Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-04-16
alonth's Column.
TWO WAYS OF ENDING A sToRY.
BY EMILY HUNTINGTON MILLER.

was, nobody but Bun in the little log
house away out on that Minnesota prai-
RE. Papa was mail carrier, and it
would be dark long before he got back
with the great leather pouch that must
60 on to the Crossing in the morning.
Mamma-ah, when Bun saw her dear
face last she did not open her eyes with
one smile for her little daughter, and she
thought she was asleep. She knew more
about it now, but her heart had never
quite done aching for her, especially
when she was sick and wanted so much
to be cuddled and petted. Lettie petted
her sometimes, but Lottie had not much
time. for she was only twelve years old
herself, and such a busy little house.
keeper. She had gone away now three
miles across the prairie to good woman's
house, TO have some warm clothes cut
out for Bun, and some flannel shirts for
her father. Lottie could sew like ma
chine with ten patent attachments and
self-regulating feed. but for cutting out
really couldn't recommend her. No
one is expected to excel in everything.
Poor Bun, with a big pile of wood
behind the stove, nice little dinner in
the cupboard, and her maltese kitty for
company, got on tolerably we'll until
towards evening, when all at once the
sky thickened up with one of those furi-
Gus Minnesota snow storms-snow every
where, and the wind hurrying it along
until it looked like white river rushing
past the windows. Bun put some more
wood in the stove and curled her feet up
in the chair, rocking slowly and watch
ing the windows. Wonderful pictures
were growing all over them. The ono
furthest from the stove was like lovely
grotto with silver columns shooting up
around the edges and great glittering
arches over q clear white lake in the
middle. The other was forest Of trees
and flowers with white shapes like chill
dren among them, and on one side stars
raining down just as leaves fall in the
wind. Bun began to make stories for
the pictures after pretty fashion she
had cOnjured up in her odd little head.
"Once little girl, bout as big as me,
was coming home across the prairie and
she came to woods; the woods didn't
use to be there, it grew right up out Of
the ground, the little girl saw it grow,
all full Of flowers and leaves, ard moss.
and brook. and high rocks, higher'n
the rocks in grandpa's lodges, and every
thing was white and shiny. The little
girl walked and walked, and pretty soon
she saw an old witch woman sitting on
a-on a-.looks just 'zactly like tea
kettle, but l guess I'll say it was q
stump; and the old woman shiVered and
shivered so you could hear her back
bones rafting together like rattlesnake
And she asked the little girl to give her
the warm flannel she had in her bundle
and the little girl didn't want to, but
she did-all but one little teenty piece
she saved that to pin round her neck
cause her throat was sore, and she had
the Group besides. And then she ran
away because she was frightened of the
witch woman, but the witch woman few
she had wings, four Of 'em, like {
grasshOpper-and she said, Little girl
your fathers got lost way out on tn,
prairie, and he can't ever, ever find hi
way home
And the little girl sat right down b.
the side Of the brook, and all the colo
white leaves on the trees began to snow
down on to her. and she got cold anC
colder. and by'm by she was all buried
up in cold white leaves, and they neve
found her."
Bun dropped her face upon kitty
soft fur, and began to cry, quite over
come by the dOleful picture on the win
dow, mixed up with some thoughts tina
LOttie might have lost her way, and he
father might never get home. and sh
herself might freeze to death there al
alone. 1t was very still in the ROOF
only for the tea kettle whistling throug
its nose a little fine shrill tune, and tn
croupy old clock saying in slow hOars
fashion, "Bun Bun Bun Bun -
All at once there was a sound q
stamping outside the door, CHEEKY lii
tle laugh, and Lottie came in, tumblin
her big bundle before her, and calm
out:
"Why, Bun. all in the dark ?"
And kitty jumped down and mad
herself into a camel arching her gre
bacx, stretching her claws, and shown
her sharp teeth in great yawn. Lo
tie hustled about, lighted the LAM
frightened up the FIRE, and set the te
kettle where it had to stop whistlin
and 60 about its business in good carr
est. All the time she talked to Bun i
her own merry fashion about her day
visit, and how jeremiah Peters ha
brought her home behind him on Of
Whitney; and Bun sat in the rockir
chair nibbling sponge cake and fOrg
all about her troubles. Lottie ha
brought home great bottle of ne
uo;llr ,oII.l 80. III. - =. Al