Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-08-11
Brownie.

you VIII Doth be good little dears, and re-
main quietly in the nest until come home,
for there are men all round us with dread
full guns and savage dogs and your Uncle
Whitefoot tells me that they are searching
the woods TO find us-though why they
should want to kill us, who never did any
body any harm, I'm sure | don't know.
Men are such cruel creatures! wouldn't
dare venture out myself, if it were not ab-
soutely necessary to see about our winter
provisions. So good-by, dears. Brownie,
don't make yourself sick eating too many
nuts, and take good care of little Moon
beam." So saying, Mamma Whisktai
whisked her tail over her back and ran
briskly out Of the nest.
Poor little Moonbeam was terribly fright
ened at what her mamma told her, and
began to cry. Brownie. am sorry to say,
only laughed ut her. lie wasn't afraid he
said-not he; if he should see a dog he
would 60 up and fight him, and he guessed
the dog would be glad to run away. Now,
Brownie had never seen dog in his life,
or man either, for that matter; for Mrs.
Whisktail and her family lived in the very
thickest of Farmer Browns woods, where
nobody ever went excepting in the hunting
season. And Browoie, in all his little life,
had never been beyond the shadow of the
tree where he was born.
Pretty soon Moonbeam sobbcd herself to
| sleep. and Brownie was left all alone. At
first he sat down on the floor and began to
eat walnuls, but he wasn't hungry, and
soon tired of that. Then he thought he
would lie down and take nap; but for
some reason Brownie could not get to
sleep. He said to himself, 1T is SO hot,
there Can be no possible harm in going to
the door for breath of fresh air" So he
walked rather slowly towards the door, for
Brownie wasn't quite sure that he was
doing right; and when people are not gerry
suro thing is right, it is pretty apt to be
something it would be better for them not
to do.
| Oh, how beautiful it was out doors when
Brownie looked out! If you have never
been in the country through the month of
October. can never make you believe
how glorious it was. The trees were
covered with leaves of every possible shade
of yellow and red and gold. Tho vine
which grow on the old stone wall was all
n perfect blaze of scarlet and crimson.
Brownie could scarcely believe his eyes,
for when he noticed it last it had been per-
fectly green. The very ferns had changed
to the most delicate tints of pea-green,
and some were even perfectly white. And
over all. lighting up everything, and
making it, too, so beautiful for me to
describe, was the glorious autumn sun
shine. 1t seemed as if God had let some
of the glory of Heaven itself upon our
world that day.
OF course Brownie could not tell all this,
but his little heart beat quicker, and he
felt as ii he could run miles and miles
without being tired. lie began to think
his mother was very cruel to keep him
shut up in that clark hole" rs he called
his comfortable home, on such fine day,
and-just then he caught sight OF the little
brook ut the foot of the tree, and it occur
red to him that he was very thirsty. He
was sure he should die if he waited till
his mother came home squirrels had died
from want of water, for his unsle had told
him so; and how sorry his mother would
feel if she should find him lying cold and
dead when she came home. He really felt
that it was his duty 10 go and get drink,
at least, so he said to himself; but away
down in his heart something kept saying,
II wouldn't. Brownie l wouldn't Brow
ME-" But Brownie didn't stop to listen.
and down the tree he ran, and put his
thirsty little tongue into the water, and
drank his fill. Just as he raised his head
he heard rustling in the leaves behind
him. too frightened 10 stir, he remained
perfectly motionless. Then he heard n
voice say, II say, Tom, there's hand
some little fellow. If we could only catch
him without killing him, I'd take him
home to Phil" Then he heard terrible
noise, and naughty little Brownie fell to
the ground, and that was the last he knew
for long time.
Dick was the name of the boy who had
shot Brownie; and | am sorry to say he
was u very idle boy He did not love to
60 TO school, or study, or work but he
did love his poor little lame brother Phil
Long ago when his mother died she said,
You will have to be father and mother
both to little Phil" and from that time to
this Dick had given him the very best care
he knew how to give. And Phil loved
Dick. and looked up to him as if he had
been the best boy in the world.
After their mother died, an old aunt
came to live with them; and though she
meant TO be kind, she wasn't always as
gentle and thoughtful as their mother had
been, Perhaps if she had been, little Dick
might have been u better boy. AS for
Phil, nobody could help being good to
| him; but he spent great many long lonely
hours when Dick was off and Aunt Jane
busy, for Phil had never been able to run
about and play like other boys, and for the
last summer had been growing weaker and
weaker. $50 tired" he said, that he
could not sit up or walk around the room
any more with the crutches that D.ck had
made for him.
That very day that had been such an
eventful one for Brownie hal been u lone,
some one for him. Aunt Jane had been
washing, and he had not seen her but once
when she came TO bring him his porrdge
for dinner. Phil was so tired of porrdge-
but he did not complain. Dick had been
off since early in the morning, and nobody
knew when he would be home; and he
was so tired lying there. Some days he
did not mind it 50 much. but to-day it did
seem very hard, and Phil did what he did
not often do for he was brave, patient
little fellow--he buried his face in the pil.
lows and had a good cry. While he was
right in the middle of it, the hall door
opened and Dick came bounding up stairs,
three steps ut time. Phil had lust time
to wipe off the tears with the corner of
the sheet before Dick burst into the room,
carrying what looked to Phil like large
box. Dick put it down or chair by the
side of the bed, and Phil looked in.
"Ohm he cried in a moment, "a squirrel
Is it u squirrel Dick? But he's dead He
dosen't Stir. No he isn't. either. See,
he's opening his eyes. Isn't he II little
beauty!'
Poor Brownie! he could't think what
had happened. He looked round for
Moonbeam, but instead of his own warm
nest he was in Il very strange place indeed
He had very strange feeling in his head, 4,
and his foot ached dreadfully. Oh! how
he wished he were home. 1--WE must
give hun some nuts" said Dick, drawing
Il handful from his pocket. So Phil put
one into the cage, but Brownie was too
frightened and sad to eat, and went off in
the darkest corner. and with his warm
tail curled over him soon forgot his
troubles in sleep.
1t was carly the next morning when he
awoke, and he felt much better than tho