Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-07-18
"wero there any snow.birds nroundyo

said but Sid Just stared
'Snow-b birds 2" she said. 'Tm sure l don't
know. 1 didn't look What do you mean 2"
why" Isaid, philip wassnowed up once,
and a little bird came into the car and sang to
him. Such pretty little bird he said. or
course IL must have been n snow bird, you
know, for no other kind would be likely to
be round Just then. Only snow-birds don't
sing, and he said this bird sang to him so
sweetly that the time didn't seem long bit.
And, do you know, he has hunted and hunted
for that bird, and never found it since. He
found birds of the same name but never that
very one. So he says, but don't see how he
could expect to find it. Do you p
Sid didn't answer for a minute. suppose
the sun was in her eyes, for they were full of
tears. Pretty soon the tears all went away,
though, and she said, 81 suppose he hasn't
cared so much about finding the bird since he
met Miss Laura 2"
"Oh, he knew Laura then" l said. 81
suppose he doesn't care so much now though
| know he never talks about it,"
mo, | suppose not. People don't remem-
Der birds long, Sidney said, in queer kind
of voice.
Then she jumped up and said she was rest.
ed, and we called Burr from where he was
nosing about among the rocks and roots, and
we all went on.
Somehow Sidney and Laura never seemed
to get on well together. / don't know why,
for grown-up people almost always called
Laura Sweet" Maybe it was because Sid
liked Burr and me- and never seemed to care
much about being with Laura. The nanny
always gets on with every body, and she used
to try hard to make the two girls friends but
it was no use If she told them TO go out and
play croquet, they went but if some other
girl or one of Laura's beauX came up Sid
would give up her mallet to them, ind 20 of
with Burr and me. Or, ifnobody came, Laura
would give me her mallet, and Sid and |
would finish the game alone. When they
were together Laura used to talk about Philip
all the time. Philip says this, and Philip
does the other, until it was enough to make
any body sick Of the name. Sid was, know,
for she never used to say word but Just
got out of the way as quick as ever she could.
Nobody could stand it to have a fellows
name dinged at them all the time. | did wish
Philip would come up and keep Miss Laura
quiet for n while but when he wrote to the
nanny, he always said he was so busy he
couldn't come
Things went on so for two weeks, or may
be longer. Then one day the NANNY came
down to dinner with her eyes all bright and
shining
81 have Just had letter from Philip" she
said "and he is coming out on Saturday TO
spend Sunday am so glad that you will
have u chance TO meet him, Sidney my dear.
Laura is to be away, so you must help me to
entertain him. am sure you will be great
friends Nobody can help liking Philip"
grinned, for every body knows that the
nanny thinks the world turns around on
Philips head. When am twenty -four years
old and six feet high, maybe she'll think the
same of me. don't know, though. Not if
Miss Laura's around, she won't. She's a good
sweet nanny anyhow, and haven't much
fault to find with her.
Neither Laura nor Sid looked over and above
pleased when they heard that Philip was COM
ing. Laura turned red, and Sidney looked
white and scared.
"Tm not sure that shall go to the Man
nings' after all, said Laura.
"Im SO sorry" said Sid, but must go
home on Friday | am 80 much obliged to
you, and have enjoyed my visit SO much
but am strong enough to go to work again
now, and must"
Nonsense, my dear" said the nanny. Il
could never think Of letting you go back now,
just when it is beginning to do you a little
good. invited you for the summer, and |
shall not let you go away until it is over
Besides, have the promise of a situation for
you in the fall. My sister is going to Europe
NAAil htl lhO AlAAlt klIlhs hnh hut Nhlllh II kON-
erness to 30 with them. 1t will be far pleas
anter for you than teaching in a school did
not mean to tell you just yet, but you see
what folly it would be to begin any where
else"
but - but " stammered Sid looking
more scared than ever. Don't you see in
that case must go home to get ready"
Home - said the nanny. but
thought you were boarding and gave up your
room when you came here.
80 did, said Sid, but"
Then where should you go 7" said the
nanny, triumphantly. And as for getting
ready, you can do it just AS well here"
You might as well give in, Miss Sid"
said. The nanny always gets her own
way sooner or later. It's like fighting a feath-
er-bed to argue with her.
OF course Sid did give in at last She
thanked the NANNY, with tears in her eyes,
but all the same she looked dreadfuly worried
when she went out on the lawn with me.
Then Burr came tumbling up to us, and we
ran races, and pelted him with dases and
clover heads to see him snap and growl out
laugh, and pretty soon Sid WAS laughing as
hard as ever she did in her life. Only the
same scared worried look kept coming back
to her eyes all that day and the next, and
Saturday morning it was hardly out of them
at all for ten minutes together.
Fred" said Sid as soon as dinner was
over on Saturday, "do you want to go down
and try the boat again z"
The boat she meant was an old tub we had
found on the stream. Ii was a ramshackly old
thing, and it leaked-horrid. Somebody had
to keep bailing her out all the time. We
hadn't any oars, but Just padded about with
pieces Of board, or poled her along the best
way we could. 1t was ever so much more fun
than regular spick-and-span boat and we
always took Burr along, in case we upset. A
fellow couldn't drown if he wanted to so long
as Burr was around. Besides, the stream
wasn't deep any where, or l don't suppose
Sid would have gone.
Sid came down in an old blue flannel dress
and little black sailor hat that she kept for
such times. They were all torn to pieces with
the rocks and briers, and she said she couldn't
afford to spoil any more clothes. Laura hadn't
gone to the Mannings'-not she and she saw
us az we went ont, and laughed and said
I'm send Philip down to find you, if he
comes"
"Oh, you wouldn't be so mean :" said Sid,
stopping short but gave her twtch.
Come along, Sid" said. "She's mean
enough for any thing, but she isn't going to
send Philip to you 30 long as she can keep
him herself"
Laura got awful red at that, but Sid didn't
lhuBut hS 1 u meant utI W. Que only turned
and went with me without word
1t was awful jolly on the water that after
noon. The old boat wobbled and danced and
bumped against the rocks, and went spinning
round like a top. Sid bailed and l poled,
and then we changed about, and Sid poled
and bailed. Burr frolicked around us, in
and ont of the water, laughing as hard as we
did don't care what people say, dogs can
laugh. You just watch a dog on frolic, and
see if they can't. Presently he came up and
laid one big paw on the gunwale. 1t tipped
the boat good deal but Sid didn't squeal-
not she she only looked at me quite solemn,
and said:
Captain, there's a colored man coming on
board this craft, and object. I'm not used
to travelling with colored people, and won't
stand it,"
Cant turn out any body that pays his pas
sage, black or white" said /.
4 = . : 4 4 a. =.