The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-01-16


asked the man.
No" John answered. He is out
haying in the meadows"
WAL" said tn man, 81 can't leave
the horses to draw the water, and the
elephant and the camel can't be left
alone. They get scared without their
keepers"
"Tll draw the water" John re-
piled.
"All right! You'll find they drink
more than you cal'late, and l will
give you twenty cents for the job,"
the man said.
He was right. At first it was only
fun to let the bucket down and draw
it up dripping, and hear the water
splash into the trough. But it seemed
as if the elephant never would get
enough. Aud then the camel took
his turn; and Barbara said, HE must
be getting ready for long ride in
the desert. he is filling himself so
full"
After he had done, came the calico
horse. and then the two white ones,
and then the little pony. How Johns
arms did ache; though Barbara came
to the rescue, and helped pull the
bucket up, too. But finally there
was chance to rest; and the twenty
cents was handed over.
Now, sonny" asked the man,
''how far is it to Harrisville?"
"Five miles," said John.
Give miles," gasped the man.
"And these here beasts are all tuck
cred out with the HEATH
"There's shorter way" suggested
Barbara, two miles and half by
the cross-cut through the woods"
"Could | find it," the man asked.
'Oh. yes: it's just as easy ex-
planned John. "You cross that field,
and then comes the wood; and, after
a while, path turns off, but you
must not take that one, nor any of the
paths, till you come to the one where
all the checkerberry- leaves are"
"And you take that path" inter-
rupted Barbara, land go up hill:
and then, when you see some birch
trees,-not the first birch-trees, but
the pretty ones, you know,-you turn
to the left and go past a white house,
and then you can see Harrisville.'
My" the man gasped. 81 amt
used to havin' checkerberry plants and
pretty birch-trees for the guide posts.
l guess we'll have to go by the road"
Then he looked at the tired animals,
and hesitated. Il s'pose you and
your sister wouldn't like to show us
the way, not if changed that TWEEN
ty cents into fifty cent piece"
The children could hardly believe
their ears. John turned three somer-
saults before he could speak; and
Barbara began to sing, and danced
about the old we'll as lightly as bit
Of thistledown.
81 declare" the man said, "you
kin dance most as good as Sarah
Eliza"
as Sarah Eliza your little girl9"
asked Barbara.
Eyes" he answered, you've seen
her pictur' on the bill-posters, l
guess. She has short skirts and long
hair, and is standing on one leg on
the pony"
"But her name is 'Clorinda AIDE
laide,' the Turkish Princess" said
Barbara.
ooh, yes, the man chuckled. Bat
Sarah Eliza, the little Yankee girl
wouldn't draw folks half as we'll as
'Clorinda Adelaide, the Turkish Prin-
cess.
Barbara was quite low-spirited for
a moment to find that the Turkish
princess had a father who talked
through his nose, and had red hair
and freckles; but they were having
too delightful an adventure for her
to mind that long. Soon they we're
on their way, the children proudly
heading the procession, and the ele-
phaut coming next, walking very
slowly, and testing the ground at
every step; for he was not accustomed
to cross-cuts, and wanted to be very
sure of his footing. When they
reached the checkerberry patch, Bar,
bara picked bunch of the very ten
derest leaves; and then she found
few of the pretty red berries. "These
are for Sarah Eliza" she whispered
shyly.
"She'll be real tickled with them"
Sarah Eliza's father answered. "She
don't have no chance to skin about