Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-12-19
0bediah's Young Woman.

Young Obediah took his girl to see the
animals at the Geological Garden last
Saturday afternoon. She was dear
sweet, trusting young creature, quite un.
sophisticated in the ways of the world,
especially the animal world. She asked a
great many questions and young Obediah
enlightened her rs far us he knew, if not
farther.
"How can these prairie dogs exist so
far from their native heath?" asked Ara
bella.
why. you see they brought II consider
able portion of their native heath along
with them" was Obediah's reply. Brought
II section of prairie all the way from Kan
sas. These holes you see We're the verv
ones in which they were born. In the
dirt which surrounds them they made the
mud pies of their early youth. Those
rude, and | may say dingy apertures in
the ground are surrounded with all the
hallowed associations of chidhoods hap
py hour"
81 see," said Arabella, "there is no
place like home.' And she sighed as
though she could see the fire and the sofa
in the parlor awaiting their return.
" These, then, are owls,n said Arabella,
as they paused in front of a cage contain.
ing II collection of these sage birds Sin
cOuuriI. " Does the owl live to u great
ageP"
That depends" said Obediah "on
how ovid he is when he dies"
There is one condition under which
you would never die, d" said Arabela sweet
ly.
" What is that?" asked the son of Obe-
diah the elder
Quoth the young and guiIeless Arabella.
" hat you should live until you had at
tained the owls wisdom" A prairie wolf
setting up an owl in cage adjoining,
interrupted the easy flow of their conver
sation and they passed on.
Oh, ArabeIla.' cried Obediah, as thew
reached big tank of water, did YOU
ever sce9
See what?n
" Sea lions, of course.n
" Why do they call them sea lionso"
asked Arabella.
" Because" said Obediah, eager at all
times to impart useful information. " be-
cause their voices are pitched on &C." an
element by the way, into which he deserv-
ed to pitched for misleading the artless
Girl.
Arabella, (aiter moment of thought
" then that is what makes their
voices water-proof."
"What makes their voices aterproof
dear?"
" Having them pitched"
Water proof! That was of the ability of
one of the most childlike and unsophisti.
Gated of her sex, to take the starch out of
the loftie2t masculine shirt collar
Young Obediah led her to look at the
seals. He called her attention to the
beautiful bathing suits they had on-made
of seal skin, every one of them, and fitting
like Il glove. "The seal" he said, ." "ex-
listed in great numbers on the coast of
Alaska until the United States troops were
when Il well grounded fear that
they wouldn't be protected in their right
of suffrage caused them to emigrate. You
see they don't make any complaint about
it" said Obediah, " because their lps are
seal'd."
DO they pay taxos9" inquired Arabcl-
la
Certainly. There is government seal
on every one of them
" How would like a SEAL" cried Ara
bella, after Il rapt contemplation of the
graceful creatures Couldn't you get me
some"
Certainly, my dear" replied Obediah
" What kind of seal would you prefer!"
Said the childlike Arabella, il" Green
Scalm
Young Obediah silently led the way to
the garden restaurant, and when the wait
er came around, he told him he wanted
their champagne kept on ice little while
because the young lady accompanying
him was almost wholly unacquainied with
the ways of the world.