Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1902-01-23

allowed to go down across the pasture
all alone and visit the cornfield. She
wouldn't have been allowed to do SO
then only her Aunt Helen was so very
sure she couldn't get into any trouble.
Let her run wild a little, Eliza
BETH" she said to Lillas mamma.
There isn't bit of harm that she
could get into down there, right in our
fields. And she doesn't have a chance
to play in green fields every day in
the year, you know"
So off Lila trotted, just as pleased
as you or l would be if we knew we
could spend a whole, long, lovely af-
ternoon in a pasture and a cornfield,
and it was when she stood at the edge
of the cornfield, looking down between
the long rows of tall corn, about three
times as tall as she was, that she made
the remark about the ''teenty- -tinty,
narrow fairy streets" Then she picked
out the very "teentiest" row of all, and
walked straight down it-until she
came to the fence at the side of the
road. Then she turned back and
walked straight into the middle of the
field again.
1t was the loveliest place you can
think of, down there among the tall
corn. The long. silky leaves rustled
over her head like music; the sunlight
made beautiful patches of gold here
and there on the ground. And it was
so cool and beautiful and lovely alto
gether that it made Lila think of
fairyland, or the heavenly kingdom.
She was wondering whether she should
play she was an enchanted princess,
with the beautiful corn arches for the
roof of her palace, and the tall corn
stalks for ner servants, or that she
was a sky angel, with the corn leaves
for harps and the yellow, dangling corn
silks for halo, when she heard
great sound as of some big animal
tearing and swapping along on the
edge of the field. She ran in the di-
rection of the sound as fast as possi-
BILE, and there, just at the edge of the
pasture was great, strange dog, with
dripping jaws and wild eyes and a
rumpled coat, and he was making
strange noises as he went.
Here, doggie! Poor uoggie!" called
Lila, who loves all animals dearly,
but the dog didn't seem to hear her.
Painting and dripping he rushed on,
madly, going in the direction of the
farmhouse. Lila, when he paid no at
tention to her calling, went back
among the tall corn rows quite con-
tentedly.
Maybe he wouldn't have played he
was the ogre or the guardian lion, any
way" she told herself, smiling. And
if I'd wanted to play angel l wouldn't
have known what in the world to do
with him."
Then she sat down On the soft earth
between the tall cornstalks and fell to
watching the yellow sunlight and the
purple shadows play sort of flicker
ing hide-and-go-seek on the dull, brown
ground before her. By and by she
leaned back against a specially big
cornstalk and looked up at the sky
so bright and blue where it shone
through the beautiful green roof above
her head. Then she began fitting queer
little nursery words to the queer little
tunes the wind sang. And then
1t sounded like fairy trumpet. but
when Lila woke up she found it was
only the horn which Aunt Helen used
to call the III N home to supper. She
had been asleep actually, and here it
was supper time The sunlight had
grown paler, and the purple of the
shadows had become very deep and
bronze-lille. The feecy white clouds
Ill oil ;pc To
sold and scarlet and crimson. And
the corn leaves were rustling and sing
ing in the soft, gentle way which they
keep especially for sundown. Lila
sang, too, just because she was so
very glad to be alive and to be in the
country, as she ran across the pasture
and up to the house.
Where have you been all after
noon?" asked her Uncle Albert, kissing
her gently. Il was little anxious
about you JUS after nooning.'
"A mad dog got lose in the village
somehow" he explained to the grown
people, land came tearing up the road
and along through our pasture. I
was little afraid Lila might get in
his way, for he dashed right through
the barnyard. | was watching from
the bayfield, and | saw him."
Il saw him, too" cried Lila, all ex-
citement and wonder. "He was so hot
and tired looking. poor thing, and l
called him to come and play with me.
hut he never seemed to hear me. And
l guess the corn was SO tall he couldn't
see But | didn't know he was mad
poor doggie!"
And then Lila wondered why all
the grown folk made such fuss about
her. because even if poor dog was
mad and had to be killed afterward.
he hadn't even seen her. But by and
by she began to smile little, all to
herself, and when they got up from