Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1891-01-09
BESSiE'S BEAR.

How She Escaped Terror OF the Woods
and Learned II Fact in Natural History.
The Benson family were leaving home
for the summer This does not mean
that they were shutting up house in
the city in order to spend few months
at some fashionable resort among the
mountains. They were already very
much in the country indeed, as they
lived in the wild woods, fifty miles
away from the nearest town, and the
children, Eugene, aged twelve, and Bes-
sic, aged six, had never in their lives
seen oven the outside of church or
school-house. Leaving home foc the
summer meant, with them, piling mat
tresses and chairs and tables on a
fiat boat which was poled across
the wide shallow river that lay
between what they called the winter
house Though there is seldom any win
ter on the Florida COAST, and the pal
mettoZNaf-covered summer house that
stood so near the white sand-hills, just
beyond which dashed the breakers, that
there was no danger there of chills and
fever during the hot season. 1t was
built Of logs, and we'll ventilated with
cracks. and the roof was sometimes
blown off during the equinoctial gales,
hurrying the return Of the Benson fami-
ly to their more comfortable home on
the other side Of the river.
When moving time came Mrs. Benson
used to express tho wish that she might
pack Bessie up in large covered
basket, as she did the crockery. Eugene
was big and strong enough to make
himself useful on such occasions, but
Bessie did nothing but las her father
expressed it), make herself numerous.
On the movingday of which l write,
she seemed worse after landing on what
the children called the wild side of the
river than she had been before leaving
the tame side. Here, there and every.
where she was, so her mother told her,
as great bother as Buchanan, the dog,
who was dashing hither and thither
among the bushes, barking at nothing
and nobody, until Mrs Benson was
ready to go distracted.
80, Bessie, l wish you would behave
less like Buch, and more like Victoria, y
said she pointing to sleeping cat
81 don't want to go to sleep on pile
of pillows" replied Bessie; but If you
will let me, FL help Eugene bring the
chairs ashore"
eyes; and fall down on the oyster
bank, and get yourself SCARED up ant
covered with mud. If you really wisf
to be useful, take this fly-brush anG
Buchanan, and go up to the house. You
can not miss your way, as you have
only to follow that path leading ovel
the hill and through the hammock
Sam and Dophne, who came over in the
canoe early this morning, are up there
sweeping out the house, so you needn'
be afraid"
Suppose l meet a bear?" objected
Bessie, looking obviously up the high
thickly-wooded hill over which tn,
path led.
"Buch will drive away all the bear
you will meet" said Eugene. "Yo1
ale an awful littla coward for big CIR
like you-six years old yesterday"
81 amt a cowardw exclaimed Bessie
"But mamma, if l meet bear, II
haze to climb tree, though you said
must stop Icing tomboy when l wa
six years old"
"Climb tree!" said Eugene. SIS tho
all you know about bears?"
And he was about to impart some {
his own superior knowledge when Mrs
Benson, who was worried, and in n
mood for natural history, interrupte
him with
'Oh go on, Bessie! If you meet
bear, you may climb the very highe'
tree you can find; but take good care {
my nice fly-brush, If you get tired, yo
can stop and gather pop-berries alon
the way"
81 wonder if Bessie has got to I'll
house yet" said Eugene, some tin
later when, having seen every thin
7 safely landed, he and his mother al
Victoria ION his shoulder), began IL
ascent of the hill. "She is an awf
7 slow walker"
, "Yes," returned Mrs Benson, whC
5 they reached the top, and the house,
: quarter of mile away, came into vie
n II do not see any thing of her along II
path"
d "What Is that down yonder at Il
Q foot Of the hillP" asked Eugene. ~
y believe it is your nice new peacock 9
S brush she has dropped on the ground
It And so it was. And when tn
o reached the spot where it was lyin
!. they heard a scared little voice amo
the branches of a scrub-oak close by:
l. 80 mamma, I'm so glad you ha
Q come! Buch is running after a
d black bear If l had not climbed
@ here, he'd have caught me. The
:. Don't you hear themP They are co
Is ing this way again"
u And so they were, hurrying throu
the underground like mad.
s. Bowl WOW! WOW" said Buchani
m Cuff! CUFF! guffr' said the black amin
IT OF which he was in chase.
Q, "Hol no! ho!" laughed Eugel
1t Look, mamma, at what Bessie cali
g. bearT
le Give me the cat" said Mrs. Bens,
as land go and help the child down ont
- ,he tree"
| "Well, it looked like bear anyAo'