The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-07-15
CRYING FOR THE MOON,

'DA l., JUL i IL, lCt
CRYING FOR THE MOON.
A Little Folks Story, by Mary Kley
Dallas.
/ There was little girl once who
wanted the moon. It was so bright,
and large, and beautiful that she fair
ly broke her heart yearning for it.
All the toys in the world were moth
ing to that round, golden thing that
shimmered and shone on ; and she
begged everybody to get it for her:
First her papa, because he was so tall
that if he went out on the roof he
could surely reach, it. But he de-
clared that the thing could not be
done, and advised her to be content
ed with a doll, a big one with blue
eyes, that opened and shut, and real
yellow hair-a doll instead of the
moon-but he did not understand.
She could not make him see that it
was the moon she wanted, not a doll.
Then she went to her mother. Best
and dearest mother, who would do
anything for her. She was kind.
She said she remembered wanting the
moon herself; but no one ever got it
for. her. 1t was a beautiful moon.
If one had it, one could 60 about
lighting up the places where one
went, SO beautifully; but, as it was,
it shone very pretty. Could she not
look at it and admire it, be content,
and have, instead, ever so many
| pieces Of blue, and pink, and yellow
| silk, and needle, and make some
patchwork or bonnets for her doll?
/ Mamma was kind, but she did not
quite understand either. Oh, no.
Then there was her big brother,
who grinned and teased her: and her
big sister, who begged her not to cry,
and gave.her great, sweet sugar
plum. The moon was not to be had,
they said but she knew better.
That night, when she went. to bed,
she asked the nurse, old Dinah,
whether it was true thatshe couldn nev-
er, never, never reach the moon ;. and
Dinah considered, under the red and
yellow turban like small conaagra-
ton, and after considering, she said :
"Well, honey reckon you can't
reach de moon, no ways specks dat's
impossible; but I tell ye what, when
dat var moon gets ready it will come
down to you. Yes, chile, de moon
will come down to you when it gets
ready. So go to sleep, ard don'tboth.
er no more"
The little girl was happy, and said
her prayers and went to sleep on her
little white pillow, thinking of the
happy time when the moon should
c0ma down tn her
/ Late in thenight, after every one was
sleeping, she awoke. The moon had
gone behind the house, and she could
| see it no longer.
"What fit has come down." she
said-and she got up and went to the
window, pattering softly over the
floor in her little bare feet so that she
awoke no one.
Outside of the window lay a little
pond, and there on it's breast was the
reflection of the moon she could not
see. The beautiful yellow moon.
"It has come down to me, "she said.
"The moon has come down Of its
own SELF" and she danced for joy.
Then knowing a way out Of the
house, she crept down stairs, not even
waiting for her shoes, and out into
the cold, still garden, where all the
flowers bloomed and the grass was
wet with dew. She went down the
path, and opened the gate, and ran
down to the pond. Far out on its
very center the moon that had come
down to her foated on its back.
"Come here" said she; but the
moon did not come.
"Don't you hear me?" she cried.
The moon made no answer.
There was no thing for it but to
wade out and bring it in. She tuck
ed her little nightgown up and start
| ed.
The moon smiled at her. She
| waded in. Her feet were wet {; now
her little knees; but she almost
touched the moon. She took one
step more it was on water. As she
went down she caught at the golden
| simmer with her little white hands.
"Moon, I have got you !'she cried ;
and then her head was under water.
Somebody in the house heard he'
scream, and came out in a terrible
fright. Papa, big and strong, walked
into the water and brought the little
girl out. She was choking with
mouthfuls Of dirty water. She was
all over mud and mire. Oh, her
pure white gown, the little baby maid
en- dress, how dirty it was! The tiny
feet were as black as Dinah's, and in
the small, dimpled hand were clasped
two or three very long pieces of very
rank, ill-smelling water weeds, and
she was nearly dead; but as soon as
she could speak, this was what she
said:
"The moon came down to me, and