River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-05-07
END OF THE RAINBOW.
BY ELIZABETH A. MOORE.

Ever since Nelly could remember she
had known that anyone VITO could reach
the end of a rainbow before il faded
would find there great treasures. Janet,
the nurse, had often told her so, and OF
course Janet knew. The stories did not
always agree as to what these treasures
consisted of, but whatever else there
was or was not, the rot of gold" was
always sure TO be there. Whenever
Nelly had seen a rainbow, in her short
life of five summers, she had been
strongly tempted to hurry off and seek
these wonderful riches; but Janet had
always OBJECTED that the grass was too
wet, or il was too near tea time, OF
given some other reason, so that he end
of the rainbow had never been reached.
But Janet had gone away now, be-
cause something had happened. Nelly
didn't know Just what, that had made it
necessary 10 dispense with a great many
things they formerly had. First the
pony and carriage had gone; and then
Janet, who had lived with them ever
since Nelly could remember, had kissed
her a great many times and gone ava !,
too. And only little while before she
had heard papa and mamma talking
about something which worried them
very much. and her papa said:
I'm afraid we will have to sell the
place and move somewhere else. A few
thousands of dollars would set every
thing right, but 1 don't see where it's
60 come from. and we mustn't go into
debt"
Nelly had not waited TO hear what
her mamma replied. but ran out in the
garden in great grief.
Sell the place, he had said, and move
somewhere elsel Why, Nelly couldn't
bear even to think of such thing. She
loved every part of her pretty home with
its roses climbing over the porch, and
the cool, shady corners where the ferns
ind MOSES grew. IL was bad enough
TO lose Janet and the pony and the other
things which she remembered they used
to have and now did not have; but this
vas too much, and Nelly threw herself
on the grass by her own little flower
bed, where the big pink lady slippers
that she had herself planted were just
coming out, and wept. But not for very
long, for. though such little maiden,
she saw that tears would not solve this
awful problem of what to do, so she
dried her eyes on her apron and tried
TO think. A few thousands of dollars
would set everything right, her father
had said, but Nelly had no more idea of
how much that was than her kitten Puff
wildly scampering around the lawn
after his tail. There was Uncle Ben,
that is, her papa's Uncle Ben, who was
oh, very rich. But then he was away
off and bad not been to see them for a
long time. not since the apple blossoms
long while ago.
Suddenly a bright idea came to her
There was the pot of gold at the end ri
the rainbow, il she could but get il
There had been only one or two rain
bows this summer. but when the mex:
came she would run all the way. 10 be
sure to get there in time. IL was true
they almost always came after thunder
storms, md Nelly was dreadfully afraid
Of thunder, but now she looked up at the
bright, blue sky and sighed that there
was not even a cloud in sight. well,
It's awful hot" she said, hopefully.
"and thunderstorms always come when
IT'S hot, so maybe one will come some
time soon," and, now that this difficult
question was settled. she ran off and had
soon forgotten all about her troubles in
romping with Puff.
After awhile the sky. which had
looked so hoPelessly clear, did begin to
cloud over. and toward evening. for the
first time in her life. Nelly heard with
pleasure, mingled with her childish
dread, the distant roll of thunder. II
came nearer and nearer, and before long
the storm, which had been gathering
AL the while she was taking her after
noon nap, came upon them. She kept
cIcse to her mother all the while the
lightning flashed and the thunder rolled
over the house; for she had TO own that
she was little afraid, even though she
bad been so anxious for the storm 20
come, and was very glad it was not a
very dreadful one. such as they had had
sometimes.
Presently the storm passed over, and
away low down IN the west the sun came
out. To Nelly's delight a bright rain
bow appeared in the east and dropped
down Just by the woods. Now was the
little girls chance. She did not tell her
t,other of her intentions, because she
wanted to surprise her and her father.
so she slipped off through the garden.
never needing the rain which was still
softly falling. She climbed over the
fence at the end of the garden and ran
down the little hill outside. and through
the fields that lay between her home
and the woods where the rainbow
seemed to touch the earth. The grass
vas very wet and poor Nelly's dainty
blue dress was getting sadly draggled
and spotted. She tried TO run between
the drops as Janet had said was the way
to do; but somehow she couldn't manage
IL Just right, and tkeg came tumbling
down on her bare golseu head and eager
baby face. as she hurried on. intent on
her loving errand.
Once she tumbled ovet a tree stump
and scratched her hand, but she only
said: "0h. dear" and rem on toward
the beautiful bow. which SOMEHOW did
not seem to get any nearer. no matter
how far she went. But the woods were
rear. and Nelly could not see the end
of the bow beyond. so il must be in the
woods. and of course the pot of gold
that was 10 secure her pretty home
must be there. too. This thought made
her hurry on again eagerly, as il the
treasure was eiready hers.
She looked back Just as she was en-
tering the y Gods and saw her home
sway of UP the hill. and saw. too. that
the sun WAS almost down. and that the
rain had nearly stopped. Then she gath
cred up ali her courage and went boldly
Into the woods. She pushed through the
low bushes on the edge. and came 20 q
little path. which she followed till sud-
denly, & little way before her, she saw
the tree She was seekingi
She didn't sc the rainbow leading
down to Il. as she expected. but that.
she thought. must be because IL was 30
dark in che woods; but ANYHOW this
FAUST be IL. lt seemed TO he wing On
three crooked sticks stuck a. Z the
round over some de1d leaves ans.
broken branches. and did not glitter at
all. as she had thought il would. In
fact IL hooked more like an iron stewpot
than anything else. and had lid on so
SIZE could not see inside. But Nelly had
r.os tha slightest do,lbt that thiS ,vos fhe.