Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-10-04
Bush and Frisk.
The Story of Two Very Bright Park Squirrels
BY WILLIAM Wallace. JR

mans first appearance In the park Bush
aud FriSk Immediately stopped In the
path and looked with some doubt ou the
little girls companion
On seeing the two squirrels. hush and
Frlsk. the little girl held ont her bands
coaxngly towards them. Come Bush
and Frisk. she said ~ WAS she who
had given tie squirrels these names And
now all the children who came to play 10
the park called them Bush and Frlsk, SO
the little fellows had rome to answer to
T. namcs.l But Bush and Frisk held
fack, for they never approached strangers
without first studying them carefully
Then turning to the old man the little
girl said: Come. grandpa1a. let's go
down TO the lake The squirrels seem
afraid Of you They usually come quite
close to me and eat from my hands,
what! afraid of me?' and the old man
seemed to feel sorry about IT, why,
dearie, ! used to be very fond OF the
little animals, aud | never could bring
myself to shoot them Ike so many OF NV
acquaintances did. They surely have
nothing to fear al my hands.
But even as the old man talked he and
his little companion turned towards the
lake. leaving Bush and Frsk sitting in
the grass beside the path, After watch
ing the retreating figures for a moment
Bush spoke: Poor old man He seems
very sad about something I'm sure be
would do us no harm: lets go aud sCamper
and cut up tricks to cheer him up Bit !"
Yes" said Frisk. As you say-he
does look very sad and lonely. fancy he
feels as yon and | did when we lost our
dear mother | shall never forget the day
/ saw that bad boy hit our dear mamma
on the head with the rock-giving her the
blow that caused her death. Oh! II only
the park policeman had seen the bad boy
do that deed be would have made him
suffer- And Frisks eyes snapped with
a desire to aveng his poor mothers ter
rible and nutlmely death.
Just then group of children, in care
of their mothers. came noisily along the
path. As the merry crowd drew near to
the place where Bush and Frisk were
still sitting In the grass one Of the
mothers looked In the direction OF the
lake "Oh, wait minute!' she ex-
claimed, drawing the crowd TO halt In
the path. There's that old man Avery,
with his granddaughter Ethel, down by
the lake Now. we don't want to fall 10
with that old fellow. His daughter-in
law. Ethel's mother. you know, says he's
the worst sort OF pessimist. He has
lately lost his wife, aud has come TO live
with his sons family. | avoid failing In
with melancholy people whenever I can.
He reminds one OF walking tomb
stone.
Everybody laughed; they thoEght the
speaker quite witty. No one stopped TO
consider the unhappness of the lonely
old man. Yes indeed" acquiesced an
other mother, wen go In another direc-
ton. I've heard that the old fellows
mind is not just right" Then the party
turned down another path which would
lead them quite away from the place
where Ethel md her grandfather were
seated on rustic bench by the lake.
Now, Push and Frsk had heard and
understood every word these two women
had spoken Bush looked at his brother
and tapped himself over his heart. They
have stones In here" he said. signlh-
cantly.
and selfish. Suppose we go down to the
lake and use our poor talerts to cheer
the old man up aud take his mind OF
his sorrow
agreed" answered Bush. And away
the two squirrels went TO the shore OF the
lake, scampering up close beside Ethel to
attract her attention. Ethel did not no.
tice them at first. for she was busy en-
deayoring to cheer her dear old grand
father up. But the poor old man seemed