The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-04-18
THE HAMPsHrRE HILLS.
Lchieago Daily News.l

One afternoon many pears ago two Httse brothers named Seth and Abnez vere playing in the orchard. They were not troubled with the heat of the Angus,
 day. for soEa, cool wind came up from he river in the valley over yondez and
 famed their red cheeks and played all kinds of pranks with their tangled curls. All about them was the hum of bees, the song of birds, the smell of clover, and the merry music of the crickets. Their little dog Fido chased them through the high, waving grass. and rolled with them under the trees, and parked himself hoarse in his attempt to keep pace with their laugh ter. Wearied at length, they lay beneath the bell flower tree and looked of at the Hampshire hills and wondered if the ever would come when they should go ont into the world beyond those hills and be great, noisy men. Fido did not un derstand it at all. He lolled in the grass, cooling his tongue on the clover bloom and puzzling his brain to know why his little masters were so quiet all at once.
 "l wish were man," said Abner, ruefully.
 "I want to be somebody and do some- thing. 1t is very hard to be little boy so long and to have no companions but little boys and girls, to see nothing but these same old trees and this same high grass, and to hear nothing but the same bird songs from one day to another,"
 "That is true," said Seth. "I, too, am very tired of being little boy, and long to go out into the world and be a man like my gran'pa or my father or my un- cles. With nothing to look at but those distant hills and the river in the valley, my eyes are wearied and shall be very happy when am big enough to leave this stupid place"
 Had Fido understood their words he would have reproved them, for the little dog loved his home and had no thought of any other pleasure than romping through the orchard and playing with his little masters all the day. But Fido did not understand them.
 The clover bloom heard them with sad ness. Had they but listened in turn they would have heard the clover saying, softly: Stay with me while you may, little boys trample me with your merry feet let me feel the imprint of your curly heads and kiss the sunburn on your little cheeks. Love me while you may, for when you go away you never will come back"
 The bellhower tree heard them, too, and she waved her great, strong branches as if she would caress the impatient little lads, and she whispered: :" Do not think of leaving me-you are children, and you know nothing of the world beyond those distant hills. It is full of trouble and care and sorrow abide here in this quiet spot till you are prepared to meet the vexations of the outer world, We are for yoH we trees and grass and birds and bees and flowers. Abide with us, and learn the wisdom we teach"
 The cricket in the raspberry hedge heard them, and she chirped, oh so sadly "You will go out into the world and leave us and n ever think of us again till it is too late to return. Open your eyes, little boys. and hear my song of contentment."
 So spake the clover bloom and the bellfower tree and the cricket, and in like manner the robin that nested in the lin- den over wonder, and the big humble bee that lived in a hole under the pasture gate, and the butterfly and the wild rose pleaded with them each in his own way but the little boys did not heed them, so eager were their de tires to go into and mingle with the great world beyond those distant hills.
 Many years went by, and at last Seth and Abner grew to manhood. and the time was come when they were to go in- to the world and be brave, strong men, Fido had been dead long time. They had made him grave under the bell flower tree yes, just where he had remped with the two little boys that August afternoon Fido lay sleeping amid the humming of the bees and the per- fume of the clover. But Seth and Abner did not think of Fido now, nor did they give even passing thought to any of their old frieads-the bellfower tree, the clover, the cricket, and the robin. Their hearts beat with exultation. They were men, and they were going beyond the hills to know and try the world.
 They were equipped for that struggle, not in a vain, frivolous way, but as good and brave young men should be. A gen. tie mother had counsele1 them, a pru- dent father had advised them, and they had gathered from the sweet things of nature much of that wisdom before which all knowledge is as nothing. So they were fortified. They went beyond the hills and came into the west. How great and busy was the worid-how great and busy it was here in the west What a rush and noise and turmoil and seethipg and surging, and how keenly did the brothers have to watch and struggle for vantage ground. Withal, they pros- pered 1; the counsel of the mother, the advice of the father, the wisdom of the grass and Aosers and trees, were much to them, and they prospeIed. Honor and riches came to them and they were happy. But amid it all they never thought of the little home among the circling hills where they had learned the first sweet lessons of life.
 And now they were old and gray. They lived in splendid mansions and all peo- pie paid them honor.
 One August day a grim messenger