The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-01-27

little LJy ana fldO became laSt Iriehus
in time, and almost every day they Wis.
tied together in the pasture. The old
wOOdchuck-hOary and SCARED vet.
eran that he was-had wonderful
stories to tell-stories Of marvellous adj
ventures, of narrow escapes, OF battles
9Th cruel dogs and Of thrilling ex'
periences that were altogether new to
his wondering listeners. Meanwhile
the red-headed woodpecker's eggs in
the hollow maple had Matched, and
the proud mother had great tales to
tell of her baby birds-of how beauti-
full and knowing they were, and OF
VIDA good noble birds they were gong
to be when they grew up. The yellow
bird, too, had four fuzzy little babies
in her nest in the lilac bush, and every
now and then she came to sing to the
little boy and Fido of her darlings
Then, when the little boy and Fido
were tired with play, they would sit in
the rowen near the fence-corner and
hear the flower tell story the dew had
brought fresh from the stars the night
before. They all loved each other
the little boy, Fido, the old woodchuck,
the red-headed woodpecker, the yellow
bird and the fower-yes, all through
the days of spring and all through the
summer time they loved each other in
their own honest, sweet, simple way.
But one morning FidO sat on the
front porch and wondered why the lit
tie boy had not come to the fence cor
ner and called to him. The sun was
high, the men had been long gone to
the harvest fields and the heat of the
early autumn day had driven the birds
to the thickest foliage of the trees
Fido could not understand why the III
tie boy did not come; he felt, oh! 81
lonesome, and he yearned for the SCUM
Of a little voice calling ''goggie. Cog
gle, google. :,
The red.headed wood-pesker could
not explain it, nor could the yellow
bird. Fido trotted leisurely down to
the fence-corner and asked the flower
if she had seen the little boy that morn
ing. But no, the flower had not laid
eyes on the little boy, and she could
only shake her head doubtfully when
Fido asked her what it all meant. AT
last in desperation Fido braced himself
for heroic solution of the mystery,
and as loudly as ever he could he
barked three times-in the hope, you
know, that the little boy would hear
his call and come. But the little boy
did not come. D. n'''Jj .s.l't
Then Fido trotted sadly down the
lane to the pasture to talk with the old
woodchuck about this strange thing.
The old woodchuck saw him coming
and ambled out to meet him.
"But where is our little boyP" asked
the old woodchuck.
Il do not know" said Fid0. 81
waited for him and called to him again
and again, but he never came"
All, those were sorry days for the lit
tie boys friends, and sorriest for Fido.
Poor, honest Fido, how lonesome he
was and how he moped about! How
each sudden sOund-how each football
startled him! He he sat all those days
upon the front door-stoop. with his eyes
fixed on the fence-corner and his rough
brown ears cooked up as il he expected
each moment to see two chubby arms
stretched out toward him and to hear
q baby voice calling "goggie, google,
google.
Once only they saw him-Fido, thu
flower, and the others! 1t was one day
when Fido had called louder than usual
They saw little figure in night-dresl
come to an upper window and lean hi
arms out. They saw it was the little
boy. and, obi how pale and i'll b.
looked. But his yellow hair was al
glorious as ever, and the dimples came
back with the smile that lighted hi
thin little face when he saw Fido; ant
he leaned on the window easement ant
waved his baby hands feebly, and cried
"Goggie! goggiel' till Fido saw the lit
tie boys mother come and take hin
from the window.
One morning Ndo came to the fence
c0rner-how very lonely that spot
seemed now--and he talked with tn
flower and the woodpecker; and tn
yellow bird came, too, and they al
talked Of the little boy. And at tina
very moment the old woodchucl
reared his hoary head by the hole o
| the pasture, and he looked this wa!
and that and wondered why the littl'
boy never came any more.
4 Suppose" said Fdo to the yellow
bird, ''suppose you fly to the window
way up there and see what the ittl
boy is doing. Sing him one Of you
pretty songs. and tell him We are lone
some without him-that we are wait
ing for him in the old fence-corner.
Then the yellow bird did as Fid
asked-she few to the window wher
they had once seen the little boy, and
alighting upon the sill, she peered int
the room. In another moment sh
was back on the bush at Fido's side.
| HE is asleep" said the yellow bird
"Asleepr cried FidO.
Eyes, said the yellow bird, she
fast asleep. l think he must be dream
ing beautiful dream, for I could see
smile ON his face and his little hand
were folded on his bosom. Their
were flowers all about him, and bu
for their sweet voices the chamber wa
very STILL" ~ tsIeksA a 'NeAH
"Come, let us wake him." said Fidt
'let US all call to him at once. The
perhaps he will hear US and awake
and answer-perhaps he will come"
So they all called in chorus, Fido an
the other honest friends. They Gale
90 loud that the still air of that autumn
morning was strangely startled, and Il
old woodchuck in the pasture way o
yonder heard the echoes and VOL
dered
Little boy! Little boy!' they calle'
why are you sleeping! Why are yo
sleeping, little boyr'