Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-06-14
The China Shepherds.
A STORY FOR CHILDREN,

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STORY FOR CHILDREN,
In the home where Kitty ived-a
home full of pretty things-there stood
upon the mantelpiece of the parlors
four beautiful china figures. On the
front mantels shepherd and shep-
herdess, both young, and both dressed
In the prettiest colors, both with crooks,
both smiling; the one to the right, the
other to the left.
On the back parlor mantel were two
old shepherds, white-bearded, and pink
and blue mantled. One leaned upon
his crook; that of the other lay at his
feet. They all came from Dresden,
and were alarmingly costly when one
considered how a Single sweep of the
hOusemaids buster might sweep them
out of existence.
Little Kitty admired them all very
much, and she liked to sit in an arm
chair and stare at them. [ think she
liked the young shepherds in the front
room best, however, for they had the
prettiest faces.
One night, remember it was after a
Juvenile party, and there had been
plenty of black plum-cake, and ice
cream, and sugar-almons, and lemon
ade, Kitty law wide awake in her bed,
and could not go to sleep as usual; and
whether she would or not, she thought
about those beautiful shepherds and the
shepherdess, and wandered how they
all looked at night, and whether they
We're just the same when the white
moon shone upon them through the
windows and the gas was all out, and
everyone sound asleep, as they were in
the daytime, when even curtains and
shades could not keep the sun quite out
of the parlors, and the gliding on the
shepherds glittered and glittered, where
chance rays caught it. Often and often
the pretty.shepherdes seemed to SMILE
Was she smiling now, or did she 60 to
sleep like all the rest Of the world ?
Perhaps her little, white lids were shut
over her little, blue eyes. Who knew?
Kitty began to think that she would
like to see.
e She thought about this so long that,
after awhile, she felt that she had new
er been SO very wide awake in all her
life before. She sat up in bed and
looked all about the nursery. The gas
was turned very low, and thick night
shade covered it. She could see the
Chinese figures on the shade, pale pink
against the creamy white, but through
the Stats of the blinds the moonlight
shone.
1t would be as light as day in the
parlor. Kitty put her little feet out of
bed, and they touched the carpet.
Then she gathered courage to run
across the floor and out into the entry
and down the stairs. The parlor doors
were open. She slipped III and saw
that one of the shutters was wide open.
The rooms were so bright that she
could see everything, even the pictures
On the wall, and she climbed into the
Turkish chair and turned her eyes to-
ward the mantel piece, on which stood
the shepherd and shepherdess
10 her establishment, they were not
there. What had happened to them?
Who had taken them down? Had
some thief stolen them?
AS she asked herself the question
she heard sound of voices, and turn
ing about she saw, in the large fernery
that stood in the window. the two pref
ty creatures she missed from the man
tel, only they no longer stood in grace
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the FERNS arm in arm. The shepherd
ess was talking.
"Oh, Colin, Colin," she said, how
frightened I am: how wrong of you to
coax me to meet you here
"There is no need to be frightened,
Chloe" she heard the shepherd answer.
:" No one knows, no one will mind us.
It is night, and we will not be busted
until ten o'clock tomorrow"
"No, we will not be busted" said the
shepherdess, "but my father may step
in from the back parlor mantel any
time, and you know what will happen
if he finds you in my company. He
has resolved that [ shall marry old
Isaac, and he is furious if he sees me
speaking to any one else. l am the
most unhappy shepherdess in the
world p And she began to cry.
DO not weep, Chloe" said the shep-
herd. 81 have plan. We must run
away together. Here on the floor is the
little tin cart and horse that belong to
that little Kitty who lives in the house,
and is so great friend of ours. We
will step into that, and drive away, and
1--we IN the woods together forever.
There Is nothing else left for us to do,
your father is SO stern, and old Isaac SO
determined.
If he is rich, I know you hate him.
YOU'D rather have a young man, with
pockets lined with silk, than for to have
an old man, with forty COWS to milk"
I" Indeed | would, Colin," said Chloe.
"And you love me-not old Isaac?"
said Colin.
Indeed do" said Chloe.
"Then," said Colin, " let us CO."
He jumped down and seized the tin
horse nv the bride