The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-01-13
XYhnt Little Nell Did.


They were going hazel-nutting up in
the north lot-the Philbriok children
and Little Nell.
Little Nell was not one of the Phil |
brick children; in fact, she was not the |
most distant sort of cousin to Will, |
Jack, and Polly.
She was Dick Longs daughter, and
Dick Long had been poor, shiftless fell
low, who cobbled shoes, for time, in
the village, two miles from the Philbrick
farm, and then went away to California,
never to be heard from again.
He was not much loss, to be sure, so
the neighbors thought, but it killed his
wife, and when she died, good Mrs.
Philbrick opened her motherly heart and
arms to Little Nell, and took her in.
Her real name was Henrietta, but Miss
Jackson, tho dressmaker, who read
Charles Dickens stories a great deal,
called her one day, "Little Nell" and Is
clung to her ever after.
You sec she was q qhet, shy Ittla
creature, with such big, soft, brown
eyes, and such sweet, cooling voice, that
"Henrietta" seemed too long and hard o
namc for her.
1t was Saturday afternoon, and, as
told you, Will and Jack and Polly and
Ilttle Nell were going hazel-nutting.
They each carried basket, and each
basket had flaky apple turnover.
These were for lunch, in case the chill
dren got hungry; and we know. don't
we, that growing, wide-awake boys and
girls arc always getting hungry?
1t was long time before they reached
the north lot. Polly forgot her "kid
fingers, md had to go back for them,
else her poor little hands would have
been stuck full of prickles. Then Jack
must needs chase n woodpecker q long
way while the three waited for him.
But they got their baskets full of nuts,
with their prickly coverings, and ate
their turnovers-all but Jack. That is
to say, Jack ate his turnover with the
rest, but he had not filed his basket.
L think he had spent too much of the
afternoon in chasing the little red
squirrels, and in balancing himself on the
smooth log which spanned the brook.
Now the sun had gone down. 1t was
growing late and chilly.
Jack kicked Grossly at o decayed
stump. -.
"You should have worked more and
played less" laughed Will, looking at
his own heaped up basket. s&
"Mind your own bread and butter"
retorted Jack, sayagely. "You needn't
be afraid of my asking for any of yours"
1t was not at all nice way FOR
brother to talk So tlfsaght Little Nell,
and she slapped her hand softly into
Jacks. "Come home now, Jacky." she |
said, "and I'll give you half Of mine"
Jack laughed, and gave the old stump q
parting kick. A cloud of dust few up.
Jacks foot had hammered it's way |
through the rotten wood. The stump !
was hollow. Jack pulled his foot out,
and after it rolled md ratified rich, |
brown stream of nuts-three quarts at |
the very least!
"Hooray" shouted Jack, capering
wildly about "I don't want nny Of any
body's nuts, now!"
Then he seized his basket and began
to scoop in the treasure, by handfuls.
Little Nell looked on with wide-open
eyes. "Whoput 'eIn there?" she asked.
cts squirrels store-house," ans
wered Will.
Wasn't he jolly little fellow? and
wasn't it lucky I kicked? ?" cried Jack,
briskly digging away the decayed wood,
to look for more.
The big brown eyes ran over with
tears, as Little Nell began to understand.
Ion take tuenS OacK, Sne PLEADED.
''In give you all of mine"
can Of yours amt half 80 manv as
is here; and why shouldn't take em.
IA like to know2 Finding is having,
Little Nell"
"You didn't say so when found your
ten;cent piece" said Polly, swinging her
Jack Redeemed, remembering what n
time there had been about that ten-cent
piece. ''You keep sill, Polly Phil !
brick ]" he said: ''I aint p chipmunk. an
a ten-cent piece isn't nuts. AIMS there a
lot, thought"
Ard 1t was quite in vain that Little
Nell begged him to put them back.
She walked home beside Polly, silent
and sorrowful
eve might give ours. Polly" she
said; "turn them down in q little heap
side of the stump, you know, where he
could find them easy. o Polly, what
will he do, when he goes to his house
and finds they're all taken away?"
This was q long speech for Little Nell |
to make.
But Polly laughed at her. "You lit
Tie goosey," she said, ''the squirrel
WON'T mind, and don't you think about it
any more. @.......
But she did. She could not help it.
At the supper-table thatnight, Mamma
Philbrick counted noses. There was one