The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-10-01
Child Lite on "A Farm.

1t was May. The tender new leaves,
just unfolding, gave all the woods a
misty, hazy look; the apple trees were
i'll full bloom, the whole air was sweet
with flower fragrance and trembling with
bird songs, and this old earth seemed
like fairyland.
Mr.. Kendall and his little boy, Teddy,
were working down on the meadow.
Teddy was riding horse for his father to
pillow. His legs were so short that they
stuck out each side nearly straight, and
once, going under an apple tree, the low
branches brushed him off. When Teddy
was first promoted to riding horse to
plow, he felt it a great honor and privi-
lege, but the charm of novelty had long
since fled, and "riding horse became
as stupid as any other work you're
obliged to do. This morning he would
much have preferred carting manure
with Ralph and Aaron to jogging up and
down, up and down, on old Rates back.
But boys on farm have to work, and
girls, too. This bright May morning,
when everything said, "Come out doors
and play" when she wanted to go for
wild flowers, Mile had to stay in and
wash dishes, make beds, run mp stairs
and down on errands all the forenoon,
because her mother was cleaning house.
But she and Teddy both had famous APP
petites for the corn beef and bag pud-
ding at dinner time, and perhaps en-
joyed the afternoons play all the better
for the mornings work.
After dinner they went down into the
meadow, Tip and Ty both following
them, like little dogs. Sometimes they
let the children carry them, but usually
they preferred scampering aloug on their
own responsibility, hiding in the grass,
and bouncing out Mt each Other, turning
somersaults, prancing along sidewise
with high arched backs, and behaving
generally in way that often appeared
to very much shock their digniEied moth
er, old Blackie.
There is no better playfellow in sum
mer than brook. You can have 10 end
of fun WIKI brook. To-day Teddy
said:
"Lets go down to the brook and see
what the freshet did"
The spring freshet often altered the
course of the brook, changed it's banks,
and made it almost new stream.
thick fringe of pussy willows on the
brooks bank.
ooh, Teddy" she cried, "what DO
you think? Here's an island, n real,
true island :"
The brook had divided into two parts,
inclosing quite piece of land.
"What jolly place to play Robinson
Crusoe !" said Teddy.
"But how can we get over therel"
asked Mile, gazing rrlefuly at the
stream which flowed b etween them and
this promised land. eff we try TO Jump
it, we shall tumble into the water. It's
too wide to jump"
Teddy looked puzzled for moment
then his face frightened with an idea.
"I'll tell you. Here's the way"
He bent down one of the supple young
willows. 1t reached over to the island.
Standing on it, and holding by branch
above he sided safely across, at the same
time enjoying delightful teeter on the
bending bough.
Then Mile tried the new-fashioned
bridge. All went well till she jumped
off on the other side, when up snapped
the willow, catching Miles skirts, and
suspending her in the air about a foot
above the ground.
Here was nice situation. Teddy
couldn't have reached the branch to pull
it down, even if he had not been laugh
ing so hard. There was nothing for it
but that he must leap the brook, splash
ing into the water on the other side, and
come over on the branch again to release
the dangling Mile.
"Did it tear my dress much % asked
Mile, when once more on earth.
"Not much. L guess Aunt Olive1l
mend it for You.
"No: I've got to do it myself now,
said Mile, twisting her neck to look
anxiously at the gaping rent.
Tip and Ty had to be brought over
next.
"There :" said Teddy, warm and red
with his exertions, as he landed the last
cat, "here we are, all the inhabitants.
Now. this is our country. We discovered
it. We can do anything we're mind to
here.
1t was agreed that Mile, being more
familiar with the book, should be Rob
inson Crusoe, Teddy, Man Friday, aud
the kittens llamas. The llamas, how
ever. were not a success. They would
climb trees, and they wouldn't have bur
denis tied to their backs, so finally they
were allowed to be the wild animals pc
culiar to this island. A thick clump of
willow bushes, into which Teddy and
Millie could just squeeze themselves by
cutting out some of the branches, was
the cave.
The island was mostly covered with
sand. its chief natural products being
willow bushes, little thin, wiry grass,
and coltsfoot. As Aunt Olive used colts
foot for cough medicine, Mile and Teddy
were confirmed in their opinion that this
was one of the most remarkable islands
ever discovered. 1t was to be called
Kendall's Island" after the discover