St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-11-09

rushing with horrible ycllS TO tile
swamp where hunted slaves were hid
ing.
Il reckon 'taint on'y little ways,
Hungry" she said, with shiver :;
wei get dar fore long. Don't be
afraid
"Plrl pur-r-r!" said Hungry, nest
ling her head warmly under June's
arm.
"'Spect you love me, Hungry
'speetS you does -
And then June laughed out softly
once IiOre. What would Massa Lin
kun say to the kitty? Had he ever
seen snch kitty as that in all his life
SO she folded her arms tightly over
Hungry's soft fur and trudged away
into the woods. She began to sing a
little Us she walked, in that sorrowful,
smOthered way that made Madame
Joliet angry. All, that was all over
now! There would be no more scOld-
ing AMI beating, no more tired days,
no more terrible nights spent in the
dark and lonely cellar, no more going
to bed without her supper, and crying
herself to sleep. Massa Linkum would
never treat her so. She never once
doubted, in that foolish little trusting
heart of hers, that he would be glad to
see her, and Hungry, too. Why should
she? Was there any one i'll all the
world who had looked so ut poor little
June
So on and away, deep into the woods
and swans. sthe trudged cheerily and
she sang low to Hungry. and Hungry
purred to her. The night passed on
| Il. tIn IL
deepened and thickened, the swamps
were cold and wet, the brambles
scratched her hands and feet.
"It's ies' ober here little Ways
trying to laugh. "We'll fine him purity
soon. Is terrible tired an sleepy,
| Hungry
She sat down on heap of leaves to
rest, and laid her head upon her arm,
and Hungry mewed Il little, and they
fell asleep and did not wake until the
sun was shining. She jumped up
frightened and puzzled, and then she
remembered where she was and began
to think of breakfast. But there were
no berries but the poisonous dogwOOd,
and nothing else to he seen but leaves
and grass and bushes. Hungry snapped
up few grasshOppers and looked
| lOngingly at an unattainahle squirrel,
which was flying from trectOp to tree
top: then they went slowly on. About
noon they came to Il bit of brook.
June scOoped the water in her hands
and Hungry Tapped it with her pink
tongue. But there was no dinner to
I've found and no sign of MasSa Linkmm;
the sun was like great ball of fire
above the tree-tOpS. and the child grew
faint and weak.
81 didn't 'spect it was so fur" groan-
ed poor June. "But don't yer he
feared now, Hungry. Pears like we'll
fine him berry soon.'
The sun went down and the twilight
came. Nothing but the great forest
and the swamps, and the darkenmg q
shadows, and the long hungry night.
June lay down once more on the damp
ground where the poisonous snakes
hid in the bushes, and hugged Hungry
with her weak little arms, and tried tn
speak bravcly. "Well fine him, Hun
CRY, sure, to-morrer. He'll .ies' open
de door and let us right in, he will Z;
an he'll hab breaEfas' all ready an
waitin'-'pears like he'll hab dish oh
milk up in the corner for yon now -
tink - dat ar, hungry - and the poor
little voice that tried to he 50 brave
broke down in a great sob. ''Ef on'y
les had one little mouthful now, Hun
gry-on'y one"
So another night passed and another
morning came. A bitter wind blew
from the east that day, and long be
fore noon the rain was falling, dreary
and chilly and sharp. 1t soaked June'S
feet and ragged dress and peltcd in her
face. The wind blew against her and
whired about her, and tossed to and
fro-she was such little thing and so
weak now and faint.
just as the early twilight fell from
the leaden sky and the shadows began
to Skulk under the bushes. and the
birds gathered to their nests with
sleepy twitter, she tripped over little
stone, fell weakly to the ground, and
lay still. She aad not the strength to
get to her feet again.
e But somehow June felt neither
troubled nor afraid. She lay there
with her face upturned to the pelting
rain, watching it patter from leaf to
leaf, listening to the chirp of the birds
in the nests, listening to the crying OF
the wind. She liked the sound. She
had a dim notion that it was like al
old camp p-meep-meeting hymn that she
had heard Creline sing sometimes
: She never understood the words, but
the music came back like dream
She wondered if Massa Linkum over
heard it, She thought he would like
it. She should like to lie there al
night and listen to it; and then in the
morning they would go on and finC
HMM the morning; it would come
very soon.
The twilight deepened and the nigh
, came on. The rain fell faster and th'
D sharp wind cried out aloud.
'Tt's-berry cold" said June, sleep
, ily, and turned her face over TO hid,
it on the kittens warm, soft fur. ''GOo
e night, Hungry. Well git dar to NOR
b. rer. We's mos dar, Hungry"
= Hungry curled up close to her cold
wet cheek-Hungry did not care hOv
; black it was-with happy answering
; new but June said nothing more.
+ The rain fell faster and the sharl
5 wind cried aloud. The kitten wOk,
t from ii nap and purred for her to sti
l and speak but June said nothing
L more.
p Still the rain fell and the wind cried
and the long night and the storm an
the darkness passed, and the mornin
l came.
e Hungry stirred under June's arm
and licked her face and mewed pite
G ously at her ear. But June's arms la
u still and June said no word.
e Somewhere, in a land where ther
h was never slave and never mistres,
n where there were no more hungry day
1t and frightened nights, little June wa
II laughing softly, and had found som
+, one to love her at last.
e And so she did not find Massa Lin