Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-04-27
TIfE JANET EXPEDITION

IIfE JHNEI EHBE)IIIDN.
An April Day stsry fer Little BsIk.
April had come to Hilltown-one Of the
few things that reached the sleepy little
village as soon as it did the rest of the
world. The spring vacation had come too,
and the three Sheldon children would be at
home till the first of May brought the school
books out again Theirs were not idle
hands however, for every morning the
great basket Of carpet rags appeared and
without distinction Of sex the children
were required to sew a stint The carpet
was TO be Of the chit or miss" variety, so
the long strips Of cloth we're of many col
ors. These were TO be sewed together and
wound in balls weighing one pound ia
net and Jimmy, aged II and 10, had to
do % rags at a sitting, while little Lucy's
sentence, in consideration Of her youth
was half that number II Mrs. Sheldon
had known all about the modern theories
of education she might not have done bet
ter for her restless brood In this way
| they learned lessons in sewing, in combina-
tions of color, in different textures of cloth
and in number and weight-for in their
rather unfounded fear Of reaching the
pound limit before they knew it, they made
frequent journeys to the family steelyards
.
pieces from the old bundles suggested end
less stories to their elders and 80 they
learned family history. Mrs. Sheldon did
not think much about all these results but
she was glad TO have the children quiet
for part Of each day, and TO replace the
worn sitting room carpet.
One morning the children were sitting
on their little stools at work. AS usual
Janet was telling story. Jimmy's stub
by little fingers would have been no match
for her swifter ones, but the willy Jimmy
knew that when his sisters tongue few her
needle Jagged, and always begged for some
thing from the books which he found it far
too much trouble TO read for himself. Just
now Janet was full Of DR.. Kane's Arctic
explorations and she talked, dreamed
and lived nothing else she was very will
ing 10 crafty him. As she grew warm
over her rather cold subject, her needle went
slower and finally lay neglected in her lap.
The tortoise brother chucklsd, plodded on,
and finally broke her story with a trium-
phant Forty nine, fifty. All done Mis-
sy.
"Why, Jimmy Sheldon, and l am all be-
hind | won't say another word, and you
help Lucy through, this time, and then we'll
play we are explorers"
Jimmy scowled at finding he had fallen
into his own snare, but there would be no
fun without Janet to plan it, so he consent
ed. Soon the rag basket went into the clos
ct and the rubber boots came out
The sky was blue, the hens clucked joy
fully as they scratched in the rapidly widen
ing patches of brown earth under the caves
and the sheet of ice that had lain all winter
in the hollow behind the house was changed |
to a little inland sea, with floating ice cakes
and real rolling waves. What place for
playing Arctic explorer Through snow |
that slumped and water that splashed the
chileren rushed. But how tantallHlng 1t
WAS to only be able to stand and look at |
that lovely rolling water, when they want |
ed to swim on it, to sail in it, to take it 10 |
themselves However, they took posses
sion OF it to the best of their limited ability.
When their father drove along the meadow
road an hour later, he beheld his eldest |
daughter wading far out, the water pour
ing over the tops Of hor rubber boots, as
with rake, she tried to free the "Erebus'
caught between two ice-cake. Jimmy, as
polar bear, was padding about on another
ice-cake, while Lucy, who had slipped in
the shallow water, walled dismally, though
Jimmy said she made an excellent seal.
There was stern recall to the house and
a mournful little party was soon plodding
in that direction Jimmy whistling anxious
ly-
Wei stand the storm; 1t won't be long.
Wen anchor by and by
half unconscious OF its application, however,
for the Sheldon's were not pert children.
Wei, they were soon anchored by the kitch-
Ell stove, high ard dry Their mother,
poor, over-worked woman, could not see
why three sane, well instructed children
should rush into an icy pond with no ap-
narent in0uCement eXCeDt the DrOgDeCt of
Group and dlphtheria, and the children felt
dimly that they never could explain. From
her point OF view the penalty was light
Their liberty was restricted to the limits OF
the yard for week, but IN that week the
delightful water would sink INTO the brown
meadow, and the chlldrens grief was deep
As they sat persplrlng In the fierce heat OF
the stove, holding bowls OF ginger tea, 1t
did, occur to Janet that DIR. Kane went to
the tropics when he returned from the polar
regions, but she had not the heart to con
tinue the play
The afternoon dragged away, and she
sowed two beautiful strips of orange flannel
from their nightgowns INTO her ball, with
no more pleasure than if they had been the
common faded calico. But Arctic explor-
ers seldom give up at the first failure, and
Janet did not BY evening her brain was
busy with scheme almost appalling in its
daT1ng-nothlng else than Shipping away
with provisions and furs and spending
whole dark night in tent By morning
ALL the details OF the plans were arranged
and, glowing and trembling, she laid it be-
fore the other children. Jimmy listened
approyingly till she came to the objective
point of the expedtion-the spare chamber
closet. Then he gave roar OF disgust that
almost betrayed the secret;
That is regular girls idea of fun.
/ Why is the spare room closet like the polar
regions y
That sounds like conundrum, said
Janet. ITS the coldest place could think
of, held the candle while mother got
out the blankets the night the lyceum lOc-
turer stayed here, and l thought l never
should feel warm again, But we would
wear our cloaks and there are piles OF quilts
and pillows. We would make hut and
cuddle down as cosy. 1t is so dark and far
away and so large-Cousin Augusta said
| it would make two Spinningville tene-
ments.
But we should be found quiekern
wink.
"No, Jimmy, that's all the best of it.
| Don't you remember that when told you
out of Uncle Toms Cabin" how Classy