Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-05-15

quite made up its mind yet to be
good company. Now it was, that
after two OF three such vain at
tempts to stifle its convivial senti'
ments, it threw of all moroseness,
all reserve, and burst into stream
of song so cosy and hilarious, as
never maudln nightingale yet
formed the least idea of.
SO plain too Bless you, you
might have understood it like
book better than some books you
and could name, perhaps. With
its warm breath gushing forth In
light cloud which merrily and
gracefully ascended few feet, then
hung about the chimney-corner as
its own domestic Heaven, it trolled
its song with that strong energy OF
cheerfulness, that it's iron body
hummed and stirred upon tho fire,
and the lid itself, the recently re-
belious lid-such is the influence
of bright eIample-performed a
sort fig, and clattered like a deaf
and dumb young cymbAl that had
never known the use of It's twin
brother.
That this song Of the kettles was
q song OF invitation and welcome
to somebody out of doors; to some
body at that moment coming on,
towards the snug small home and
the Grip fire; there is no doubt
whatever. Mrs. Peerybingle knew
it, perfectly, as she sat musing be-
fore the hearth. It's q dark night
sang the kettle and the rotten
leaves are lying by the way; and,
above all is mist and darkness, and
below all is mire and clay; and
there's only one relief in all the
sad and murky air; and | don't
know that it is one for its nothing
but a glare of peep and angry Grim
son where the sun and wind tOgeth-
er set brand upon the clouds for
being guilty Of such weather; and
the widest open country is a long
dull streak Of black; aud there's
hoar frost on the finger post, and
throw upon the track and the ice
it isn't water, aud the water isn't
free; and you could not say that
any thing is what it ought to be;
but he's coming, coming =
And here, If you like, the Cricket
did chime inl with Chirrup, CHR
rup, Chirrup Of such magnitude,
by way Of chorus; with a voice, so
astoundingly disproportionate to
its size az compared wish the ket'
tie (sizel you couldn't see 1t } that
II it had then and there burst it.
self like an over charged gun, if it
had fallen a victim on tho spot,
and chirruped its little body into
hfty pieces, it would have seemed
natural and inevitable cOnse-
uuence, for which it had expressly
labored.
The kettle had the last OF its
solo performance. 1t persevered
with undiminshed ardOr; but the
Cricket too< first fiddle and kept
it. Good Heaven, how it chirped J
Its shrill, sharp, piercing voice re-
sounded through the house, and
eeemed to twinkle in the outer
darkness like a star. There was
an indescribable little thrill and
tremble in it at its loudost, which
suggested its being carried of its
legs, and made to leap again, by
ita own intense enthusiasm. Yet
they went very we'll together, the
Cricket and the kettle. The bur
den of the song was still the same
and louder, louder, louder still,
they sang it in their emulation.
The fair little listener-for fair
she was, and young; though some
thing of what is called the dumpl
ing shape; but l don't myself OBJ
ject to that-lighted a candle
glanced at the Haymaker on the
top of the clock, who was getting
in a pretty average crop Of minutes
and looked ont of the window
where she saw nothing, owing tC
the darkness, but her own face
imagined in the glass. And my
opinion is land so would yours
have been), that she might have
looked a long way and seen moth
ing half so agreeable. When sh'
came back, and sat down in he
former seat, the Cricket and th'
kettle we're still keeping it up, Will
a perfect fury of competition. The
kettles weak side clearly being
that he didn't know when he wa'
beat.
There was all the excitement o
a race about it, Chirp, chirp, chirp
Cricket a mile ahead. Hum, hum
hum.m.m Kettle making play in
the distance, like a great top
Chirp, chirp, chirpl Cricke
round the corner. Hum, hum
, hum-m-l Kettle sticking t
him In his own way no idea o
giving in. Chirp, chirp, chirp
Cricket fresher than ever Hum
, hum, hum -m-m! Kettle SLOW
, and steady. Chirp, chirp, cbirp
Cricket going in to finish him
Z Hum, hum, hum-m-ml KEITH
not to be finished. Until at las
they got so jumbled together, il