soft
paws-rigid. cold. She turned them over
with her sharp nose. She bestowed va
rious energetic pokes.
Resting a moment to laugh. she nosed
her muskv darlings over once more, this
time giving each 4 smart bite. Dead.
dead rs a door nall" she murmured proud
ly. They'll eat no more chickens, I'll be
bound"
incline to the opinion that somewhere.
at some time, Mrs. Opossum had heard
this pronounced as funeral Grafton.
Then all the sisters sneezed and cot
up.
Vel possunacd my childrenr she said
smilinclv {" Mount now, and we will be
off,
But they wished to walk. So Mrs.
OpoSsum plunged into the brushwood. and
set off through the leafy tunnel that led
down the hill. But presently she paused,
and laughed. softly. to herself.
Four voices were speaking piteouslv,
somewhere, behind her.
90, mother"
90. mother. dear
Thou good mother, watt
I'VE are lost, thou mother"
Then she returned, and took them upon
her back; and they wound their cold wiry /
little tails around her long. thick, warm
one. She waited till their claws were
we'll fastened in her fur, and they had each
other safely by the nap of the neck; then
she plunged down through the thick green
glooms of the ferny dell, down to the wat
CT side.
There. for the first time. they slipped the
cold nectar of the great forest ocean They
spent 4 never to- be-forgotten hour. All /
he best frog-logs were located, and they
were taught to distinguish between the