The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-07-16
Z" A was once an apple pie
Pi-dy, wildly, tidy, ri-dy;
Nice in-si-dy, apple pie"

A'''S 'H''-NJ' "PP4N It''
II was Saturday. There was no
school, and her brothers were playing
in the yard, and oh how providential
this was, for presently they heard a
scream. Jumping up, and all crying
out together, "Why, that's sister," they
rushed out of the barn.
Nothing was to be seen but the gar
den, the green fields, the blue sky, and
the little birds, and the boys ran hither
and thither almost distracted. Then a
strange, gurgling, smothered sound
reached them. 1t seemed to come from
Sister Sniffen's grounds. In an instant
they had jumped over the fence and
were hunting in every direction.
In one corner of the garden was well,
the curb-stone of which was even with
the ground, and the water in it only II
few inches below. Not board nor pro-
lection of any kind was placed over the
mouth of it, for Sister Sniffen had no
children to fall into it, and she knew
that Jemima Ann hated water worse
than she did dogs. The edge of the
curb was overgrown with high grass !;
the poor little sister, singing and dancing
through the garden, looking up at the
birds, who seemed to be playing tag in
the air, had suddenly plunged into the
cold, cruel water.
Charley knew of this well, and he
almost flew there. He was only just in
time. One tiny hand was dimly seen
far down below the surface of the water,
slowly sinking for the last time. He
threw himself flat on the ground, he
plunged his arm down in the water, and
he just caught the little hand With a
desperate effort he drew her up till her
golden head rose to the surface, but he
was not strong enough to lift her out
alone, and wild cry of "Oh, come,
GOMEZ she is drowning !" brought the
other boys flying from the corners and
bushes, where they had been hunting
and calling for sister.
With fearful struggle-almost falling
in themselves-they drew her ont of the
well and laid her down on the grass, but
only for moment, for with wild anguish
in their hearts they said, "Oh, bring
her to mother - and lifting the little in
sensible form, they hurried through
Sister Snifiens gate into their own
house.
A little gasping moan, a sobbing sort
of sigh, as they laid her down on the
sofa and called alout for their mother,
made them burst out crying with mingled
sorrow and JOY, for she was not dead
oh no, no, she was not dead
Dear little wee lamb In n few mo-
ments she opened her eyesand smiled on
her mother and brothers, who could
hardly be persuaded to leave the room
while warm dry clothes were put upon
her land when they were again admitted,
every one of them must rub her hands
and little white feet-one apiece as they
said-and kiss her again and again and
when she was quite recovered, they knelt
down with their mother, and thanked
God that He had sent them to save little
sister from death by drowning in that
dark, and now to them that awful well.
What silent, empty house it would have
been, even with those four noisy boys,
if her dear tiny pattering footsteps had
been heard no more How they loved
her now though it had seemed, as Char
ley said, that they had loved her with all
their might and main before, but now
they had stored her array from death. !"
Little sister writes letters to my friend
Rose, who told me this story-that is,
her mother does the writing, while sister
"talks it, las she says. The last letter
I received was just after her accident.
Here it is:
DEAR RosIF: l did most drowned not
quite though I'm pity well this day. | have
only two dogs. Ones ruined Off. Dick sent
me rabbit, but / 'faid it is going to die-oh
dear cause it eats the edges of the carpet.
Charley SAYS if it eats enough it will have fig
ttra il-a In Iafa al Cl,;.,l Nto
Clumbus. I'm irwin to be good girl, but
get tired sometimes.
&" Good-by. Do you love wabbissy+ jam do.
From SISTER