Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1889-05-07
MIscELLANEoUs.
The chiId's Story.

Once upon time. good many years ago,
there was traveller, aud he set ont upon a
journey. It was n magic journey, and was to
seem very long when he began it, and very
short when he got half way through.
He Travelled along rather dark path for
somo little time without meeting anything,
until at last he came to beautiful child
what do you do here?" And the child said
81 am always ut play. Come and play with
mel"
So, he played with that child tho whole day
long, and they were very merry. The sky was
so bluc, and the sun was so bright, the water
was so sparkling, the leaves were so green, the
flowers were so lovely, and they heard such
singing birds and saw so many butterflies that
everything was beautiful. This was in fine
weather. When 1t rained. they loved to watch
the falling drops and to smell the fresh scents.
When it blew. it was delightful to listen to the
wind and fancy what it said, as it eame rush
ing from its home-where was that, they won
dered -wlistling aud howling, driving the
clouds before 1t. bending tho trees, rumblIng in
the chimneys, shaking the house, and making
the sea roar in fury But, when 1t showed,
that was the best of all for they liked nothing
SO well as to look at the white flakes falling
lhbb Altle
millions of white birds, and to see how smooth
aud deep the drift was, and to listen to the
hush upon the path and roads.
They had plenty of the finest toys in the
world and the most astonishing picturc-books; !;
all about scinitars aud aliPpers and turbans,
and dwarfs and giants and genii and fairies,
and blue-bsirds and bean-staIks and riches aud
csVerns and forests aud Valentines and orsons,
and all new and all true.
But one day, of sudden, tho traveller lost
the child. He called to him over and over
agaip, bnt got no answer. So he went upon
his road, and went on for little while without
meeting anything. until ut last he came to
handsome boy. so he said to the boy, ''what
do You do here ?" And the boy said, ''I am al-
ways learning. Como and learn with me-
So he learned with that boy about Jupiter
and Juno, and tho Greeks and the Romans, and
don't know what and learned more than I
could tell-or he either, for he soon forgot a
deal of it. Bnt they were not always learning
they had tho merriest games that ever was
played. They rowed upon the river in sum
mer and skated on the ice in winter; they were
active afoot and active on horseback at q
cricket and all games at ball; at prisoners
base. hare and hounds follow my leader, and
more sports than can think of. nobody could
beat them. They had holidays too, and
Twelfth cakes, and parties where they danced
till midnight, and real theatres where they saw
palaces of real gold and silver rise ont of the
real earth, and saw all the wonders of the
world at once. AS to friends, they had had
ouch dear friends and so many of them that !
want the time to reckon them up. They were
all young. like the handsome boy, and were
never to be strange to one another all their
lives through.
Still, one day, in the midst OF all these
pleasures. the traveller lost the boy us he lost
the child, and after calling to him in vain went
on upon his journey. So he went on for little
while without seeing anything, until at last he
came to young man. So he said to the young
man, What do you here ?"
| And the young man said. 81 avn always in
| love. Come and love with n.e.'
| So he went away with that young man, and
presently they came to one ofthe prettiest girls
THAT ever was seen-just like Fanny in the cor.
ner there-and sho had eyes like Fanny, and
hairlik Fanny. and dtmples like Fanuy's, and
she laughed and colorcd inst as Fanny does
while am talking about her. So the young
man fell in love directly-just as somebody
won't mention, the first time no came here, die
with Fanny. Welt he was teased sometime
just as somebody used to be by Fanny aut
they quarreled sometimes-just as somebody
and Fanny used to quarrel. and they made +
up; and sat in the dark, and wrote letters every
day and never were happy asuDder, aud wer,
always looking ont for one another and pre-
tending not to, and were not engaged a
Christmas time, aud sat close TO one anothcl
by the ire, and were going to be married verl
Eoou-ail exactly like somebody won't men
tion and Fanny!
i But the traveller lost them one day as he liat
lost the rest of his friends, and, after callfngt
them TO COME back. which they never did, wen
on for a little while without seeing anything
until at last he came TO a middIe-aged gentle
man. So he said to the gentleman, =. What ar
you doing here2 And his answer was. 8 ar
always busy. Como and be busy With me-
So he began 70 be very busy with that gentle
man. and they went on through the woods tc
gether. The whole journey was through
wood, only it had been open and green at lirsi
fike a wood in spring, and now began to b
thick and dark, like wood In summer som
of the little trees that had come ont earlier
were even turning brown. The gentleman wa
not alone but had lady of about the sam
age with him, who was his wife; and they ha
children, who were with them, too. So the
! all went on together through the wood. cuttIn