St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1881-09-17
4 RIDE ON A WINDMILL.

4 RIDE ON A WINDMILL.
| want to tell YOU about sometime
that happened many Years ago in the
town of Nantucket.
Quite on the brow of the highest hill
stood a curious old-fashioned mill, the
sails OF which were so long that they
nearly touched the ground, and Of
course they rose almost as oh above
the top of the mill when they were
whlrled up by the wind.
Near this old windmill the miller
lived, with his wife and two children.
John was sturdy, sun Drowned boy.
two ears older than Dorothy, but he
was very good and gentle to her. for he
loved his sister dearly, and spent much
OF his time playing with her. They
were always happy together, and in
summer, when the weather was fine.
they used to sail a tiny boat on one of
the MANY ponds. Their little craft was
not a French toy with painted hull and
gay streamers, but plain affair which
their father had made for them in the
long evenings, and it had a coarse bit
of cotton for a sail. But that did not
matter. No. indeed They tied a
string at either end, and as the ponds
were very shallow, they waded about,
! pulling it merrIly from side to side,
using all kinds of real ship names and
words, which they had learned from
the sailors.
SO the summers flew away until alas
John was thought old enough to be sent
! to school, and poor little Dorothy was
left to plaT all alone. She was a help
full little girl, and saved the mother
many steps. Still, she found her plav-
time very dull, because she didn't care
any longer for the boat.
At last she began going with her
father to the mill: and all day she lifted
about. as busy as bee. and hunlming
as cheerlIy.
Sometimes she would lie on the grass
and watch the mill sails as they swept
slowly down, and rose again on the
other side-thinking all sorts of odd
thoughts about them. One day while
she was lazilr watching them. she had
a bright idea. What fun, Sprngine
up, she waited for a sail to come within
her reach, and caught it, holding on
until 1t lifted her OF her feet, and then
she let go and seized another, until she
was tired. Day after dav she amused
herself thus: and when Saturday came
she brought John to see the sport.
She had become too we'll acquainted
with her great friend, the mill, to have
any fear of it, and each time she trusted
herself to its arms she let them carry
her little higher, so that she began to
see long way Oft, over the land and
the ocean.
What a heroine she must seem to her
brother--she thought he had never
tried it, not once. Elated by her sue
cess, she sprang upon the sail for a last
ride, as it was dinner-time. Looking
back over her shoulder to see the eject
of her daring upon John, she clung a
little longer than she meant to, and in
a twinkiing she found that she could
see farther away than she had ever
dreamed.
There was the harbor, with its white
sails set to dry. She could look away
down into the town, and see the people
in the streets.
There, too, was the Sankety Head
light, so far away: now she must be as
high as the tall lighthouse. Thorough
ly frightened, yet not daring to let go
at this dizzy height, she began to cry.
She saw her mother coming to call
them to dinner, and she thought, poor
little girl, II shall never see my dear
mother again.
Higher and still higher she flew, her
dress floating out on the wind, and |
her poor little heart nearly bursting
with terror and grief
She did not see John, SO pale with
fear, nor did she hear her father cry:
T." Oh, my child will be killed! My poor
little girln'
She had now only eyes and ears and
thought for that terrible Journey, and
once she wondered if she were going to
for she was sure it could not
be much higher than she had risen.
Still she clung tightly, and at last she
shut her eyes.
The top once reached, slowly the sail,
with its precious burden, began to de-
scend. How they all watched it! No.
body spoke, and they hardly dared
breathe Lower and lower it came,
until within few feet of the ground,
when Dorothy opened her eyes, and,
overcome with sense of safety, her
little fingers unclasped, and down she
came.
: She fell pretty hard, but, luckily,