River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-07-11
Wild Strawberries.

y
with a perplexed contraction OF her brow.
"Yes,n said old Phillis the cook. 1--WE
made two short-cakes an pie. an dar
amt nigh enough lett to fill de big glass
dish for tea"
"Dear mel" said Mrs. Wylde, "what
shall we do? Lisette is dressing and Maude
never could endure the sun. Barbara
to slender young girl who was curled up
in one of the deep window seats, reading
-nyou'll have to go" Barbara Wvlde
reused herself out of an Arcadian dream
of Dickens little Nell, and fixed pair OF
big blue eyes on her mothers troubled
face.
"Go where, mamma"
Down to tine south pasture lot for wild
strawberries. The ground is crimson
with them there, and"
Barbara Wylde scrambled down out OF
her high perch.
Mamma" said she, "what a nuisance
all this is! | doL't believe Captain Eli
wood Severn is worth all this trouble. |
don't believe he'll fall in love with
Gather Maude or Lisette. And L think
preserved gooseberries are quite good
enough for him."
Hold your tongue, child!' said Mrs.
Wylde, sharpely "Take the basket and
90 for the strawberries at once
''But it's so hot, mammal
"Put on your broad brimmed straw
hat"
"And | haven't finished my novel,
pleaded Barbara, with her mind revert
ing longingly to little Nell.
Nonsense said Mrs. Wylde. You
read too many novels, deal, for child
of your age"
And Barbara disappeared, unwillingly
enough, into the apple orchard, across
winch slnuous path, bordered with but
tercups and red clover, led direct to
the velvet slopes of the south pasture,
whore the ripening fruit of the wild
Strawberries shone like the tiny rubies
along the course of little musical brook,
all fringed with reeds and alders and
tall-growing ferns.
"Strawberries, indeed" said Barbara
to herself, g It's dreadful to be the
Youngest of family of girls, and have
| to pick strawberries for ones eide: Sis
ter's beaux."
| And she pushed the yellow curls out OF
| her eyes, and went two work IN lugubrl-
Gus earnest, popping the largest OF the
berries into her little round r1se-bud OF
a mouth, staining her dress as she knelt
down to seek the shy treasure under the
clustering green leaves. and crimsoning
! her hands with the haste she made.
II wonder which of 'em he'll marryY
said Barbara to herself, as she paused a
minute to listen to robin which. perched
on the boughs of feathery elm beyond
the brook. trilled out his barcarolle OF
glad music "Lisette is the prettiest, OF
course and he don't know what a dread
full temper she's got. But Maude is
literary, and has read all the new books,
and can talk SC we'll. Gentlemen like
intellectual ladies. wish" with sigh
-''that was intellectual"
And our little maid fell to work at the
strawberries again for full five minutes.
And then see shook her basket, ind peep
ed into its depths with eyes of azure des-
pair.
Not half full" said she to herself;
mot quarter full. oh, dear me! how
wish some one would come to help me
And there is some one stretched provok-
| ingly in the shade under Squire Dallas's
| big oak by the stone wall where the
sweet briers grow. People have no bust
ness to lie In the shade when other peo-
pie nave to work hard in the sun! And
/ do believe it's Squire Dallas's new hired
man, and he ought to be at WORK in the
bayfield, instead of lying there under the
trees with book. And" Barbara added
surveying the distant faineant with resol-
ute blue eyes from beneath her uplifted
hand she shall work; he shall help me =
aYoung man. she called out. The
robin trilled, the brook made cool, tu-
multuous splashing over the messy
stones that formed its bed, and no an
swcr came back to Barbara save the flut.
ter of the leaves in the hazel eopse under
the hill.
"Young man, sayw she called out
again, this time with certain accent OF
the lmperious in her voice. The recum
bent figure under the oak tree straight
ened itself up at once, and made haste
| toward the stone wall that separated
Squire DalIas's domains from Deacon
| Wylde's south pasture lot.
Il beg your pardon" said he; "but-
did you call2a
a0f course l called said Barbara
thinking within herself how tall and
straight and darkly handsome Squire
Dallass new hired man was. 'sDonf
you think young man, you ought to be at
| workln
aAt workan repeated the Spanish-browed
stranger. well, perhaps | ought.
\ There's no perhaps about 1T, sane
Barbara, brusquely. "0f course yor
ought And since you don't choose tt
work for your master, you may as well
be working Tor me"
My masterf'
g Squire Dallas, Of course, said Bar
bara. Dear me, how stupid you are
| And how, may venture to ask, die