The Osceola times., 1876-12-02
Two Children's Farm Life.


We were two little girls, my sister
Fannie and |, living on farm in the
far west. We had few playthings, and
instead of your real-haired babies we
had corn-cob dolles dressed in calico;
but we loved them just as dearly; We
dressed and undressed them, put them
to sleep, took them to gather flowers,
as it made OF wax or china. We had
none of your pretty dinnersets, all SO
complete, but played our housekeeping
with broken bits of china and glass,
with acorns for cups and saucers; and
in place of your two-storv baby houses,
we lived in the hollow OF large oak
tree, which the lightning, in one of its
mad freaks, had scooped right out of
the heart of that big tree, some hun.
lred years or so before we played our
little games there.
In the early spring, oh, what n
lovely place it was and how wish
could take all of you dear children
back into its sweetness, when the wild
plum and cherry trees were white and
fragrant, when the -, short grass
was starred with the yellow dandelion
blossoms, and We used those same yel-
low blossoms for pats of buffers at eur
dollies dinner-parties-when the rob
ins, saucy looking imps, would almost
run over US, and the other birds sang
and sang till we almost sang too. And
if. we didn't sing, we did shout, and
run, and roll over on the soft, green
grass, try to climb the smaller trees,
and usually end by dressing ourselves
IN flowers.
There was wide, open glade be-
tween two or three large clumps or
thickets of hazel, blackberry, wild
plum and poplar trees, and in this
glade were two big oak trees, under
which my sister and played many a
summer day; and when the sun shone
very bright and The games were grown
tiresome, we would venture into the
tbickets, where after a few steps we
found it grew very dark and still,
with cnly the faint twitter Of little
birds, and now and then cry, which
to us children was the wall Of some
lost child carried away by the bad
fairies. If the cry came often, we
would take hold of hands and rush olt
into the sunshine, feeling safe in its
brightness. Now ] know it was the
cry of the mourning dove that fright
ened us so sorely; but | still seem to
feel an oppr, ssion and despair steal
over me, as if heard that sad lament.
Those thickets were wonderful treas
ure houses, and we never went into
them without coming out laden with
new flowers, grasses and eggs, which
we found on the ground, split out Of
some full nest. We saw queer little
snails and worms, all kinds of chip
munks or squirrels, with rabbits and
little birds.
Delightful as were these excursions,
which the fear made more fascinating,
still more delightful was the play in
the gay sunshine, chasing butterflies,
blowing daHdelion heads, romping for
the mere delight of moving, or else
walking demurely up and down, dis
cussing the dispositions of our respect
i've corn-cob children. 1t was happy
child's life, and wish all children
might know the like.
We had our pets, too, favorite bos-
sizes, little pigs, chickens and kittens,
and not a little of our time was spent
with those friends. The three pets
which | loved longest and best we're
"Old Grimes" large and handsome
cat, that used 10 90 hunting quite like
gentleman of the olden time, and
would bring home, now rabbit, then
squirrel, and often birds, which he
laid down before the mother-cat and
kittens, and never ate himself Next
came Nero" a black shepherd-dog,
the best dog at a frolc that ever was,
and a warm friend of "Old Grimes.
The third and chief pet, "Nellie,
the lamb, outlived the other two, and
became quite famous sheep in her
day.
It is funny picture / can see in my
memory: the black and white royal
cat, with a solemn leok always on hi:
face the sharp, pointed nose and alert
ears of the dog, and his wagging tail
the stupid, atiectionate face Of the soft
white "Nellie," I'll eating potato anC
milk from one pan, as they almos
always did. For while it was har
monious family; but Nellie's stupid
domineering temper ruined its peace
and brought tragic end to one mem
ber.-Christim Register.