Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1884-11-20
A LION IN THE PATH j..
BY LESLIE THoRNE.

BY LESLIE THoRNE.
Children" said Miss Hewitt, look
ing az stern as 1t was in the nature of
her good humored face to be, d" you
must be quieter. You must leave off
talking about lions and leopards | Now
listen l want you all to understand
ne. The first child who says the word
. Menagerie after this, remains half
All hour after lessons 10 repeat poetry to
me-"
AT this notice there was dead silence
in the district school. Not one in
their number wanted to stay behind
with :" Poetical Favorites 1" and Miss
Hewitt. especially as there was TO be
grand show Of wild beasts in the village
| that very afternoon at tour o'clock, and
every child who could possibly coax
his cr her parents or guardians out of
| the adm ttance fee, was to be present.
There were marvellous rumors floating
about AZ TO the size of the elephant, the
| ferucity of the bear, the savage green
eyes of the Leopard, and the waggish
tricks of the little Inhabitants Of the
monkey-caee. For you see, the young
Jewellers of the faraway Western vii.
lage were not accustomed like city
children to such displays, and the very
sound of the cornet and piccolo was
enough TO SGT their hearts beating with
delight.
| care You going to the. show 2"
Billy Morton penciled on the slate,
which he passed under tho desk to
John Micklebury. For, as you may
have observed, although the children
were forbidden to speak, there was
Dothing said about writing. John
Micklebury nodded his carroty-red head
and beaned all over with delight, while
he surreptiticusly showed a silver quar-
his hand. Iu fact, everybody was GO
pa rem Is and earned his living by doing
farm work for DIR. Spelnian. And when
this " ork was not very pressing, he
was allowed to pick up little schooling
now and then. He was a kindly, quiet
sort of lad, good scholar and fran k,
honest play fell wv, but in spite of ali
this, the other lads would call him
Stable Boy" and hint, darkly, that
he was born in the poor house, to poor
Danny's great dissatisfaction.
Daniel Martin would have liked to go
to the menagerie a. well as anybody.
But he had no money, and when he had
ventured to hint the subject to DIR.
Spelman, that gentleman had said
:" Pshaw 20 in a tone OF voice which
put an end to the discussion at once. So
he gave his whole attention to his
ancient history, and left of thinking
about lions, tigers, and cunning little
tangles Of monkeys tied by the tails
into one general knot.
But Just az the children were issuing,
whoopinp and yelling, into the school
green, farmer Nidman came by in his
OK cart.
"Hallo, you young ones," said he /;
=" you'd better look out. :"
What for 2" they all shouted at
once.
1.-THE lion IL loose, that's all 70 said
Mr.. NidmaD. He's been seen III Jheee
| W oCds. There's dreadful to do in the
village, You'd best ali go hcme as
strais hit and as fast as you can. The
lion would make nothing of chawing
up all your bones for his supper, and
then not have enough"
A thrill of terror ran through the
little crowd. Miss Hewitt WAS already
lgone i'll her brothers red wagon, 80 that
Itbey had no one to consult with. Some
ldarted off as fast AS they could, re-
Isolved to give the lion good race
before they consented To 10 "oheWed
up" into supper for him-others armed
themselves with big stones and fence
trails, determined TO fight to the end.
And when Daniel Martin, who always
Iswept and tidied up the chool house.
lin consideration OF Miss Hewitt giving
him drawing lessons every Wednesday
land Friday, came ont, with his books
all strapped together, he found Mrs
Bartley's three little children crying
by the we'll.
What is the matter 2" said good.
natured Dan, quite forgetting that little
Peter Barley had shouted Stable boy,
stable boy % after him, on the play
Igronnd, that very noon.
"The lion, the lion l" cried the
three children in chorus. Hes loose
somew here IN the woods. And we're
afraid to go home"
"Look here" said Dan, "I'll go with
lyou across the bridge, and then you
won't be afraid to 60 the rest of the
way by yourselves !''
So Dan guided them safely across the
bridge, but even then, they chung TO
him with terror and entre;sties.
Dear Dan, good Dan," said they,
I"take us all the way home Because,
lust ..s sure AZ you leave, We shall b-
, devoured by the lion and, Dan, If
} you II go TO the left, across the swampy
meadows, we can go home through the
new woods, where the lion won't
D think of going.
81 Dan laughed, but consented. They
were such little children, and 50 dread.
! fully fri hteued that he could not find
it In his heart to leave them
n They got stuck once or twice In the
boes and1 morasses of the swampy
. mead ows, and finally lost their way III
0 the new woods. Peter BARLEY had
declared that he knew ali about ir, but
he became hopelessly bewildered III
9 soon as they got into the deep shadow
q of the dense forest. So that 1t wa
Q nearly dark before Dan left them safely
0 ut their fathers house.
"You'd better stay here all night
? Danny" said Mrs. Bartiey. . IT.,
! dark, outdoors, and supper Is JUS
! ready :.
v 1 p