Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-02-03

Inen he leaned over the edge OF the
beat and dragged his fingers in the wa
ter, but even the usually harmless lit
tie minnows darted at them and hit
his finger tips or scratched them with
their sharp little fms.
Teddy sank back with a sigh.
'Oh, deaTi' Everything, even The
dear little n-h. are mad at me, and its
no fun, after all. l wish | was back in
the nursery; Nora would be just bring
/ ing in my luuch now, IND I'm so hun
cry.
+ AT the thou2 hit OF something to eat,
/ he remembered the tempting berries,
and, seiZing his oars. ne ro@ ed vig0r-
ously, Entil the perspiration streamed
OF of him and his breath came il
gasps. .-
The ears had never heen 50 unman.
ageable before, aud when one of then
actually flew up and hit him in the
/ face he threw them down in disgust.
a few tears would come, and there
was a little choke in his. throat, for
though Teddy WAS brave, he was only
IA little fellow, and then, besides the
pain and receiving SO many Sights
there was SENSE of guilt which lay
heavy on his heart. But he squeezed
them back mantully, and steered hi
boat round bend in the river, ano
/ into quiet creek, or bayou, wllere The
straw berries grew.
4 1ovelier place could not be mag
ined ON a sultry summer day.
( Here the trees met overhead ano
formed dense shade beneath thJ
thick, green arches, while trailing
vines and moses were fest0oned across
but these kept catching Teddy under
the chin. and the rose vines scratched
him. Here and there gleam Of y e!
low sunshine played over the dark wa
tiers, and tall, bell-like 10 "ers leaned
over the stream and admired them
selves.
Broad-leaved, waxen water lille.
fOated around him, but none care
within his reach, and the hazel bushe:
on the shore still snapped at him.
Altogether Teddy felt like an intru
der, but he thought the berries, which
ne now saw shining rediy through theil
glossy, green leaves, would make VI
! for it all.
He brought his boot &c shore. ans
lleaped out without stopping to faster
it, The berries looked SO tempting ant
refreshing. Sitting down on tht
ground, regardless of the seat of hi:
little white trowsers, he gathered I
handful and ciapped 4hein TO hi
mouth.
They have all gone in. What car
! the matter be?
Teddy waits moment in amaza
meiTt, then screws up his mouth anc
shuts his eyes, and utters sharp little
lsqueal.,
I. One would think, if one had been
there to see, that they were very sour
! from the face he made.
He tries FIRST one and then another
but they must beali alike for he touch.
es them TO his tongue and then throw:
them down with disappointed air.
/ In looking for the berries he ha,
Wandered some distance into the woods
/ After his vain search he comes slowly
] Back, his stained fingers thrust into his
I pockets, with the air of a man who has
thrown his last card and lost all
He comes down TO the shore and gets
ready, mechanscally, to push oil his
bcat-but where is il?
Why, there il i, in the middle al
| the stream, just beyond the reach Oi
the little hand which is stretched after
lit.
I Teddy makes lunge forward, loses
his balance, aad falls into the water.
Poor, little fellow! He is certainly a
pitiful object, as he slowly emerges
from his mud bath and craWls back on
the grass. His fall was severe, too.
There must have been rock there.
A.. 1,r 1fn- Il =, -nf i
erble, at least mile from home, his
boat gone and his stomach empty, the
tears come unchecked, and run in little
muddy streams down his face.
As crowning misery, at this mo-
nent an old hawk swoops down on
him, and catching his waistband in his
beak, shakes him rosghly; saying,
TeddyI Teddy what you be after do
ing here?' and he felt himself raised in
The air., and dropped down with a
thunp somewhere. 20, Nora! is it
you? ] thought it was the nasty old
hawk. Oh, I'm so glad to be at homer
And he caught her round the neck
as she bent over him, and they both
laugh he'd and cried together.
Presently Nora explained
'I've been hunting the whole place
over for you, Master Teddy; for | didn't
lock the door, sure edough, and 1
thought you'd run off and hid from
me. l was very uneasy, as it is rain
ing hard, and the carriage is coming
with your mamma; SO l ran up here
again and heard you fail out of the
window on the roof, and here ye had
been asleep behind the curtains all the
while! And Nora wiped her eyes and
assumed a very severe expression,
saying, And look at your clothes,
they're soaking wet
But Teddy was very meek, and let
her scoid as much as she liked, while
she dressed him freshly.
After this Teddy looked with horror
.at the river, which had bel, re been his
delight.
lie shed tears at the very memory Of
his misery that night when he told
his dream, with his arms about his
mothers neck.