Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-09-21
THE BABES OF THE PRAIRIE.


"Be quiet now, Willie, and you too, Ma
ry. Sit down on your little stool. and be
Just as still as mice. I've got the baby
asleep, and want him TO have a good long
nap, for he isn't bit well. There, there,
take your primers and your A. B. C's."
Aud the mother took from the upper draw
er of tue bureau the carefully treasured
books.
"But I'm SO tired of sitting STILL" said
the little boy. "Mayn't we go out doors,
ma? Say yes, do. Wen only go down to
the barn. Say, mayn't we 20 see the two
little bossies? ?" Aud he looked up plead
ingly into her face.
Little Mary jumped up at the same mo-
ment, and tossing her primer on to the bed
joined in with "Do, ma, do-there's
good ma. Cause the bossies are so cum
ming, do love to see them"
Eyes, go a little while-but mind aud be
good children, and don't take down the
bars so the calves will get into the barn
do you hear2'
They had been gone half an hour or so,
when they came rushing into the cabip ex-
claiming with one voice: "Ma, ma, mayn't
we have our little pals and go strawberry
ing2 There's whole lot OF them right on
the gopher mound, 'tother side of the barn,
and they're just as red and ripe as they
can be. Do let us go and get them. There's
enough for good short cake, and pa loves
the m so, and they'll taste 80 good to him
when he comes home from the mill so
tired"
The indulgent mother took down the lit
tie pals, and handing one to each, and bid
ding them be careful and not stain their
clean aprons, watched them until their lit
tie dancing feet had carried them TO the
place they spoke of.
GLOW glad they are - she said to herself,
as she turned from the door, "and how
proud they will be when they get their
pals full" Aud she resumed her patch
ing.
Tired she certainly was, and half sick
though she would hardly have owned that,
and as she sat there now, "plying her nee
die and thread" she was sensible of unus-
ual fatigue, and in spite of all her efforts
her patches set awry, and her darning was
uneven. There was a pleasant drowsiness
| In the soft hush of the golden summer af-
| ternoon, and after while she yielded TO II
involuntairly, and closed her eyes. Start
ing up ere she had hardly lost herself, she
ran up to the door. The two little ones sa
side by side upon the gopher mound, ant
the echo of their CHEEKY voices was the on
ly sound that broke the intense quiet OF the
prairie.
"They arc so busy, and the baby is SC
sound asleep, believe I'll lie down liitl'
| while for my back aches terribly, and my
head is just ready TO split with pain. viii
liam says ought to take a nap every da,
afler dinner, but dear me, l wonder wheI
my sewing and mending would get done /
1 didW
As she spoke she daew mosquito ba
over The cradle, and turning down the nea
patchwork quilt that covered the bed, drop
ped off her shoes and stretched her wear.
frame on the white sheets. The weary wo
man unintentionally slept on, and did no
wake until the cry of the hungry baby II
the cradle reused her up.
| With a quick nervous movement, sh
sprang from her bed, aud drawing 1t to he
bosom, ran to the door. To her surprise
| WAS AAeA AASb ooAaO" "o
that she should be belated with her supper
and the thought of her tired husband com
ing home and having TO wait moment 70
his meal was not to be endured. With th
baby's lips still clinging to her bosom, sh
| hurried TO the stove aud took off the grid
dies and raked out the ashes. Then put
ting the only half-satisfied child in the era
die and giving it a crust of bread to bit
on, she caught up her kindling basket an
ran to the chip pile. She had filled 1t an
loaded her arms with wood, when she sud
denly remembered she had not seen Q
heard the children yet. She looked anx
iously toward the strawberry bed. The
little figures were not visible. For mt
ment she'was paralyzed with fear. The
recov ering herself, and saying: "The
have got tired and gone TO sleep in Il
barn, as they did Saturday." she hurrie
back to the cabin and built her fire. The
drawing somo fresh water she filled th
kettle, ground the coffee, aud put down Il
bacon TO fry.
az shall hardly have time to make thel
their short cake-poor things, they'll
disappointed, but I'll save the berries az