The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-08
THE BABES IN THE WOODS.


! Ihe wind had reVeled all through the glO-
| rious Indiana autumn. and the bright, happy
leaves had whirled in many a mad merry
| dance at his invitation. But by November
| the greater number had danced themselves
| almost into Skeletons their high color was
gone, and in the faded. shabby attire they
were glad to rest under the great old trees.
| The few conservative brown leaves stiIl on
the limbs would at intervals nutter down
to satisfy themselves that the silence and
repose were not feigned And when they
] had decided it was quite safe. and came in
their calm. dignified way to join the others.
| how Mortified they were and how they rus
! tied around. protesting when the wind blew
| up and an impromptu dance was INDUCED in
| by some few whose spirits and elasticity
| never seemed to leave them. Nor, the wind
| noticed jealousy, were they ever too weary
| TO play with two little boys who would rush
| shrieking and shouting from the house. pow-
! ing their way through the leaves and kicking
| them into heaps, upon which they would fall
and roll with yels of delight. If for a
minute they were quiet it was only to ~
| vent some new form of noisy activity to be
acted upon the next instant Often it was
| only variation of a good old standby but
| whether or not the leaves took an active
| part they fluttered around, murmuring APP
plause. and the wind would groan as he
| left in disgust But in time it came his turn,
and he stayed to laugh.
1t was one of those November afternoons
when the sun looks down with his most
| brilliant but deceptivey distant smile and
| the wind, scorning such society manners
| puts on his most openly biting air. But
| the game of horse is an antidote against
any degree of cold and when Basso and
ooI- -,
harness from its place behind the kitchen
! door and, scampered out into the open, the
bitter wind only urged them with greater
haste to the frolic. And the leaves whired
UP encouragingly as two other boys ap-
peared at the gate and were welcomed with
shouts of joy. Up and down. back and forth
they raced, snorting, John Fergen driving
| his brother Oliver and Basso, while Billie,
always a wild little pony, almost too rest
| i've for harness, pranced around at his own
sweet will, kicking up the leaves and fling
| ing them out at the frisky team near him.
| Whoa whoa therei" exclaimed John.
! Stop now you rascally colt; you're MAX
| ing my horses shy 1t was certainly diff
| cult to control them as they tore forward
at top speed, only to be stopped at the
| stile. It's awful bad to get into such
! foam cold day." complained John. But
| the horses, blowing hard were gazing Gag
| erly up and down the real" road outside,
that great Shelbyvlle road that seemed
mysteriously interminable. But the stie
was the limit; beyond was forbidden ground.
j 1t was distinctly tempting. The horses were
very gay, and you know" said Oliver Sc
| riously, I'VE might accidentally knock
piece of the fence down if we got very
wild and-kill somebody. You couldn't hold
US, john NO" he replied with equal So
| lemnity, 'ft's lots safer out there"
Basso had never run away in all the eight
years of his life, but-wasn't running away
| going by ones self?-and if John and Oliver
and-what! Billie wouldn't go? No, the chin
dimpled, curly-headed Billie was obstinate
and sat gazing after them as they tore off
| in fine defiance of all prohibition. Faster
and faster John urged them on, and the
horses whinned in reckless delight at their
| freedom But there is a limit to even thor
oughbreds. They were slowed up.
| 1t is seldom good for man to look back,
much less horses Basso did. There was
no old home place to be seen with its
gaunt, kindly butternut trees; there were
no frolicking, friendly leaves; only scant,
damp brown heaps by the roadside; there
was no dear old stile, and worst of all, no
little linsey- woolsey-clad figure seated on
| the top STEP 1t was very sudden and very
| awful. 1t was necessary to swallow quite
hard and then Basso sprang out of harness
fercely.
I'm going home!"
ooh, Basso!' began Oliver,
"Guess l will if / want to"
"Old man Huey' came along the road in
his creaking, rafting wagon. He was I'M
doubtedly going by the old home place, and
Basso begged permission to Chamber in.
1t is often fatal to a good resolution that
it cannot be Immediately and swiftly fol-
lowed out. The wagon went so slowly that
the Fergen boys easily followed, alternately
teazing and tempting Basso. But 1t was
only when they reached the old Virginia
avenue bridge that he began to weaken
'Tain't fair to go home fore we finished,
anyhow" was divers final argument
ooh, pooh!" exclaimed John; anybody
that d."
pooh yourself" broke in Basso and
hitched nearer the tail end Of the wagon.
Beyond the bridge a hill had just been
cut down. The earth was soft and washed
by rains into a beautiful yellow batter.
Basso balanced himself on the back edge OF
the wagon, still wavering. 1t was an UNI
propitious moment for a mental struggle.
Just over the yellow puddle the wagon gave
a sharp jolt There was wild grab at the
tailboard and vicious splash from the
saffron pool Old man Huey did not recog-
nize his passenger in the dripping, wretched
looking creature being nsheu out py Two
small boys and drove on
Along the banks of Pogue's creek between
Alabama and Delaware streets stood rows
of buckeye and sycamore trees, and now,
although bare, they looked down in grim
independence at the thick carpet OF IflVol-
GUS useless brown leaves. Here the F,ergen
boys brought the unhappy Basso, ana IN
sheltered renee corner helped him peel on
his Shiny yellow garments, The keen NO
vember wind had followed them and came
through the bare branches with Shrleks or
derision Howlng with laughter, he sting
ingly slapped the wet sleeves and trousers
legs into the boys faces.
'Oh, ho-ho-ho! / shall die with Laughing.
Look" to the leaves which Whirled up IN
sympathetic and indignant remonstrance;
look at your fine playmate now. Come!
You shall dance as l blow on his beautlIul,
wet yellow skin. Oh ho-ho-ho! L shall dle
of laughter"
Basso's lips were blue and his teeth chat
tered They put him in an old hog walloW
and piled the leaves upon him until, though
he shook with the cold, he protested with
sroans that they were smothering MIN.
lie must be dyin', muIrnUred OllVer as
he listened, but John looked from the pie
of leaves to the unrecogniZable heap o.
They've got to be washed he said
AS he saw the boys start of Basso telt