The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1896-12-16
|GbildrenslGsolumD]

TIES, hhything thnt hnd life. IL was
no wonder that grandma looked sur
prised, as she was putting pan OF
cookies into the oven that morning, to
see Susie take her sailor hat from its
accustomed nail, aud announce that
she was going to see her neighbors.
What did the little girl mean?
"Your neighbors exclaimed grand
ma. at is too long walk, child, to
go over to Mrs. Browns or Mrs.
Booths or down in the hollow to call
and, besides the sun is too hot. You
might melt on the road, like the can
die did this morning standing on tho
shelf by the window"
Susie had pleased look on her face
as she said: my neighbors live very
near 10y grandma. Put on your SUM-
bonnet and come with me, and / will
introduce them to you"
"When get my cookies all baked,
dear, 1 will CO."
"Will it be an ever SO long time.
grandma"
''Ob, no, only few minutes; for
I've rolled ont the last tinful, and they
arc in the oven"
"Well, I'll just run over and tell
them you are coming for you are a
stranger, you know, and they might
want to fix up little"
Whatever can the child mean?"
thought grandma, as she took the last
of her cookies out of the tin pan, and
laid them on the platter.
'rm ready now, SUSIE" she called
out; and Susie came running to the
kitchen door.
She took grandma's hand, and led
her to an old apple tree in the
orchard. "This is the house where
my neighbors live, grandma and here
is the door" =.
1t was n small, round hole in tho
trunk of the tree, just low enough for
Susie to reach.
IN knock" she said, "because I'm
bringing strangers.
No answer, 80 she peeped in. "The
lady of the house is out" she whis-
pered, "but the children are nil at
home"
Susie and grandma pecped into tho
door and saw four little birds lying in
nest which father and mother birds
had built in the hollow of the tree.
"The mother does not mind INV
taking the little birds out and look
ing at them every day. She sits up
there in that red apple tree and =
watches me. She never cries out, be-
cause she knows L always bring crumbs
to scatter under the tree, and that I
love her little children and would not
hurt them for anything.
IL never knew We had such near
and such pretty neighbors," said
grandma. al am glad called on
them, and will send them some of
my cookie crumbs this very day."
An old crow sat mp in the top of
grooming apple tree, and kept calling
out something that sounded like 'Look
out! Look ont"
THAT old crow always does that"
said Susie. ''She wants to break up
our acquaintance, ! know, and make
the mother bird think I'm going to
hurt her little ones. She is mischief
maker, that old crow is. I read .
story about mischief maker once
who told stories about her neighbors."
81 guess she wants the crumbs You
bring" spoke grandma! "and that is
the reason she tries to stir up strife.
But I am sure the little mother trusts
you, and knows her neighbor too well
to be influenced against her by that
old crow"
Every day alter that morning Susie
aud grandma went to make call on
their neighbors and carry food to them.
But few days later they went aud
found their neighbours house empty.
Susie felt very sorry; but grandma
told her how the little ones bad
learned to fly, and had gone ont to see
the great world for themselves.
al should not have thought they
would have moved out without letting
me know it, said the little girl, with
tears in her eyes.
But vacation time was almost over.
and, soon after Susie's neghbors went
away, she went too went back to hef<
home in the city, gathered her school