Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-12-05

among the oaks, as II they nad Deeu pldl''
ed for garden. The leaves that looked so
golden in the distance were thin and scan
ty when you came near them, but the
branches were fairly brisling with great
clusters of burrs, and lhej children s keen
eyes were quick to find where the brown
nuts had ratified down to the short, thick
grass below. Mr. Norton brought out
long, flexible pole from the wagon and
thrashed the loaded boughs, while Hugh
climbed the trees and used a short club
with such vigor that the ground was soon
covered with nuts. Betty joined IN the
general scramble with good will. Her
Tough little fingers did not mind the sharp
needles at all, and by noon her basket was
nearly filled, ~ 49,
ooh, how manyln sighed li.te Kitty
Carson, looking sorrowlully ut her tender
fingers and the little handful of nuts in her
basket.
"Pll help YOU" said Betty; "my fin
GERS are strong" and she set her own bas-
ket away conlentedly, and helped Kitty
until Mr.. Norton called them together for
dinner, and then all at once she remem-
bered that she had no dinner, and that she
was very hungry; not just II little hungry,
but very hungry indeed, She did not see
HUGH anywhere, and she thought she
would run away and find him, bat Kitty
called out: "Sit by me, Betty; you shall
have one Of my turnovers; regular
mince turnover" and before she knew 1t
she was pulled down with the reS ,L nlq Ll,l
the great HAT rock where some Vi 'llc Ivy
had lighted a fre to roast potatoes , anu
chestnuts. such lun rs IL was 1Lcr9 =
were plenty OF potatoes, and they passed.
them all around on sharp STICKS. ana betty
thought she never tasted anything So uell-
cous. She nlbbled at her turnover 20
make it last as long rs possible OuC I'LL at
once Mr.. Norton SAID: ,., 80 O.,
why, where Is my niue Siii' one
was to have her dinner with me" and ne
filled her lap with nice white bread ana
butter cold chicken and doughnuls; Best
of all, the big bus ct proved to have a
generous supply OF SUCH juicy pears as
grew nowhere else but IN MIR. Norton
garden, and Betty actually had TWO O
them.
Why don't You eat them? W ASKED
Kitty, as Betty tucked them away IN mel
basket.
"One Is lot my mother ana one Is io
the baby whispered Betty very Shyly
with her round lace as red as rose
Then III send the baby one OF my
cookies, said liltlo hllly, and SO shc dld
There was tall girl on lhe other slue o
Betty with very lunny eyes that seemed L
, look straight at each other' ana were III
ways laughing us II they had some Jok'
between them that tney ana not intend u
tell. Betty though she was looking ava.
down the mountain ont All III once she Pu
u great square OF sponge cake INTO ne
basket ana sSld 1,
" That IS Tor the BABY TOO. dare So.
2 she is cross and ugly and tormenls you
life out" -, .
"Oh' indeed, said Betty our baby
| not cross, ana love MN dearly ,
"Oh' IT'S boy Is 1t? sad the girl
we'll then he snail nave th's pun; Una
IS ior not pelng girl UlrIS are such CT
!, babies
/, Betty looked ut her with eyes full o
=. wonder, but she could not tell whether sh
8 were making fun of her, or indeed If sh
n were looking at her at all, so she onl
f thanked her in her grave, old-fIshione
o way.
= Hugh came back with his pockets stutl
9 ed with nuts. lie mad eaten MS bread an
e meat, and gone further down the noun
e tain while they were at dinner. His lip
/ were purple with the stain of frost grapes
r and most of the boys insisted upon goin
S to gather some, but they did not find thcr
e Gerry palatable after their dessert of pears
o and soon came back. Then more nut
S were beaten down, and at last with ever
e bag and basket filled, they We're ready t
return. Nobody had paid much attentio
c to Betty, but she was SO shy and quiet sh
d only wanted leave to squeeze herself int
S the very smallest possible corner and EMO
d all the happiness of the day. She listene
10 the noisy talk, laughed softly at thei
d funny stories, Rugged her little baske
e and smiled to herself ut the thought {
If what she was bringing to her mother IN
st the baby.
II You may keep the little basket to II
S member the day by" said Mr.. Norton a
n he set Betty down by the gate eXactl
y where he had found her. Little Kit
called out, " Good-by, Betty and all III
u boys and girls shouted, " Good-by, BE
d ty!' until the neighbors all came to ii
81