The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-12-17
JUVENILE COLUMN.
THE WASP HUNT.
young Cruss der.l

- YOu may go ou1 III you nke, tnel
mamma had SAID, as soon as their lesson
were over. "but take care to keep in the
shade, and don't scamper about. 1t is toe
hot for that"
Every we'll, mamma" they had answer
& ed.
ESQ Marian had taken her parasol and
her doll. and Freddy, the new book Whicn
his uncle had given him on his last birth
day, and the two children had stretcneo
themselves at full length on the soft short
i turf, under the shade of the beecn.
It was a delightful day. just the day to
! lie stretched under shady free with
book: just the day when no other employ
mont could be so delightful except, as some
wise man has said, to be SO lying under
tree without q book
After a while, Freddy quite decided that
this was the pleasantes: and most appro-
aside, and Freddy, on his back, with his
face turned up to the Pickering leaves, lay
kicking the heels of his boots into the turf,
and Eliminating on possible birds nests that
existed in the uuexplored regions above
him.
81 wish was able te climb that big
kbranch," said he. "I'm sure 1 can see a
nest there. How 1 should like to have it,"
- "Would youq" said Marian. I" But
wouldn'J that tease the birds 2"
"Oh, no-at least l shouldn't care for
Fthat-that is they are used to have their
nests IaBen, ana 80 tney don't mlnO III,
asserted Freely boldly.
sob ~ said Marian, who believed in her
brother implicitly.
Freddy was q mischief loving boy. and
in his beart didn'G care one bit whether the
birds suffered or not.
Presently, as he lay on the grass, fly
|alighted on the tip of his nose. He tried
Ito catch it, but it was too quick for him,
and whizzed away in a second.
"Youd better not try that again, old
fellow" he observed in n threatening tone.
IThen-" What a lot of flies there are about
Ito day.!
q "Are there 2" said Marian; 81 SUPPOSE
IS its such nice, fine day, their mann ma
ave sent them out, as our mamma has done
es. wonder whether they have lessons to
10 first"
"What goose you are, Marian, to be
sure, }" said her brother.
"Oh," said Marian, "there is such a
beautiful brown fly crawling all over my
dolIy's white frock. Do look, Freddy"
Freddy raised his>head from the grass to
look.
&C. A fly !" said he, derisively. OTIS a wasp
IA horrid, nasty thing"
"Is it, Ihope it won't hurt Dolly" said
She anxious little mother, trying to shake
fhe obnoxious insect off her baby's robe.
Let me catch him, that's ALL" said
Freddy, rousing himself up.
But the wasp had no notion of allowing
lpy such thing, and away he few.
Freddy followed his flight with his eyes.
Then all of a sudden he made an exclama-
sion-" Look, look !" he cried, "why there's
"a whole lot of them. just see how they are
hylpg about all over the place. There must
be neat of them somewhere near"
- A nest of whatf' asked Marian.
"Wasps."
"But they are not birds, are they ="
asked the little girl. "I thought it was
only birds that lived u nests"
You thought" retorted her brother,
contemptuSpsiy. alt only shows how
much you know about things. But hush |
don't make noise, let's see where they
to settle them."
"Ob, doa't hurt them, Freddy!" said
Marian.
"Hurt fiddle Anyhow, if can
find their hole III soon rout them out of it, |
And, besides, Ltel you that they are nasty |
creatures; that it's the best thing in the |
world to get rid of them, for they only steal
the honey from the poor bees, and eat the
fruit, and don't know what else besides"
said Freddy, becoming virtuously indig-
nant.
"0h ~ eaid Marian, "then don't mind.n
Fas he, and not Marian, who had been
alklng SO much. Don't talk now. but
fEatcn which way they are flying. 1 be-
IIeVe the nest is somewhere in this wall.
SOhn, Ine gardener, told me only the other
day that he thought there was a swarm
near-there have been such heaps of wasps
about lately. See think it's this way
come along"
" Freddy's taste for sport-which meaps
my dear children the wish to bring some
hunted creature to a cruel desth-Was all
aroused now. Even Marian was excited, as
lair ladies sometimes are by this same no
Jon of sport.
The book, the parasol, even the beloved
Polly, are all left to take care of them
lelves under the tree, and the little wasp
punters creep cautiously along beside the
sreen wall, Freddy having meantime arm
p himself with q stout stick.
sit nest like birds nestP" whispers
lttle Marian. {
Freddy shakes his head. ,
l, 49, VIII there be dear little wasps' eggs in
~ = again asks the irrepreSsible Inquirer.
FREDDY shakes bis head sav8gely this |
~ No, of course not. Don't be ridicuIous," {
And moor likfla Mor;on Cool, ,