Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-02-20

write about. because hadn't any brothers
or sisters; but you have nothing of tl.at
kind to complain of, fortunately. Let me
see what you have written" Mammals
sweet face grew little grave as she look.
ed over the carefully written pages. Sc
sober that Gussie said:
" What is the matter, mamma; haven't
| written it neatly?'
:" Very neatly indeed, Gussie; but tell
me, dear You wrote down how Bob call.
ed you Il giraffe. Don't you think il
would have been fair to have remembered
that he came and begged your pardon
after you had gone to bed? Or that Harold
played dOminoes with you for an hour he
fore tea, to make amends for your lost
game Saturday morning; and that Dick is
always anxious his one sister should have
the best of everything, from the largest
bite of cookie up? How about the good
resolution Of the new year? Has it been
very we'll kept so far?'
No, it hadn't been Gussie WAS very
certain of that, and whole week of the
new year gone already.
Begin all over again, right straight
of, said her mother, stopping to smooth
the rough brown hair on her way out OF
the room. Begin all over again; this
stormy day is an excellent time uark
there is some one of them calling you now,
ana you won t have Il moment to waste
before beginning to be patient and oblg-
ing" For chorus of voices was rising
from the lower hall.
Gussie"
"Gusm
Miss Davenport"
Augusta"
Where are you9 Come down stairs
We are going to play Turks and Russians,
and there aren't enough Turks to hold the
fort, because the Russians have got Maria
Matilda. Come on down.
Those everlasting boys2" Gussie
couldn't help it, it would come out; and
then she felt better, and made up her mind
to be obIiging and be Turk.
IN come in n minute, she called over
the banster, and then ran to Miss March S
door to tell her the morning lesson in GRO
chetlng must be given up. While the
combined forces were gathering up raw
material in the shape of has,ocks and sofa
pillows, to b. used rs battering-r rams aud
cannon balls, united in making rs strong
as possible the redoubt built of arm chairs
and schoolrOom benches. that the Russian
were to take-if they could. Miss March
WAS Gussie's last love with some other
girl; but this time it was with a real
young lady, bright, pretty, and very good
naured, who Wore bright libbons, high
heels to her boots, very long trains, and u
great many ratings and ringing things
on her bracelets. Gusse was twelve, and
twelve was quite old enough, she was
sure, to give up playing with boys, and be
almost young lady So she gave herself
Il good many airs, tried to hold her hands,
and say "Oh, my as Miss March did ;
and that was really more than the boys
her five brothers and three cousins could
stand. For Gussie, when she Was Gussie,
and not trying to do some one else, was
capital company; the best shot in Il pillow
hight, the surest catch In Il game Of ball
and splendid hand at =" making believe -
in any game.
And now, while the boys are collecting
their pillows, and Gussie is getting down
stairs, ought, in justice to the Russians
encamped in the Davenport hall that day,
| to tell you something about Maria Matil-
da. l couldn't tell you all about her pos
sible, for the young person in question is
Il good deal older than am; but in spite
OF age, us Dick says, Maria Matilda S
bumps are no fun" She is large doll,
who used to belong in the very beginning
to Mrs. Davenports mother; doll with Il
cloth body, so well made that, in spite of
the three generations of children and many
battles she had lived through, she is almost
as good as new, with only one leg and one
arm and u curiously Wiped out expression
on her wooden face. Nowadays she is
used rs Il cannon ball, and very hard
thumps she can give, as the boys well
know; SO that when she was won in the
drawing" by the Russians, Dick, who
was P;tsla OF the Turkish troops, and
obliged to stand in the arm chair to direct
his troops and watch the enemy, made Il
fez of An old red comforte: to protect his
head 1t was the rules of the game that
when Maria fell inside the enemys lines
she was 10 be handed-not thrown-back
to her rightfuI owners for use again.
"All ready?' shouted Dick. There was
a sound of scrambing about on the other
side of the closed door, rs the Russians
gathered in the hall. and Dick hastily de-
Iiyered his last instructions.
Got all your ammunition?" looking
over tn" liles of pillows and hassocks
gathered behigd the redoubt's walls.
i" Archie, you aim for Bob with the big
sofa pillow; and Gus, you take Harold in
the les ii YOU can with hasso1k. when
he ism looking; and IL aim for the col
ors Now, watch the doors.
For there had come cry of d" Ready
from the hail. and aft'r deep silence;
not even the sound of II fUototep could be
heard. There were two doors, through
either Of which the enemy might fall
upon the besieged-the door that opened
from the hall into the schoolrOom, Or the
one by way of the dining room So to-day,
as usual, there was the anxiety of watch
ing and wondering through which door
they would come.
oh" thought Gus.ie TO herself, rs she
took her place behind the wall and pre-
pared hassock for action. " how stupid
and rough this is. | wish | was Miss
March. then | wouldn't have to play with
the boys; but did think Id try, and |
WW. And Gussie bobbed up to take =
good aim ut the enemy's legs, and then
bobhed out of sight again. For the Rus
slams, with rush, Il scramble, and u shout
that did credit to four pairs Of strong
lungs, had made rush through the dining
room door, and ran toward the redoubt.
Maria Matilda flew thick and fast. 1t took
Que Turk nearly the whole time to pick
her up and hand her back again. Dick
maize the color bearer life Il burden to
him, while Archie extinguished Bob under
the great sofa pillow; Gussie threw her
selfish thoughts and repinings with the
hassockS ut the enemy.
1t was II hard struggle. Again and again
there was truce, while the breathess
soldiers gathered up ammunition and re-
paired damages, before the Russians were
victorious. Twice well-directed blow
from Maria Matilda sent Dick from his
chair to the floor; but each time he was
up again, winking very hard, to be sure,
to keep back the tears, but keeping them
back and defending his fort TO the last,
even whea one Turkish soldier after anoth-
er was tifagged over the ramparts as a
prisoner. and Gussie and the Pasha were
,ho last men left Then how bravely he
fought for her when the Russians were
trying to capture fiussie, dodged Maria,