The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-05-04

"Will you give me your switchP"
asked.
"Naw, whyp" he returned, standing
on one leg and rubbing its calf with his
other foot.
because 1 want it," l replied
haughtlily, adding more mildly, sand !
will give you my ROLL"
His glance rested longingly on the
dainty morsel, but finally he said,
"Naw, l mus herd the geese with ii /;
but I'll make you one JUS like it,"
"Can you do that yourself?" l asked,
filled with admiration.
ooh, that's nothin', at ALL" he
laughed scornfully. 81 en- make flutes
and dancin' men, too"
was 80 completely carried away by
this that handed him my roll without
further ceremony. He bit travely into
it; and without vouchsafng me another
glance drove his feathered flock on
ward.
gazed after him with an envious
heart. He could herd geese, while 1
must 90 up 30 Mademoiselle and learn
French vocables. Yes, 1 thought, hap
piness is unjustly distributed in this
world.
That evening he brought me the
promised switch which was even more
beautiful than my boldest dreams had
painted it. 1t exhibited not only the
white rings which had 80 charmed me
in its prototype, but bore upon its
thick end round knob, on which by
means of two lines, one longitudinal,
the other transverse, human face was
depicted, whether his or mine, could
not determine. What happy creature
/ wasl
After that we were friends. divided
with him the dainties which were show
cred from all sides upon me, the darling
of the household. In return he dedi-
Gated to me the creation of his agile
fingers; flutes, little boxes, houses,
dolls furniture and above all his cele-
brated dancing men, through which
presently became the terror of the en-
tire family.
Behind the goose.coop we held our
nightly rendezvous and exchanged our
| gifts. l looked forward all day with
| joy to this occasion, my thoughts busted
with my young hero. saw him lying
in the grass on the sunny heath, play
ing his flute, while l was being tor
mented with abominable French verbs,
and my desire to share that happiness
called gooseherding grew ever stronger
and stronger.
When / confided my feeling to him,
he laughed aloud and said:
"Why don't you come alongP"
| That was enough, and without fur
Their deliberation 1 replied:
81 will go tomorrow"
"But don't forget to bring something
to eat" my friend reminded me.
Fortune favored me. Mademoiselle
had headache at exactly the right
time and put off our lesson. Half be-
side myself with joy and fear sat at
the coffee-table and waited until he
came by. My pockets were stuffed full
of all sorts of dainties, which l had
begged from "Mamselle" and beside
me lay the switch, which l thought to-
day to brandish in loyal fulflment of
my duty.
There he came marching along. He
glanced at me with sly twinkle in his
eye as he rosred his Woodworking,
ALL" at us. AS soon as could escape
without being observed, ran after him.
"What have you brought2" was his
first remark.
"Two spice-cakes, two pieces OF
bread and butter with brain sausage, a
sardine sandwich and piece of goose
berry TART" said, displaying my rich
es. He Immediately began to eat,
while l, scarcely able to restrain my
joy, proudly drove the geese before US.
Beyond the fir wood, with part OF
which was somewhat familiar, we adj
vanced into regions to me quite un-
known. The way was bordered on
both sides with stunted underwood
forming gloomy thicket, until all at
once the wide, boundless heath opened
before my gaze.
All, but that was beautiful, but that
was beautiful AS far as the eye could
reach, sea of grass and many-colored
flowers. Long rows of molehills stretch
ed like frozen waves into the distance.
The hot air vibrated and danced upon
the gay heath. The music was fur
nished by humming bees, and high in
the deep blue heaven stood the golden
sun. A marsh, in which shimmered
little pools of grayish-yellow, stagnant
water, lay at the edge Of the wood
Scum swan upon its surface and all
around in the earth, which was 80