Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-07-11
Wild Strawberries.

Harpers Basar
.- Wild Strawberries.
+ s'Mnre strawberries2" said Mrs. Wylde
with perplexed contraction OF her brow.
"Yes," said old Phillis the cook. "1've
made two short-cakes an pie, an dar
amt nigh enough lett to- fill de bigglass
dish for tea q !.
"Dear mel" said Mrs: Wylde, 5"what
shall we do? Lisette is dressing and Maude
mover could endure the sun. Barbara
to slender young girl who was curled up
in one of the deep window seats, reading
you'll have to Co." 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.
500 where, mammal" 80. ,<a
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 nuisance
all this is! don't believe Captain ELL
wood Severn is worth all this trouble. l
don't believe he'll fall in love with
Gather Maude or Lisette And think
preserved gooseberries are quite good
enough for him.
Hold your tongue a&eh hit56a H. II baste+ and nd
60 for the strawberries at once.''
"But it's so hot, mammal
"Put on your broad-brimmed straw
hat"
"And 1 haven't finished my novel,
pleaded Barbara, with her mind, revert
ing longingly to little Nell. sA !
E"Nonsense,," said Mrs. Wylde. / g You
read too many novels, deal, for a child
of your age" ): y i d Z !;
And Barbara disappeared, unwillingly
enough. into the apple orchard, across
whach slnuous psth, bordered with but
tercups and red clover, led direct to
the velvet slopes of the "south PASTURE -
where the ripening fruit of the wild
strawberries shone like the tiny rubies
along the course Of a little musical brook,
all fringed with reeds and alders and
tal-Rrowing ferns. s1se
Strawberries, indeed!' said Barbara
to herself, i" It's dreadful to be the
youngest of a family of girls, and have
to pick strawberries for ones elder sis
ter's beaux." : J T.
And she pushed the yellow.curls out of
her eyes, and went twoswor kin luEpbri-
ous earnest, popping tie largest 81 the
berries intoaher little round r:se-bud Of
mouth, staining her dress as she knelt
down to seek the shy treasure under the
clustering green leaves. and crimsoning
her hands vi tn. the haste she. made. &
III wonder which of EN- he'll marry7"
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 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. I wish" with sigh
-'that was Intellectual"
And our little maid fell to worksset the
strawberries agein for full q esrhiuutes.
And then see shook her basket. sid peep-
ed into its depths with eyes of azure des7
pair. =,
mot half FULL" said she to herself;
HJt scraa a' ona ~n,,,d ccme " 70 holm mo
And And there dSs !: s.! som: one stretched R:s;ef:
h;g ok hv 't the stone wall where tie
s Ug ~ h1e - orn1, Peo,'e have No hns;
nes S,t to 'l lie in the shade When other neo-
| Mo in.aave. til v7ork hard. in the ann And
do .i;eSp ia eon;re DaIlas,S new hired
man and he onoht to he At WORK in the
hay-field 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. sha shall work: he shall help me =
Young man! she. called out. The
4 robin trilled, the brook mAde 4 cool, til.
[multuous splashing o VI the messy
stones that formed It's BED and no an
=lsWer came back g Bar,oark seve the nut.