Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-08-29
NO. 35.

clare which Of his sheep had remained In Mr..
Lynn's flock
But Mr.. Lynn protested against the wrong
being done him, as a number Of his choicest
animals were picked out and put over the
fence. His lawyer was restless and seemed
anxious TO delay the proceedings, at length
| saying;
81 am looking for another witness"
ut won't do much good, fancy" said
Groen, with a triumphant laugh
Mrs. Lynn drove rapidly up In her spring
wagon, and her husband looked eagerly TO see
who was with her
Jack !" ho exclaimed "But what good
can he do, I'd like to know 2"
Mr. Bright's laugh took on q soornful tone
as he saw the new witness.
'Ho, hol Mr.. Bright, is that your new
witnessP heavy weight, 1 must say Who
do you s'pose is going to take the testimony
OF little scapegraoe ragamufiin like that, ehl
And against mel"
II am not going to ask the boy 10 testify
am going to let the sheep testify for them
selvos Now, gentlemen, Mrs. Lynn believes
that their Bheop know the voice of this boy
and will come at his call, and II is my puF-
pose to submit their testimony to the decision
of the court Mr.. Green's sheep have only
beon lately pastured here. Now, my boy,
stand on this fence, and let's see II the sheep
Will claim the honor OF your acquaintance"
Jack leaped upon the fence which divided
the two fields, and ran a little way along It.
For moment there was q huskiness in his
throat and dimness in his eyes as he turned
to the pasture in which he had spent the only
happy hours his life had ever known. He
gave one look at his peaceful, white-fleeoed
pets, and then, turning his face the other
way, his voice rang out clear and distinct on
the crisp air.
'Hiho, hiho, hiho, hiho-o.o.o-o, my beau
ties! Come Daisy-fao come, Oloud-wbite,
come, my Tripsy-toes and Hippety- hop and
Hobbledehoy come, Jack and Jill and Olo-
yer and Buttercup. Hilla, hilla, hilla, ho-o-o.
90, my Hop, Skip and Jump, come with
yer patterin' and yer wiggle waggle tail, my
wooly backs Where be you, my Jolly boys,
bekin' up yer heels in the wind2 Come,
Snip aud Snap and Serum, and Flax and Film
| ders and Foam"
AT the sound of his voice few white heads
were raised among the grazing flock In Mr..
Iynn's field then more, and then a commo-
| tion stirred the quiet creatures. BleatinR,
they ran to the fence where Jack stood, and
crowded about him, almost clambering over
each other in their efforts TO reach him. But
little heed was paid to them, for all we're
watching Mr.. Green's sheep. There was .
stir among them, too, for nine-tenths OF the
| flock, alarmed by the unknown voice cutting
60 sharply through the still air, had turned
and fed, and we're huddling In white mass
in distant corner, while about twenty had
bleated their recognition of friend and hur-
rying up with run and jump, were gath
| ering close about him. And Jack spranR
down among them, and with arms around the
neck and face buried in the heecy back of one
of his special favorites, was sobbing as il his
| heart were breaking.
Mr.. Bright danced about like school-boy,
swung his hat, and pitched it high in the air.
"Hurrah hurr8h! hurrah for boys and
sheep! They are the best witnesses l want
Mr.. Lynn's case is the soundest one l ever
carried before a court"
"Witresses!" growled Mr. Green. "Aro
you such idiots as to suppose that this will
amount TO anything in law 2"
1t did amount to something in law, howev-
er, as Mr. Green found out when tho judges
decision was given.
As soon as the men were gone, Mrs. Lynn
bent over Jack, whose head was still bowed.
Jack, my boy, don't cry So Don't You
know you have friends all around your"
Yes. Look at 'em, )" and he looked about
with O smile.
Yes, the sheep, and plenty more II you
will. oh, Jack, we're all your friends. Tho
loving Shepherd told you of has sent US TO
try TO do you good. He wants you to follow
Him just as the sheep come at the sound Of
your voice, because they love you and you
love them. Do you want to stay here aud
take care of them ?"
Stay here with you and the sheep?" JACKIE
eyes, beaming with JOY and gratitude, frank
ly met hers.
II think we've found the soft place at last"
him on the sunny hillside. .-Harper's Young
peODk