The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-10-21
sgar Ronng 8eaders.
TED AND KITTY.

trees and how 10 MAKE UpuutOS anu
little stone ovens; and they could shoot
with bows and arrows, and swim. and
climb trees, and split kindhngs, and
take care of chickens, and ducks, and
turkeys. and do a great many jolly ana
useful things which city children hard
liz 0et even a chance to do. Well, once,
when they went on a visit with some
cousins to an uncle'e on the other side
of big Woodsv," as they called the
mountain, they did not get home that
night.
The uncle thought they had gone
home, and the father and mother
thought they had remained overnight
at the uncle's. So nothing was done
about it until noon next day, when the
uncle came jogging over on horseback
to look at a cow he thought of buving,
and the mother asked him if Ted and
Kitty were not making too long a visit.
Then the uncle said. "Good gracious!
thev are not at our house; they started
for home last night, along with the Ed
erkins, think"
Then the mother turned very pale,
and said. in q faint voice, They are
lostr'
s.Oh, no." said the uncle, mot bit
of it. The Elderkins coaxed EN- home
with them. of course. I'll ride round
their way when Igo back and start EN-
home"
But the lale look wouldn't leave the
mothers face, and in a short time who
should come but the Elderkins them
selves, to spend the afternoon, they
said. with Ted and Kitty. Then there
was fright, indeed. The father
walked down to the gate, and looked
anxiously up the long, winding noun
tain road. as if that would do any
rood, and the mother followed him,
calling out,
"Oh. John! John! where are our chill
dren?''
The uncle rode off in one direction,
and the father quickly saddled horse
and rode in another, to inquire at all
the farm-houses If anything had been
seen of Ted aud Kitty Curtis. And no
one had.seen them. All the Elderkins
had to say was that Ted and Kitty had
told them there was nearer way to
reach home than by following the dusty,
roundabout road, and they had run of
through the woods to find it.
So, while the uncle and the father and
all the neighbOrs were hunting up and
down the forest. and the mother was
stavino in the house with dear, calm
grandma and the little twin babies to
keep her from going q1tite crazy, | will
tell YOU what Ted and Kitty were doing
in the BIG Woodsy.
After they had run on quite a way,
the bushes and brambles began to be so
thick thew were obliged to drop into
walk. and finally to climb and crawl as
best they might, for they never found
the nearer way" and the ground was
covered with fallen trees and rocks,
while the briers caught them sometimes
as if thev never meant to let 90.
Bv-and-bv the pleasant light OF sun
set began to fade away, and they sat
down to rest on a messy log and looked
at each other very soberly.
Il don't know which way we ought
to 90" said Kitty.
"FNo more don't l." said Ted.
"Wen, then, we must stay right
where we are, stead of trying to go
on. Cause, don't you know, lost peO-
pie always 90 round and round and
round and never get anywhere, and
lust wear their shoes out, and get tired
and hungry, and nobody ever can find
'em. You amt afraid, are you, Teddy
MOP answered Ted, with scorn-
full emphasis; "course not! Why, 1t S
only Just camping out. We've always
wanted to camp out, you know. An
= fha,-ofu hrrft on
an'-maybe We'll find partridge nest, "
and Ted looked around at the deepen
inc shadows, and bravely winked back
the two tears that had gathered in his
eyes.
Then the two children went to work.
They were scared a little in spite Of
their brave talk, but they were soon so
interested in their camp-building that
they forgot their fear. First, they
cleared away the sticks and stones be-
side the log where they were sitting.
Then they pulled large pieces of bark
from a partly-fallen tree, and leaned
them against the log, making shelter
large enough for q very small sleeping
room. Over the bark they laid boughs
of butternut and maple, with long sticks
placed crosswise to keep them in place.
Then by the time they had gathered a
few armfuls of dry leaves to place I'M
derneath, it was quite dusk. and too
late for any more work.
Wont we get bugs in our ears? -
asked Ted, peeping into the queer little
bedroom.
"Well, we'll tie our hankchifs over
our ears. And we'll only take of our
shoes, cause we're just emigrants, you
know"
In very short time the shoes were
off, the handkerchiefs tied on, and the
two tired children cuddled up in their
wigwam, with Kitty's apron over their
shoulders for blanket.
Morning came earlier in the woods
than in the quiet bedrooms at home.
Birds were twittering around the little
camp before sunrise, the breeze blew
noisily through the lOw-hanging
branches, and the children were awake
before the night shadows were quite
gone.
{" Papa IL be sure to find us to-day"
said Kitty, after they had erawled out
/ of their nest. 1--WE must have all the
emigrant fun we can, for We'll only be
Ted and Kitty after we get home"
"What do em'grants have for their
/ breakfast, wonder?" asked Ted.
"Oh, they-look around for things.
Sometimes they have just butternuts,
guess" answered Kitty, while she slip
| ped on her shoes.
swell, gnen, let's have but nuts
and lots of them," said hungry Ted.
So Kitty, who was a nice tidy girl
about everything, looked around until
she found a clean flat rock for a table