Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-05-25
fPEGGY,s TRIAL.


Peggy was out in the orchard picking
up apples. They were summer apples
yellow, crisp and so ripe that they
would crack open just as easy! And
some Of, them had grown so fast and so
freshly after the late showers, that they
were full Of water at the core! Fine,
juicy apples ana clear, bright morn
ing are enough to make any little girl
happy. No wonder Peggy sang. And
Peggy could sing very well, indeed.
She had never been taught, but that
didn't seem to make any difference
She began to sing even before she could
talk-a sort of pleasant little humming,
that would make her grandma say,
"She will make a cheerful wofnanp'
But Peggy was getting to be quite n
young lady; and in the morning when
our story opens, she was singing gayly
pretty little song she had learned at
school. The happier she became the
louder she sang; and her voice rang
out through the sunny orchard until the
shadows of the leaves on the grass
actually seemed to dance about with
pleasure, and chase each other, first this
way and then that, sometimes hitting n
golden apple, sometimes darkening the
rose in clover-head, sometimes max
ing little mask on Peggy's upturned
face, almost as if they would like to kiss
her white forehead. suppose it was
the breeze sweeping softly among the
branches that made the shadows dance
so, but it seemed as if they danced to
Peggy's singing. She had nearly filed
her basket, and was about to pick up
the last tempting-looking globe, when
she saw something sparkle very brill
iantly In the grass. STOPPING quickly,
but not ceasing in her song, she picked
up the shining thing, and looking at it
in amazement, became dumb with sur
prise. 1t was lovely diamond ring!
Peggy counted the sparkling stones.
One, two, three, eight glowing, bewitch-
ing bits of color and shine, rejecting
the trees and the sky, the apples
and the clover. She could see every
shade OF the rainbow in the precious
jewel, and she was almost wild with de-
light. She slipped it on her finger,
looking at it first in this way, and then
in that. She could hardly take her ewes
from it. '.Well, y said She, AZ an, so
glad!" Just then, Peggy! Peggy!'
came pleasantly from the house. "I
must go" said she to herself. "Grand-
ma is calling. What will she say to
this? Why. she will say it is not mine,
and that must not Keep it; / know
she will! But it is mine. found it in
our orchard, and 1 know it is mine. |
will keep it. l never had so lovely a
thing before, and l mean to keep 1t"
Peggy said this to herself out loud, and
shook her head hard. Then she put
the ring in her little pocket, and, pick
ing up the basket, started for the house.
~ will not tell her yet" she said to
herself. II will think it over.''
When she got to the great, breezy
kitchen, her dear grandma was "up to
her ears in flour as she herself
would have expressed it--making pies.
"Oh! said she, with a CHEEKY laugh,
when Peggy came in, tugging the
heavy basket along in both hands, "my
little help has arrived. / am going
to make a turnover for my 'Relp.s
But, Peggy, what is the matterP What
has happenedP Are you unhappy,
"No, ma'am," said Peggy, rather
sullenly, "pm not" And then she
blushed. She thought to herself: II
wonder if it shows right in my face,
that Grandma can see something has
happenedp i don't believe l am very
happy, either. don't feel SO glad as /
did"
On the first opportunity she ran up
stairs and hid the ring in her own little
chest. 1t had till in it-just the cum
ningest place to hide any little object!
When she tucked it away, she again
almost kissed the beautiful stones-they
were SO like icicles and sunsets, and
everything pretty and fairy-like she had
ever dreamed Of.
She was eleven years old, and had
been quite reader. She knew that
diamonds were very valuable, and had
even read in her "Child's Philosophy of
Little Things Of what they were com
posed, and how difficult 1t was TO obtain
them. ~ have fortune of my own
nOw," she said TO herself, as she shut
down the cover Of her chest and turned
the key. II am rich lady; and II | ever
want TO sell my beautiful ring can buy
ever SO many beautiful things with II
--bOoks, and pretty dresses, and even
a necklace like Cora May's Hum! /
guess II the girls knew what have got
they would not put on 80 many airs
over their little gold-heart rings and
coral chains. should just like to
show my lovely diamond oncel'
Then she began 10 sing, but In the
very first line Of the song she stopped.
She turned Q little pale, and stood look