Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-09-04


thian-the seeking for nests in the young
larch- trees, the swinging on the beechen
boughs, the long days gathering of black
berries, the fishing which bent pin and
worm in the meadow pool, where the
clear brown barn ran deeper under the
grassy bank. And the pet rabbits, and
the squirrels, and starlings and nests OF
young "linties this poor little devil
knew no more of these than he did of
apple-laden orchards or of breezy heather
slopes, and glens where daring and climb
ing could get at the ripe red cherries Of
the rowan. What an infancy to drag
through among foundries and factories
and railway works, grimy stone walls
everywhere, the air opaque, the skies OF
this monotonous, melancholy hue And as
for playthings
What would We buy if give We pen
ny, my man ?" Ronald asked of him.
The tatterdemalion looked up, but did
not answer Perhaps his experience in
that direction was limited; more proba-
bly, STILL he imagined that the stranger
was merely chatting him.
There you are y and Ronald offered
him the penny. But he made no effort to
take it. Doubtless he surmised that
1.-THE man" would snatch it away ere he
got II that Is familiar joke. And then
at last he made bold to take 1t, wondering
apparently that 1.-THE man" did not seize
it again, or cuff his ears, or something Of
the like and then he looked up sus-
piciously
LIST guild yin ?"
"Why, of course It Is. Can't you tell a
good penny from bad one -
The next moment he had disappeared
He had sneaked out into the rain, no
doubt fearful that the stranger would rob
him again of this precious thing that he
held fast in his fingers And so Ronald
resumed his blank gazing out into the
muddy and misty world.
At length the rain moderated some
what, he issued out from this shelter, and
set forth for the town. "A tramway-Car
passed HIM, but he had no mind to he
damned in among-t lot of elderly
women, all damp and with dripping UNI
brellas. Nay. he was trying to convince
himself that the very discomfort of this
dreary march homCward, through mud
and drlzzlc and fog, was wholesome
thing. After that glimpse of the kind of
country that lay outside the town-in this
direction at east-there would be less
temptation for him to throw down his
books and go OFF for idle strolls. He
assured himself that he ought to be glad
| that he found no Nerdant meadows and
| purling brooks that. on the contrary, the
aspect of this suburban territory was suf-
ticiently appalling to drive him back to
| lodgings All the same, when he arrived
there he was somewhat disheartened and
/ depressed, and he went up the stone
staircase slowly: and when he entered
| that solitary, dull little room and sat down,
| he felt limp and damp and tired-tired
after a few miles walk. And then he
| took to his books again. with his mouth
set hard.
/ Late that night he was sitting, rs usual.
/ alone. and rather absently turning over
/ his papers; and already it had come to
this, that now when he Glanced to read
any of these writings of his of former
days, they seemed to have been written
/ by some one else. Who was this man,
/ then. that seemed to 90 through the world
with n laugh and n song, as it We're, rating
this one, praisng that, having it all bis
own way, and with never thought of the
morrow But there was one piece in
| particular that struck home. 1t was the
description of the little terrier he had
penciled it on the back Of an envelope one
warm summer day when he was lying at
full length on the heather, with Harry
not half a dozen yards or, his nose be
tween his paws. Harry did not know that
his picture was being taken
Aud, gray, and grizzled yellow cen;
nose az browns a berry;
A wit AZ sharp rs ony preen-
That's my wee Chicftain Harry.
Lord sakes the courage of the man.
The biggest barn-yard ratten,
He'll snip him by the neck, " o'cr-han',"
As he the dell had gatten.
And when his masters works on hand
lnCrc none lnaun come Nnpar him
The biggest Duke in all scotland.
My Harry's teeth would tear him.
But ordinar', wiss-lilie fowl or freen.
He's harmless as II kitten;
As soon he'd think o. worryin'
hennie when she's sittin'.
But Harry, lad, ye're CROWN aud;
Your days are gettin fewer;
And maybe Heaven has made fauld
For such wee things as you are
And what strange kintra will that be?
And will they fill your Goggles;
And wi atna strange folk there will SEQ
There's water for the dogges?
Ae thin | brawly ken It's this
Ie may hae work or play there,
But if your master once ye miss,
I'm bound ye Wilma stay there.
II was the last verse that struck home
1t was through no failure of devotion OH
the part of the faithful Harry that he was
now at Inver- Mudal 1t was his master
that had played him false, and severed
the old companionship. And he kept
thinking about the little terrier, and won
dering whether he missed his master as
much as his master missed him ant
wondering whether Meenie had ever {
word for him as she went by-for she anC
Harry had always been great friends
Nay, perhaps Meenie might not take it il
if Maggie wrote to her for news of tn,
little dog and then Meenie would an
swer, and might not her letter take {
wider scope, and say something about the
people there, and about herself Surely
she would do that, and some fine morning
the answer-in Meenie's handwriting
would be delivered in Abbotsford Place
and he knew that Maggie would not bt
long in apprising him OF the same. Per
haps, indeed, he might himself becom,
possessed Of that precious missive, an(
bring it away with him, and from time
to time have a glance at this or that sen
tence of tin Meenie's own actual hand
writing-when the long dull work of tn,
day was over and his fancy free to 4,
away to the north again, to Strath- Terry
and Clebrig, and Loeb Naver, and the
neat small cottage with the red blinds II
the windows. 1t seemed to him Ions
time now since he had left all of these; h
felt as though Glasgow had engulfed him
while the day of his rescue-the day o
|, the fulfllment of his ambitious designs
was now growing more and more distan
and vague and uncertain leaving hin
only the slow drudgrry OF these wear,
hours But Meenie's letter would be