The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-06-29
WILD STRAWBERRIES.

more Strawberries" said Mrs.
Wylde, with perplexed contraction of
her brows
eyes" said old Phillis, the cook.
1--we made two short-cakes an pie,
an dar amt nigh enough left to fill de
big glass dish for tea"
dear mer' said Mrs. Wylde, "what
shall we doP Lisette is dressing, and
Maud never could endure the sun. Bar
bara"--to slender young girl who was
curled up in one of the deep window
seats, reading" you'U have to 60"
Barbara Wylde reused herself out of
an Arcadian dream of Dickens Little
Nell, and fixed pair of big blue eyes
on her mothers troubled face.
$50 where, mammapn
down to the south pasture lot for
wild Strawberries. The ground is Grim
son with them there, and--''
Barbara Wylde scrambled down out
of her high perch.
Mamma" said she, "what NUS
ance all this is! | don't believe Capt.
Ellwood Severn is worth all this
trouble. don't believe he'll fall in
love with either Maud or Lisette. And
Ouihh pICSCI NCu SOOo6D6EIIcS are quite
good enough for him."
"Hold your tongue, childr' said Mrs.
Wylde, sharply. Take the basket and
go for the Strawberries at once"
But it's so hot, mammal
Put on your broad-brimmed straw
Hat
''And I haven't finished my novel,"
pleaded Barbara, with her mind re-
verting longingly to Little Nell.
Nonsense said Mrs. Wylde. "You
read too many novels, a deal, for
child of your age"
And Barbara disappeared, unwilling
ly enough, into the apple orchard,
across which sinuous path, bordered
with buttercups and red clover, led di-
, rect to the velvet slopes of the ''south
pasture where the ripening fruit of
the wild strawberry shone like tiny ru-
bies along the course of musical little
brook, all fringed with reeds and alders
and tall-growing ferns. ....-,.
Strawberries, indeedn' said Bar
bara to herself "Its dreadful to be
the youngest of family of girls, and
have to pick Strawberries for ones elder
sisters beaus."
And she pushed the yellow curls out
OF her eyes, and. went to work in
lugubrious earnest, popping the largest
and sweetest of the berries into her lit.
tie round rosebud of mouth, staining
her dress as she knelt down to seek the
shy treasures under the clustering
green leaves, and crimsoning her hands
with the haste she made.
81 wonder which of 'em he'll mar
ryP" said Barbara to herself, as she
paused a minute to listen to robin
which, perched on the boughs of a
feathery elm beyond the brook, trilled
out his barbarolle of glad music.
" Lisette is the prettiest, of course, and
he can't know what a dreadful temper
she's got But Maude is literary, and
has read all the new books, and can
talk so well. Gentlemen like intellect
ual ladies. l wish''-with sigh
" that was Intellectual"
And our little maid fell to work at
the Strawberries again for full five min
utes. And then she shook her basket,
and peered down into its depths with
eyes of azure despair. f.
"Not half full" said she to herself;
not quarter full. y dear me! How |
wish some one would come and help me.
And there Is some one stretched provok-
ingly in the shade under Squire Dallas
big oak by the stone-wall where the
sweet-briers grow. People have no
business to lie in the shade when other
people have to be working hard in the
sun! And do believe it's Squire Dal-
las 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 fained'1 with resolute blue eyes
from beneath her unified hand, che
shall work; he shall help mer'
"Young man. she called out. The
robin trilled on, the brook made a cool,
tumultuous splashing over the messy
stones that formed its bed, and no an
swer came back to Barbara save the
flutter of the leaves in the hazel copse
under the hill.