The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-07-07

make little visit9 I'm pretty busy
just now, but if you'll use your eyes m
stead of your tongue, maybe you'll en-
Joy yourself as much as if you were out
sliding" What happened next Charlie
couldn't quite tell, but he suddenly
found himself in the strangest place im-
aginable. 1t was like an underground
street with walls of clay on either side,
and other streets crossing it here and
theros sa Jas aesa8 s5.aa sha asm
You see," said the talkative old lady,
who seemed unable to walk like other
people, but danced constantly, going a
little way, then stopping, then dancing
on again; tyou see, from November to
the first of April sometimes as late as
that-my husband, King Winter, with
King Frost, his twin brother, have their
factory in full blast, and all their time
is occupied. They make millions and
millions of snowfakes, and pounds and
pounds of icicles, great quantities of
sheet ice for ponds and lakes, and ice
bergs, and great blockades of ice for
coyes and sluggish streams, beside
statuary for public gardens and old
ruins, and delicate work for parks and
private residences. 1t all requires per-
sonal supervision the most skillful de-
signers are employed and the most ar
tistic sculptors earth and sky can fur
nish. Every fresh order requires a
fresh set of designs, so the work goes on
by night as well as by day; indeed the
best of it is done at night. But, you
see,. I'm lonely, when my husbands
away, so I've undertaken this work to
divert my mind-don't you see, child ? >
said she, noticing Charles look of won
derment. " Why, look after the little
creatures who live above ground in sum-
mer, and would die if somebody didn't
keep them from freezing to death. See
here what I'll show you.
She danced aside few steps to what
seemed to be knoll of earth, and pulled
up some soft blanket cobwebs, and there
lay more than million grasshoppers,
fast asleep. All their little legs were
stifiy doubled up, and pillows of dry
moss were under their heads. Charlie
was going to speak, but the old lady put
her finger to her lips and shook her
head, while she tucked the cobweb
blankets over them and fastened away.
The old dame suddenly assumed a
comlcal expression, and touched door
in another clay bank which revealed
about thousand million black and
brown beetles, who seemed to have fin
ished their winter maps, and were at
work on little anvils, sharpening their
antenn@, and making hooks to their
claws, while glow worms and fire flies
furnished heat in the fofges. just be-
You'd an archway was seen an equally IN
teresting sight, crickets making little
shrill pipes to wear under their waist
coats; and footing now and then to test
the sounds, while an old patriarch in
wig and spectacles kept striking a tun-
ing fork across one of his long legs, hold
ing it high in air, that all might get
" the pitch" In another department
beautiful green locusts were manufacture
ing buzzes, and katydids and didn'ts
were having rehearsals, in view of a tour
OF summer concerts.
How strange it all seemed! Charlie
thought this quite equal to Alice's Won
derland. The old lady was evidently
satisfied with his interest, and hurried
him out. 'a't f#5.'at.
ST like you, my boy" said she, when
the door was again shut, "you'd please
my husband; he says nobody is success
full in any great enterprise who has a
glib tongue. Now look this way"
Charlie did look, and heard and saw
what? "a noise like the roar of Niagara.
and dense black cloud. What was it?
He turned just trife pale for min
ute, till the old lady suddenly caught
hold of his hand, and. little as she was,
pulled him in a twinkling outside and
shut the door.
"What's that tremendous noise p"
said Charlie, as soon as he could get his
breath.
Mosquitoes blowing their horns, z"
said the Old dame. "Don't be afraid,
they can't follow us. They make an
awful lot of trouble, though, they're so
fierce and crafty. I don't see how Noah
ever managed to have 'em in the ark;
the dragon flies and darning needles ard
June bugs and gnats aren't any trouble
at all compared to mosquitoes. But
would you like to see the millers and
butterfies?" tas
Charlie looked his delight for an an
swer, but when they reached the arch.
way the old lady swung back a thick
velvet curtain and Charlie saw only a
great heap of gold dust-something that
looked like culver standing by itself
full of gossamer- thread brushes, and an
immense palette on the floor he aped
with the most brilliant colors. He
turned to see where the butterflies were
when the old lady pointed TO what
looked very much like stack of bayo-
nets A second glance revealed bushes,
tree branches, old stumps and bits Of
fence rail, each one holding its brown
cocoon containing the little ligbt-winged
insect, whose wings were being slowly
painted in the splendid colors of the
palette. 1t was SO still there, it seemed
like place of death, and Charlie didn't
care to stay long, SO they went away to
new spot where he was shown through
the icy walls of mill -pond, and saw the
frogs squatting on the mud and looking
as stony and dead as Egyptian sphinxes.
Charlie laughed over these, and then
asked what her scissors were for; the
little old woman began to laugh too, and
asked if he was afraid of bears.
Stepping into little elevator balloon
which seemed to have been waiting on
purpose, they had a three minutes ride
and landed in the heart of an old Nor
way forest. The trees were immense,
and Charlie looked up at them in won
der. Suddenly he heard low growl,
and there, close by him, was the old
dame standing on big SNOWFALL and
clipping the. claws of big bear. Char
lie was much frightened, but the Great :
ure never moved till she was done,
when somehow the bear stepped back
ward to the hollow trunk of the nearest
tree, and, with a couple of growls, curled
herself up, put her paws into her mouth,
and was asleep in wink.
"Now you know what my scissors are
for, don't you? I have my hands full,
You see, looking after all the earth's
creatures. Toward spring I haven't a
minute of rest every time there's a
thaw or warm day or two, the busy
creatures think winters over, and /
have hard times to keep them from de-
struction.' Only last night one OF my