The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-07-18
LITERARY
Wild Strawberries.

''Mm e straw berries2" said Mrs Wylde
with perplexed contraction OF her brow
eyes," said old Phillis the cook. "I've
made two short-cakes an pie, an dal
amt nigh enough lett to fill de big glass
dish for tea
"Dear me.' 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
you'll have to 60" 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.
$50 where, mammal
"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 | 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 Lisctte And l think
preserved gooseberries are quite good
enough for him."
Hold your tongue, childr said Mrs.
Wylde, sharpely. Cake the baske, and
go for the strawberries at once
"But it's SO hot, mammal
"Pu, on your broad brimmed straw
nat"
"And l haven't finished my novel,
pleaded Barbara, with her mind revert
ing longingly to little Nell.
Nonsense" said Mrs. wilde You
read too many novels, a deal, for child
of your age"
And Barbara disappeared, unwillingly
enough, into the apple orchard, across
which a slnuous path, bordered with but
tercups and rec clover, led direct to
the velvet slopes OF the "south pasture, =
whtrc 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
taligrowlng ferns.
Strawberries, indeed said Barbara
70 herself, It's dreadful to be the
youngest of a 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 lugubri-
Gus earnest, popping the largest of the
berries into her little round rosebud of
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.
Il wonder which of 'em he'll marry
said Barbara to herself, as she paused a
minute to listen to robin which. perchcd
on the boaghs OF feathery elm beyond
the brook. trilled out his barcarole 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 a sigh
that l was intellectual"
And our little maid fell to work at the
strawberries again for full five minutes.
And then see shook her basket, and 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
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, "he shall work; he shall help me -
"Ioung 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
swer came back to Barbara save the fiut-
ter of the leaves in the hazel copse under
the hill.
Young man, say" 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 Dallas's domains from Deacon
Wylde's south pasture lo:-
II beg your pardon" said he; ''but-
did you calif'
"Of course called" said Barbara,
thinking within herself how tall and
straight and darkly handsome So lire
Dallas's new hired man was Don't
you think young man, you ought to be a,