Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-07-25

or not, the old woman would beat him
with stick till she became fatigued
with her exertions.
The two were very poor, and one
day the mother begged some wheat of
one of her neighbors, and sent the
boy with it to the mill to have it
ground. The miller knew of their
poverty, and he ground the wheat
without charging the boy anything,
who set out gladly for home, carry
ing the snowy pile in q pan on his
head.
But he had not gone far when, of a
sudden, up came wind from the
south, and blew all the flour in snowy
flakes over the meadows.
The boy stood aghast, looking at it.
How the particles danced in the
breeze, now blowing high and like a
mist obscuring the sun, again falling
over flowers and grasses like delicate
hoar-frost.
The boy saw all this, but did not
admire it, for he knew the penalty he
must pay on his return. As there
was no help for it, he turned away
with sigh, and soon reached home.
where is the tlour?" the mother
cried.
The boy showed the empty pan, and
proceeded to tell her what had hap
pened. In rage, the cruel woman
picked up her stick and thrashed the
child. Then taking him to the door
she put him ont, saying:
$50 to the wind and tell him to re-.
turn your flour or pay You for it.
And until he does, you need not re-
turn here'
The poor child turned in terror to
the great wide world. Where should
he go? What could he do? 1t was
bad enough to be beaten, but even
that was better than having no home.
So he thought as he went crying on
his way.
He wandered for long time till he
reached a great forest. The trees
grew so closely and so high that it
seemed always to be twilight there.
Not sound OF singing bird or busy
insect disturbed the quiet, but over
all seemed hush, as when the winds
are lulled to rest before the breaking
of the tempest. The child UNDER
, STOOD these signs, but he said to him
self: ---.r--,~s .e---,r ~.--..--
'Better die here in the storm than
wander homeless in the world;" and
SO he entered the dark avenues of
| trees.
But when he had walked half q
| dozen steps he became conscious of O
presence here. Nor was he mis-
taken, for it was an enchanted spot,
and soon he met a queer looking old
| woman.
"Well, my son, what do you here,
where birds sing not and where wild
animals fear to tread? Know you
not that this is my land? What will
you?"
In fear and trembling the child told
his story.
"Ha! hal Is it SOP" cried the old
one. ''We shall see, we shall see!
| Know that l am the mother of the
winds. Come with me and all will be
| we'll"
She took the boy by the hand and
! led him deeper and deeper into the
darkness; and as the growth became
denser and the darkness more palpa-
| BILE, the quiet became more intense.
''You see how still 1t is?" she said,
after a long silence. "That is be-
| cause my sons are away. There are
four of them. The North Wind, the
East Wind, the South Wind and the
West Wind; when they come home,
ah, then the forest is not still. But
which of my sons stole your -four
away?"
"Alas, kind madam, it was the
| South Wind"
"Never fear, never fear; all will be
wellr"
They now reached little hut, deep
in the heart of the wood. On enter
ing, the woman said:
"Quick, jump on the stove and
! cover yourselfp'