The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-06-02

not very deep one in the summer. I'm,
less there had been rain; and there
had been heavy rain, so the brook
was full, and went singing and bubblinr
over the stones. In some places, the
banks of the brook were about two feet
high; and in others, they were low and
sweet with wild-flowers. 1t can not he
said of Sambo that he was one of those
wise kittens who ''look before they
leap;' for, in trying to catch the moth
he ran on until he came to one of fbe
steep places in the bank of the brook
which were here quite wide. The moth
went flying across the brook, and. il be-
ing cool there, stopped toward ths
water; and Sambo, seeing this, thought;
''Now | have it, and stopped to catch.
not the moth, but ducking. For
Lively, who was close behind, saw
Sambo jump, heard a splash and a
pitiful NEW, and running to the brook
saw sadly wet kitten 90 rolling over
and over into the water.
Now, Polly had often said to Lively.
just as she kissed him goodbye at the
gate when starting for school, 'Be care
full of Sambo, Lively, and don't let him
get lost or hurt" and as soon as he saw
the wet kitten in the brook, Lively
jumped into the water after it.
The water was quite deep herein
fact, it was quite deep all through the
woodland ran swiftly, for the ground
was sloping; and it tumbled Lively
down and rolled him over, as it had
done the kitten. But Lively did not
think of himself; he scrambled to his
feet and hurried on, thinking only of
Polly's Don't let Sambo get hurt or
lost;" and pole standing up in the
water having stopped Sambo for mo-
ment, Lively caught him. But the
water ran too swiftly for him to get
back, and it was nearly up to his arms;
and he did not know how to keep on
with the current, and work gradually
toward the shore, so he was in a sad
plight. But he held on to the kitten;
and in little time he reached place
which the children called the'island. 1t
was two rocks close together. and the
earth had gathered about them and in
creased, so that there was place for two
or three bushes to grow. Lively put
the kitten on this, and then climbed up
on the rocks. The sun shone in be-
tween the trees; and Lively sat in the
sunshine and held the kitten, which
soon grew dry, and brushed its white
fur, and then began to play with the
leaves that swayed back and forth IN
the wind.
Then dinner time came, and Lively
heard the horns at the farmhouse call the
men home to their incoming. He had ever
been prompt to answer these, for he was
one of those healthy boys who are always
hungry; and so, when he did not come,
his mother grew alarmed and, Just as
her husband opened the road-gate, she
was starting out to look for her boy.
He went to feed the chickens" she
said. So they went to the yard where
the chickens were kept, and there they
found the empty food-dish, but no
Lively.
Il will got to the woods" said jonas;
she may have gone there to play, and,
growing tired, lain down to sleep" So
he kept on, and soon discovered Lively
safely percbed on the island.
Wading in-for, though the water
was up to Lively's arms, it did not reach
to the tops of his fathers boots-Jonas
brought both Lively and Sambo homes:
and when dinner had been eaten-for
Lively was very hungry-asked him
how he got on the rocks.
Then, Lively told of Sambo's chase
after the moth and of his chase after
Sambo; of Sambo's Jump into the wa
ter and how he jumped after him; of
their rolling over and over; of his capt
uring Sambo and landing him on the
island; and of their drying themselves in
the sun.
Then, Jonas laughingly said: The
child was not born to be drowned, but
is a regular young Neptune We will
name him Neptune"
And the family all agreed to it, though
Lively said he must keep his old name,
too. So they called him Neptune Live
ly Perriwinkle, which was the oldest
name of all.
Sambo never jumped into the brook
again, though he still chased moths;
but Neptune Lively proved that he was
veritable Perriwinkle, by tumbling in
to the brook so often that his father de-
clared he had measured it from end to
end"
But he was never harmed by the wet
ting he got-a fortunate thing-and all
owing, as his mother said, to the fact
that his father had once been sailor.
He tumbles in still, though he is now
ten years old; and the last time l saw
Polly, which was couple of days ago,
she told me that Neptune Lively Peril
Wrinkle had just been in the brook
Portland Transcript.