The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-11-06
WHERE WAS CLiFFORD7
Little BOYS Adventure In = l3lg Field o
WhNnf.

appeared.
1t had been an unusually busy morn
ing for Mrs. Holt: she had been mp
since three o'clock, for tomorrow the
harvesting would begin. and there were
great preparations going on. as in this
prairie home it was the gala time OF all
the year. when the nearest neighbors
came TO help gather the beautiful grain
that waved in the sunlight and covered
thousand acres or more of the sur
rounding country. Nothing but sea
of yellow in every direction.
Little six-year-old Clifford thought
he could remember. Mamma was SO
busy she did not want him in the kitch-
| en-. and 1t was so hot ont Of doors that
he could not play at all.
] At last he ran to his mother just as
she was making her last tins OF biscuit.
and said: Mamma. please put me to
bed; am so sleepy and tired. Rover
is asleep and Kittie and will go too"
run away, Clifford am too busy. II
you are SO sleepy go upstairs and lie
iown in your cot; but you had better
| play until after dinner, then take nap
with me"
Clifford did not like the idea Of going
upstairs alone. SO he ran outdoors to
| play as his mother told him. But the
shade was only in such little place by
the house, and he would just 90 over there
/ by the wheat: it looked cooler there as
the grain waved in the breeze. So he
trotted over the road to the edge OF the
! grain. and sure enough it really was
cooler; SO he sat down in the shadow OF
the tops that stood four feet high. As
he sat there his attention was attracted
ing back and forth into the wheat.
! Suddenly he remembered what his
papa had told him the night before
about these birds, who had built their
nests all through the grain. And Cliff
ford had felt SO sorry for the baby birds
that would be SO cruelty killed by the
big machine. All at once he thought,
Il will GO little way in and find some
nests. and will put them in my hat
and carry them ont in the orchard; how
glad the poor mamma birds will be
when save the little brides lives"
Now. Clifford's mamma had often told
! him never to go away from the house
alone. but he had forgotten all else
now. in his wish to save the lives Of the
young birds that were in such peril.
So into the forest OF yellow glory he
made his way. On and on he
went hunting for the nests. Finally.
the Ioor little man was SO tired OF
making his way and of searching in
vain for the birds that. after an hours
tramp, he decided to 60 home ito his
mamma" So he turned around, and
started back: hut which way was back.
lie was SO small that. in coming through,
he had not broken a single stalk. blu,
had slipped between them, and 50 had
not left trace behind.
lie turned back. expecting, of course,
to come right out in sight of mammals
kitchen-door. and ne wondered il din
ner would be ready. and il mamma
would he glad to see him now. So he
made his way little farther, and then
he thought he would sit down and rest
just little while. and perhaps he would
hear the dinncr-horn blow; then he
would run on home.
When Mrs. Holt finished the biscuit,
IL was time to prepare the dinner. Once
or twice the thought of Clitford's flushed
face came to her, and she thought he
must have gone upstairs after all. be-
cause it had been such long time since
she had seen any thing of him. When
noon came shrill blast of the long tin
horn brought Mr.. Holt and his two men
home to their dinner. TO Mr.. Hollis
inquiry: Where is Clifford?" Mrs.
Holt replied: Asleep. upstairs" His
dinner was carefully put away for him.
and the men returned to their work.
Late in the afternoon Mrs. Holt awoke
with start from the long nap she had
taken on the dining-room sofa, where
she had thrown herself for little rest
before going upstairs. Her first thought
was OF Clifford, and upstairs she few,
into the little room where his cot stood.
He hal not been there at all. nor in her
room. Thoroughly alarmed she wen!
~ into the garnet, where he sometim OF
played; but all was silent and empty.
The next instant the horn sent its call,
echoing over the prairie in blast after
blast, recalling Mr. Holt in great haste.
All was confusion now. What had BE-
come of Clifford
The first thought was Of the small
creek that ran half mile beyond the
house, and its banks were searched in
vain for q trace. They went along the
road for miles in each direction, but
!, nothing was to be seen except the
golden-headed grain on either side
nodding their good night to the setting
sun. At length, as the great full moor
was rising they returned home. The
father, in hopeless despair, not know
his child, whether alive or dead. Mrs
Holt was living over the morning in :
perfect agony of remorse for the hast,
words, and the thought that perhaps
now there would be no Clifford ever t.
, trouble her again.
, Some of the nearest neighlprs hat
n come by this time to join in the search
d just then thought came to Mr.. Hol
@ Of Rover, and calling him, he said
8 where is Clifford? TO find Clifford.
b This he repeated several times unit
2 the dog began smelling on the ground
twas some time before the trac]
q across the road was found, but when /
e was the dog went straight into tn
9 wheat and disappeared. Mr.. Holt fol
i lowed. the moon making it almost a
J. light as day.
After going little way he stoppe
= and called to Rover, thinking wha
y nonsense to be wasting the time in thi
: way. No doubt Rover thought he wa
after birds, and. besides, he was breal
ing the wheat all down, and he had tol
:, Clifford never to 60 into the grain *
;, that very reason. But Rover would n.
. come back, but ran on as IL he unde
y stood just what he was about. So
~ followed as rapidly as he could. All
ct once Rover came to o stand still
vagging his tail gleefully over a bl,
sailor hat in which was nest of lit
= birds. with their mother. Mr.. Holt ";
sure Aow that Rover knew best al