Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1895-04-12

LOST AND FOUND.

"Oh," said little child, as she wan
dered hopelessly through the great dark
forest, growing darker as the evening
closed in "Oh, I have strayed from
the path, and | cannot fluid it again, and
shall never more see my fathers house,
and my home and there is no one to
tell me where to go"--but as she toiled
along the rough pathway where the
stones wounded her tender little feet,
and where she stumbled over the great
tangled roots of the forest trees, and
long dead fern stalks-she came to an
old decayed stump where sat u venera-
BILE owl, winking and blinking his great
yellow eyes---for darky as the shadows
were gathering, it was still too light for
this ancient AMI respectable fowl, who,
by the by. belonged to one of the oldest
families in the woods, and was so in
expressibly learned and wise. that there
was not creature in the whole forest
but respected the depths of his wisdom
and the profundity of his intellect, for
not one Of them, from bis own nearest
relation to the humblest chip sparrow
could ever understand what he meant,
when he condescended to speak where
fore he was held in great respect
Venerable bird" said the little child Il
trembling as she spoko-for the solem-
nifty of the owl was awful to behold IL
have lost my way in this dark wood, and
beseech you, to whom the whole forest
must be familiar, to show me the path
to my fathers house"
"Tbat you have wandered from the
way" said the owl with severity, Shows
an innate deficiency on your part, Of the
faculty of ratiocination and cannot
concern myself with one lacking the first
rudiments II philosophical system,
unless you will, to begin with, ackuowl-
edge my perfect infallibiity on all ques-
tons of fact and doctrine"
IF you please sir, said the little
child, greatly dismaycd at the owls
manner, II don't understand what you
mean"
"What presumption !" exclaimed the
owl Indignantly "No one expects you
to. You understand me indeed No
you must take it for granted, or can
not help you forward a step "
"If you please, sir" said the little
child. very timidly, 81 don't know how
Then you are exceedingly wicked"
said the owl severely. "and il you we're
q mouse | would eat you up-but you
are too big"--and with that the owl
spread himself out and rufied up his
feathers and Kissed at the little child so
iiercely that she was frightened, and ran
away as fast as her feet could carry
hor--until stumbling among the tree
roots she fell and hurt herself badly
AS she lay sobbing on the ground.
sudden sunbeam, one Of the last rays Of
evening, slanted down through the thick
foliage, and fell upon wild rose tree
upon which grew cluster Of roses
which waved TO and fro in the evening
wind, filling the air with sudden sweet
ness. Lovely flower" said the little
child to the fairest of the group, will
you tell me the way out Of this dark
wood ?"
"Ah," sighed the rose, 81 know little
of such matters. | talk with the breezes
from morning till highland our talk
is always Of the beautiful They tell me
how beautiful | am, aud tell them how
charming they are, and we dwell in the
ideal, forever-which is our atmos-
phere--and | cannot come down TO the
actual-and you are not Of the Domain
Of the Beautiful-for your eyes are all
swollen up with crying. and you have
torn your pinafore, and you are all mud
and, as | AN alive, you have lost one
shoe. Go along with you. do You
disturb my IDEAL"
Thus repulsed the poor little child
lifted herself YEARLY up aud wandered
on farther and farther into the ever
darkening forest--until she came to a
low thorn bush, where robin red breast
sat all IN little heap ON her young