Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1881-11-15
"Ob. yes. ma. | shall be late"

about laying on the Iios'.
"Oh, yes'm, / do. Winter and | were
trying it only yesterday. Oh, ma, | shall
have to run all the way"
"well, | suppose you must go; but,
my son, let me tell you one thing. BE
sure that you don't spoil your clothes.
See how nice Summer has kept his. and
Spring really looked better when he came
home than when he started. Now listen.
If you come back in rags and tatters. |
shall put you to bed for nine months.
Will you remember :"
Nom. Yes'm, I'll be careful, pant
ed Autumn, slipping his arm out of her
hand, and running with all his might in
to the dark forest.
Autumn, come back" screamed
Mother Time after him, you are spill
ing the brow paint for the chestnu,s.'
But Autumn never turned his head
he scampered away as fast as his new
boots would carry him. for he knew there
was plenty OF work ready and waiting In
the great world beyond. And what
busy little painter he was. From early
in the morning until late at night he
might be seen hurrying about his tasks.
Sometimes | would catch glimpse OF
him in my neighbor's orchard, sitting
as,ride some twisted branch Of an old
apple-,ree, holding rcd-,ipped paint
brush in each hand. so that he could color
two apples a, once Very hasty strokes
he gave them. TO be sure, and now and
then he was so needless as TO break Oft IN
the middle of his work, and leave the
poor frui, hanging with one pale and one
blushing cheek. And how could lind
fault with the small artist, when saw
the next morning that he had stolen soft
ly up TO my own piazza, and touched with
his richest hues the leaves of my climbing
woodbine:
He had very different taste from
his brothers, and the blades of grass
which Spring and Summer had been so
careful to keep green, he neglected alto
gether.
"Grcen :" he used 10 say to the squlr-
rels VIXEN they would share their dinner
of nuts with him on the leafy bough OF
some fores, tree, so that he might paint
with one hand while he ate with the 9TH
er, green isn't any sort OF color. Do
you know am going TO put q second
coat of red or yellow on all these leaves:
The best things Summer ever did were
his but,ercups and dandellons. His straw
berries and roses were well enough. bu,
they hadn't the real brilliant lus,rc that |
mix with my red paints. Look at this
cranberry shade, now Isn't that hand
some :"
You boast you boast YOU boast
bad boy bad boy bad boy, - the squir-
rels would chatter back, and Autumn
would laugh and thank them for his
dinner, and hurry of, singing and whist
ling. to a clump of barberry bushes like
the brave, happy little workman that he
was.
For so far all had gone we'll with the
child. The forests Were daily becoming
more beautiful in their red and yellow
nantes, and the breezy laughter Of the
painter boy seemed to be shaken down
from the trees upon the merry lips OF the
children. Even people who walked wea-
rlly and sighed often would half forget
their cares, as they heard his light feet
rus;ling overhead or caught the echoes of
MS CHEEKY song,
But now come to the sad part OF my
story, and will tell il in few words,
as |, is best to do with all sad stories.
Autumn had not been lonely all this
time; he had not missed his patient mo-
ther nor his playful brothers, because he
had beside the squirrels, another compan-
ion who watched him while he worked
and followed MIN wherever he went and
made him very happy. This was beau
tiful little girl, with wonderful wealth
of golden hair that fell down from her
graceful head to her bare, white feet, and
wrapped all her tiny body in shining
carmen, Of its own. So they called her
:. Little Sunshine" and when she smiled
on the leaves that Autumn had painted,
they seemed to him to look far brighter
than before.
But one morning, while he was shak-
ing few drops of yellow paint from his
brush over witch bazel bush, Little
Sunshine" who had been standing quiet
ly at his side, said, Dear Autumn,
why don't you paint this bush like the
others: Why do you only shake these
drops over it :"
MY paints are all gone, Little Sun
shine" said Autumn, showing her his
empty pals g have been so busy, and
done my work so well, that now it is all
ended, and l can play with you until win
ter comes"
But Little Sunshine" smiled and
shook her golden head and ran away in
to the woods. Autumn called after her,
but she did not answer, SO he threw HIM
self down under grand old oak, that
cast its rich, red shadow over his sun
Drowned face and chestnut hair, and
waited for her to come back. For, often
before now, Little Sunshine" had hid
den herself from him for an hour or two,
but she hardly ever failed to return with
sleepy face at twilight, and kiss him
good night before she went away to her
dreaming place in the west. But tonight
she did not come, and the next morning
she was not there to waken him by her
light touch on his eye.lids. And that
day went BY, and other days passed over