Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-02-01

lingering pansies are shivering.
must go and comfort themo
Bloom vanished silently, and Red
leaf spoke: "My children, the oaks
and ivies, the sumachs and naples,
are brown and leafess now,' said
she, "but by and by, when the sap
begins to run again, the naples will
be ruddy with young leaves. A month
ago I gave the forest it's bushes, and
leaves hang yet on the trees I must
shake them off, or they will vex the
| branches
| Red-leaf vanished, and her depart
ure was like the winds tirring the fall
en- leaves. Only Remover was left.
"When have gone to do my work, :"
said she to Kitty, "look into your cup,
and you will see us as we are"
II should like to ask you one ques
tion," said Kitty. eff your work is
really to care for the birds and flow
ers' why do you sit and knit?''
''Our knitting is our work in dis
guise,' replied the witch. 'sThat goes
on at all times, but we take our real
form only when we are exerting our
powers to bring about changes. My
work is to cover the earth in it's desc
lation, and to keep alive the seeds
that would otherwise perish through
the winter. [ go to it now" AS she
spoke, she faded from sight like a
dissolving cloud. Kitty was alone,
and somewhat frightened.
For some moments she sat staring
at the spot where Remover had dis
appeared. Then she took up her cup
and looked into it. Oh, how deep it
was. Looking into it was like look
ing into we'll, or rather like looking
through an open window before
which, far away, landscapes grew and
faded like the pictures called dissolv
ing views.
She saw the plains of the west,
dried and scorched with heat, the fine
dust blew in clouds, choking and
binding the long trains of emigrants
toiling toward the hill. Desolation
was around them, hopeless distance
before them. But clouds came roll
ing over the plain, the atmosphere
became humid. The weary men look
ed glad, and the WOmen's patient fac
es Frightened. And to Kitty's vision
the clouds were not clouds, but a CO.
lossal woman, with the mists for her
garments, and the wet wind for her
breath. Rain bearer was doing her
work.
Another picture grew out of this
a river flowing TRANQUILITY between it's
banks, turning mills, and carrying
RATS and vessels along with its cur
rents. But as Kitty looked at it, the
river appeared not as a river, but as
the same beautiful woman, turning
the mill wheels with transparent
hands, and carrying the white-sailed
ships in her bosom.
The landscape changed. Meadows
and groves appeared, alive with birds
auttering and singing in every bush
had it's nest of warblers. Among
them went a loving-faced young girl,
showing the timid ones where to
build their nests, finding sticks and
straws for others, and singing to en-
courage the tired. She took the ten
derest and most frightened little
songsters in her hands, smoothed
their feathers, and held them against
her cheek, and there was a crowd of
them fiuttering about her wherever
she went.
This scene gave place to a wide
landscape in the pale colors of early
spring The grounds were bare ex-
cept where the grass was feebly
springing up. A lovely child was
running here and there, and where
ever she stepped, flowers began to
bloom, and opened one after another
until the earth looked like a vast gar
den. The child went ceaselessly
among the flowers, and her passing
was always followed by more brill
ant bloom. Kitty looked on delighted,
wishing that she might pick some of
the flowers.
AS she looked, the flowers became
indistinct, the scene changed; it was
autumn, and the leaves were dying.
The sumachs were scarlet, the oaks
deep crimson and brown, the naples
glowing like live Goals, and the beech
es mass of shivering gold. Among
the trees walked slowly a beautiful
grave woman, who sighed as she
that it was Red-leaf grieving over the
short-lived beauty of autumn
Once more the landscape quivered,
grew misty and changed. Kitty saw
the earth bare and brown, the trees
naked, everything desolate. Out of
the gray sky futtered a few snow
flakes. They fell faster, till the air
was white. And where they were
thickest, Remover appeared, white
and large and lovely, her outstretch
ed hands scattering the snow, spread
ing it over the bare fields, and drap-
ing it about the trees.
ssThe seeds will sleep warmer for
it, thought Kitty. elbow glad I am
that I have seen all this.''
She was growing very cold. She
tried to rise from the table, land in so do