Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1897-07-15
THE BABY TRUMPETER. ..
by ELIZABETH HARNIAN.
sessssSSSSSSSSSSSSS


Me an that 'ere dog is fust-rate
friends" he explained. 'He don pear
10 let hisself out before strangers, but
the way that dog can hold is own in
a conversation would s'prise We. Him
and me sets here some nights an talks
bout mos eyer'thin' they is a-goin'.
| says TO him last night: Prince says
|, this ere worlds boiler mockery,'
says l. An what We think that dog
said? Jes' raired back his head an
gaped a mos tremenjus cape. Jes' the
same as eff he'd a-said: Well, now, this
business makes me tired!'"
There must have been in this rusty
and rugged old man some faculty which
brought him into strange nearness to
all dumb creatures. 1t was easy for
him to find out things that were hidden
from common mortals, and as he went
about his work he kept up a running
fire Of conversation with the creatures
he met Some one found him one day
crouching down in his garden and
laughing the silent laugh with which
he greeted some new discovery.
Il wisht you'd look a-here," he
cried Here ! 60 an mighty nigh
break my neck pacllin' up palms TO
pale in this ere garden, SOS to keep
the rabbits outen my peas, an now jes'
look at this" And he parted the little
heap of gray hair at the foot of the pea
vines and showed the two young rab-
bits crouched within the little hollow
below, their bright eyes shining and
their small bodies shaken by the wild
beating Of their hearts.
''Now did We ever see anythin' to eltal
that?" the old man asked iubilantly.
at does heat all how cunnin these crit
tiers is. Along comes that ole rabbit,
an says to herself, I'll sLvNt that ole
customer that he amt anywhere nigh
as smart as he thinks he is An then
she jes' deliberately goes to housekeep-
in right under the shadder of my
peayines, KNOWN well enough that
want a-goin' to poster her after them
babies was in the nest. Wen, eff that
don't beat all for cute"
And the wrinkled old face was twisted
with smile of delight, as though the
rabbit had conferred a special favor on
him by setting up squatter sovereignty
in his garden.
"Oh. you're here, are yep he queried,
as he looked up into the little maple
tree when he was clearing the new
ground" and saw the birds nest with
frantic mother futtering wildly over 1t.
"Well, / spose that means that the tree
amt a-goin' to come down. What you
fussin' fur? Didn't you hear me say
the tree want a-goin' to come down?
amt never knocked airy bird outen its
nest vet, an don't expect to begin at
this time O. day."
And when by chance he stumbled
upon the nestful of tiny foxes playing
near their hole, during their mothers
absence, he took one of them up and
talked TO it sadly.
you're a lively little rascal" he said,
as he held it gently, so that its sharp
teeth could not reach his hands. 81
reckon eff let you go now you'll have
many acme o. my chickens some day
to pay me back. Well, you want to live,
don't We? an got about as much right as
| have. They amt nobody said that
had all the rights an you never had
none. Run along home quick, sonny
or somethin'll keteh We" And he thrust
the fox into the hole, where it disap-
peared in the twinlSling of an eye.
What old Gabe called his "other clo'es"
hung on long. wooden pegs in the spare
ROOM" whose window always stood
omen. for the old man had a lordly con-
tempt for burglars. But one day, when
he went to get this extra suit, another
claimant had taken possession. In the
wide-open pocket of the ridiculous old
coat a handful of straw was gathered,
and from the midst of it four naked
heads, with gaping mouths, were lifted
at his approach.
'Well, dear me-" calculated the old
man, "ef that wren amt gone an made
nest in my coat pocket. Did you ever
see the beat o. that fur downright i'm
pidence? The plaguey little critter-
She ltnowed l want a-goin' to poster 'er
an I'll bet she kinder winked her eyes
when she done it. She jes' says to her
self: Well, amt a-playin' joke on
the ole man this time? Las year
fooled i'm outen his other hat an this
year he kin GO without his Sunday coat
Blame the eunnin' little rascal any
way!"
With grin spreading all over his
face he hung the coat back on the peg,
carefully arranging it as it had been,
and he vent coatless to church all that
summer. 81 got my coat rented out,
was his simple explanation.
"Ef that want the cutest trick he
said to those friends who found him
leaning over the fence afterward, and
whom he thought worthy to hear the
story. "Th little rascal played that
on me fur a joke, ies' as plain as et
she'd a-spent the whole year a-figgerin'
it out. I'll bet she watches me a-goin
about without any coat on, an laughs
tell she can't see"
Even his few flowers took part IN
the long conversations he carried on
with the world around him.
you're a-lookin' kinder droopy, ne
would remark to some blossom as he
bent over it and touched its petals ten
derlv 81 reckon NAV be We want lit