The National tribune., 1883-03-29
LITTLE DOLLY,
And How She Saved the Life of
Brother Will.
by Julia Z. Hildreth.l

One of the loveliest spots in the world is a
nook by the old saw-min on the Ashuelot
River. Grand old trees interlace their branches
overhead, and the rocks are covered with 9
soft carpet of moss and flowers. One side of
the mill is built against an enormous rock that
rises cat OF the water to within few feet of
the roof.
The back of the min on which the wheel is
placed is covered with wonderful vine, as old
as the mill itself; this vine clings tightly to
the worn gray stones above the wheel, and is
kept fresh and green by the spray. 1t COM
pletely covers the upper part of the wall,
concealing with curtain of leaves and ten
drills small window under the caves.
One sunny morning Dolly Wild and her
brother VIII came down to the old mill and
peeped into the open door, The great saw was
in motion, filling the building with queer
humming sound as if colony of gigantic bees
had taken up their abode in the place.
The sawyer turned their shadows fell
across the floor and said, with smile, "Well,
Dolly, where are You going this morning?"
To fish behind the mill, i" replied Dolly.
Ever catch any?" inquired the man.
No, siT," answered Dolly, scraping up thu
sawdust with the toe of her shoe, " but Will
does sometimes"
"That's the way, is it?" said the sawyer,
looking at VIII and laughing. Then turning
to Dolly, he inquired "Was that you walk
day."
eyes, sir" answered Dolly "But how did
you know? 1 did not think you could see
the plank from this side of the mill"
There" said the sawyer, pointing up to
the small window under the roof, through
which long tendrils of the vine had grown
and were stretching out toward the beams
g was up there trying to catch white owl.
The vines full of the pesky things Now see
here, Dolly, that plank is an awful dangerous
place; it's right over the race, and if you
should Slip in when the mills running, nothing
short of miracle could save you from being
crushed up against the wheel. It's full 8
quarter of mile around over the bridge, and
body might scream till they were black in
the face before heard them, unless they stood
right in the door. So don't you try it again.
l shouldn't like to think of my wheel crunching
your little bones to flinders"
"Well," answered Dolly, {" won't go there
again if you feel like that; but never fall"
Neither does she" put in viii. "She can
climb and run and jump ten times better than
l can"
Der that" answered the sawyer land don't let
her go there again." Then he turned and
resumed his work.
"Good-by," cried the children, and started
off pell-mell down the road and over the bridge
to their favorite haunt, Dolly skipping and
jumping from one slippery stone to another as
though she had wings, and viii following
more slowly with his basket and rod. The
sawyers words had made him little thought
full and as he watched his sisters careless
movements he called out,
dolly, do take carei don't wonder the
fellows call you Wild Dolly"
DO they?" said Dolly, stopping and look
ing around. Then think they're very mean.
/ never hurt them, [ am sure"
fhay only do for don't to
mad. But l wish you would take care, and
look where you are going. You'll fall"
"Take care of yourself answered Dolly ;
am you need it more than l do"
=" How cross you are to-day!" replied VIII.
What's the matter, Dolly?'
Nothing" said Dolly; only don't want
everybody saying, Take care, calling me
Wild Dolly and all that"
VERY well, responded Will, soberly; "only
I don't want you to hurt yourself
"All right" said Dolly, smiling; I'm not
angry"
By this time they had reached the spot
which they had chosen for fishing place. It
was on the same bank of the river with the
mill, and few yards above it. Above, great
beach-tree spread its arms far out over the
stream, and beneath, a fat rock arose out of
the water, making most excellent spot for
fishing.
At this point the river, rushing by perhaps
for hundreds of years, had worn a little circu-
lar basin or bay in the hard rocks. Here the
water was very deep and still close inshore.
You could see down into the green depths for
many feet, and when the sun shone directly
upon it, you might now and then catch
glimpse of a trout turning his bright sides
hither and thither. Will said it was sort of
resting place" for the fish before they took
the plunge through the race.
Twenty feet from the Shore however, the
river shot by like an arrow; branch or log
floating upon it would fairly seem to fiy A
little beyond the bay the whole current was
compressed into great wooden trough or gut
ter, called the rage" This gutter delivered
the immense power of the stream directly upon
the paddles, or buckets, of the wheel, causing
it to fly around in q continuous cloud of foam
with noise like thunder.
Just where the water poured out of the race
upon the wheel there was strong framework
of plank which ran across the race, close to the
surface of the swiftly running water and very
near the wheel. The framework was for the
purpose of giving strength to the gutter, and
to prevent the water from bursting it to pieces.
Over this plank Dolly had often walked with
out the slightest fear, though it was always
wet and slippery, and single mistep must
have surely dashed her to pieces upon the
wheel. The sawyer had forbidden her to cross
it again, and though she looked at it longingly
as she wandered up and down the banks while
VIII was arranging his lines she did not mean
to disobey.
AT the other end of the race-that Is to say.
farthest from the wheel and nearest the fishing
rock-was another framework of different
character 1t was called the gate" and was
used for the purpose of shutting the water out
of the race, and turning it another way. OF
course, when the gate was shut, no water
could get into the race; what was already in it
would run out, and the wheel would stop.
This gate was simply square of thick plank,
bolted together, of the exact size of the race
trough, SO that when down it would exactly
close the end of it. 1t was arranged to run up
and down in grooves made in two great posts
standing upright on each side of the race.
When the mill was in motion the gate was
hauled to the top of the posts by means of
rope running over pulley, and tied fast.
When the sawyer wished to stop his wheel, all
he had to do was TO unite his rope; the gate
would drop into the trough of its own weight,
and the water would be shut off from the
wheel.
After while Dolly went back to where VIII
was fishing. He seemed to have very poor
luck, for not nibble had yet rewarded his
patience. Dolly sat down beside him, and be-
gan to cut up her bread into squares with her
knife.
YOU'D better eat your bread" said viii,
contemptuously the fish won't touch it,"
"rm sure they would like it better than
those nasty flies and bugs" said Dolly; 81
know would"
But you're not trout, are you?" asked
III Il rbnff tol,1.