Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-01-18

OF grapes, and when his dog brought
them to him, the boys said they would
not shoot any more.
!, Then they went to a summer house,
, where there were silver baskets hang
ing. Each one took busket and put
his fruit into it, leaving them in the or
chard. They told BERTHE to. do as they
did, and as they walked along explain
ed that they were going to race their
dogs.
They came to long lane at one end
was little platform, on which were a
basket tofstrawberries, one of raspberries
and one of black berries. The dogs ran
three at time, and the first one
brought the strawberries to his master,
the second one the raspberries and the
third the blackberries. AS fast as the
baskets We're taken away new ones
came in their places. Away the dogs
ran, the boys encouraging them by crv-
ing, "Now, Flash ""Now, Speck, ,hNow
''Flot," or whatever their names might
be. The boys had trained their dogs
themselves, and those who had taken
the most pains got the baskets of straw
berries, for their dogs ran the best. Ber
ties brought him raspberries. When
all the dogs had run. the boys returned
to the orchard, took the baskets of fruit |
and went to one Of the rooms. Here
was table spread with glass cups and |
plates, and all sat down to eat. The |
dogs drank milk from cups on the floor. |
while the boys ate the fruit which they |
had shot, and the berries their dogs had |
brought them, and told BERTHE and each |
other stories all the while
After they had eaten they hung the |
baskets on the wall, and played togeth-
er in the hall until they were tired. |
Then they went into garden and ley
on the grass by the flowers until music
sounded near them. They sprang up,
and each one put on a belt with large
letter in front like a clasp. Bertie's iet-
ter was B, and he followed the music
with the boys until they came to field.
At one end was mountain of nuts, all
kinds that you ever saw, and in front
of it was little fence. The bows told
BERTHE that they ran to the fence, lump
ed over it, took as many nuts as thew
could hold IN one hand, and came back
through gate he would see on the
other side. If they took more than they T.
could hold in one hand, they could not
get through the gate, lost all their nuts, h
and had to climb over the fence to get
back.
ssWhen they told Berthe he must go he
ran so fast, and jumped so high, that he
landed on the mountain among the .
nuts. He saw so many he forgot he
must only take what he could hold in .
one hand, and filled both. But as he
turned to go, hewas startled by deep
growl, and at the little gate that shone
like gold was horrible animal, which
showed its teeth and looked at him as
If it would like to devour him Berthe
dropped the nuts from his left hand, {
and boy, in shining clothes, older
than those in the field, opened it for
him as he passed out.
BERTHE ran back to the other bows. and |,
when they had all jumped, they crack
ed the nuts they had found. In each
nut was toy and BERTHE had two. a
top that sung when it Was spun, and
whip, just the thing to drive his goats
with.
AS they were looking at the toys the
music began again. and they went to a
room where there were beds. phe bows
showed BERTHE his, and in q noment}
they were all asleep. But Berthe lavH I
thinking how busy the boys seemed ana !,
yet how happy. They did not complain /,
when they had anything to 90. but I
were glad to try an2to learn. The'bsd II
was soft, and his foot seemed quite well II
and he wondered whether his crutcbY
would come back 4.
AT this thought he felt il slip betweenl +
his legs again, and he had only time TOD
grasp nisss hip and top, before they weree !
whirling down through the sky. He4
thought he heard his mother speak. andA +
tried to answer. As he did so the cFutchj :
stopped, knocked him off, and he saw1 :
Mrs. Howard standing by him. /,
why, BERTHE, what made you sleepJ
here, dear?"
BERTHE looked about, and found he
was lying with his head on the tub un-
der the Christmas tree.
II have not been asleep, mamma, :
I've been in such funny place"
"Well, see what your cousins sent :
you," and Mrs. Howard gave MIN
whip and top like those he had taken ,
from the nuts.
why, the boys gave me those" said !
BERTHE. rubbing his eyes, and then he +
told Mrs. Howard about mis- visit to the
strange children.
She sat by him on the sofa, and when
be had finished, kissed him and said:
"Do you remember what / told You ? !
Everything will help you. Already .
your good resolutions have made this
beautiful picture for you, which you
can copy in life, as an artist does his
model on canvass, and thus have
Happy New Year.n