Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-01-04
A Little Cyclone.

hiS iiie ou haHSdS prairie. lie naQ
never watched the waves rolling in
from the ocean, nor picked up shells
along the shore, nor dug wells in the
sandy beach. He had never listened
to the wind as it sighs gently through
the tops of the pine trees. Indeed,
he had never seen any real woods at
all, nor any high hills; and he knew
nothing about great rocks that are so
nice to climb upon and that make
such lovely caves to hide oneself
under.
But he knew all about how the men
on the plains ride over the range to
bring the cattle together in spring
roundup" He had often played at
Throwing a rope" to lass o the stalks
OF the tall sunhowers that bloom SO
thickly over the Western plains. He
had seen great fires ushing madly
through the dry prairie-grass. He
had even seen half dozen fires at
time far off on the great round line
i'll which the wide sky shuts itself
! down over the wide earth.
He also knew how hard the wind
could blow across the great open
| plains. When the spring winds came
blowing all the way from the Gulf of
Mexico or the Polar ocean, Pertram
used to watch the great round tumble
weeds" as they rolled rapidly along
faster than a horse could gallop.
Sometimes when the wind grew tierc er
than usual, it brought thick cloud
/ of dust to choke the breath and blind
the sight. Then Bertram would run
into the house as fast as his legs could
carry him, and shut his eyes, almost
fearing that the little house would be
lifted from its foundations and shaken
to pieces by the fierce wind of the
/ prairie.
When Bertram was five years old
his mother took him to New England
to visit his grandmother and some
cousins that he had never seen.
Bertram thought the rooms in his
/ grandmother house were very large
large enough for houses, he said.
He was never tired of running up and
down the stairs, because he had never
before lived in a house where there
were any stairways to be climbed.
One day Bertram's un lie brought
home from the city large box, and
/ told Bertram and his little cousin
| Frank that this contained something
which they would like to see.
When they opened the box they
found in it-a toy village. There was
Il church with steeple, postof1ica,
schoolhouse, a store and some smaller
houses. There were good many
little tees to shade the village, and
number of little men and women to
walk about its streets. There was also
depot and train of cars to bring
people to and from the town.
Both of the children were delighted.
They took the little things out of the
box and looked at them one by one.
Then they began to build the town.
Frank had often been to the city
with his father, and thought that he
knew all about how town should be
built. He did not think that Bertram
knew much about towns. So it hap
pened that almost all the things that
Bertram set mp Frank would soon
change to another place.
Bertram soon began to feel that it
was all Franks town, and that he was
being left out OF the play. He looked
very sober for few minutes. He
stopped working and watched the
little town as it grew up under Franks
busy fingers. But he was all the time
thinking, how he could have a share
in the play himself.
At last a new thought came to him.
The town was just finished, with all
the trees and houses set up in beauti-
full order, and the little men and wom-
en- waiting quietly around the streets.
Then Bertram cried ont, Here comes
cycloner' and filling his little lungs
with air, he blew out n great wind of
breath. In two seconds half of the
town lay in a heap, with the frightened
little men and women buried under
the overturned houses.
Frank looked up, feeling half angry.
But Bertram's eyes were shining.
He was not cross or naughty; he only
wanted to have part in the play.
Franks eyes began to shine, too.
This was a new kind of fun.
So he said, "That was blizzard,
sure enough! Now all the men will
have to go to work and Luild the town
over again.
Then with good laugh both of the
boys set to work with will, and soon
the town was built up again as good as
aver.
When it was finished the second
time, Frank ran to his grandmother
aud whispered something in her ear.
Grandmamma smiled, went up to the
attic, and brought down an old pair OF
bellows that used to blow up the fires
in the great kitchen chimney a hun
dred years ago.
Bertram now looked on with great
curiosity while Frank took the bel
lows, and made wind that blew sew
eral of the little men and women half
way across the dining room carpet.
After this, whenever Frank and Ber-
tram set up the toy village, the very
best part of the play was the time
when the cyclone came, and trees and