Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-07-19

4HSlc UO SUCH uOS as ne,
Now, my dog, on the other hand
I'm very fond of him,
He's really gentle as lamb,
Although he looks so grim,
And yet my neighbor fails to see
His keen intelligence,
Your dog" he says, lis vicious, and
He hasn't any sense"
-Somerville, Mass, Journal
FOLLOWING THE BROOK,
Constance and Tommy were visit.
ing Grandmother Gilman. Grand.
mother lived in a white house near
the mill-pond, and she had often told
Constance and Tommy about the
brook which ran under the big beech.
trees and across the pasture. The
water from the pond turned the
wheels of the mill. and emptied into
Mill Brook. There was big, solid
gate to keep the water In the pond.
When the miller wanted to grind corn
into yellow meal the gate would be
hoisted, the water would rush out, the
wheel would begin to turn; and then
the brook, which flowed so quietly
over the rocks, among the alders ana
under the bridge, would become a
fierce, rushing stream. When this
happened, Tommy would call out,
Constance, Constance, the mill is
going!" and both the children would
run across the pasture and watch the
water come leaping down over the
rocks.
AT the bottom of the pasture where
the beech trees grew, at the edge of
the brook. was sandy little cove,
and mere the children played at run
ming mill. Tommy would take the
little wooden pail grandma had given
him. and bring pailful of pebbles
for corn, and Constance would play
that she was the miller, and turn the
pebbles out and fill the pail with nice
fine sand for meal.
Il wish could follow the brook"
Constance would say, as they played
near the big rocks, where the stream
turned and flowed under the alders,
across green field, under the high
wooden bridge, and then wandered
among big rocks. until it emptied into
the bay.
Some day. when the mill isn't 60
ing, we will" answered Tommy, bold.
ly.
One warm summer day, when Tom
my was tired of sailing boats in the
little cove. he said, Come on, let's
follow the brook"
Way down to the bridge?" asked
Constance.
Yes" answered Tommy. "I'll take
the pail, because We'll go home by
the road, and I'll take big stick and
go ahead, and find places for you to
step"
Constance held her clean Bingham
dress up SO that it would not get
splashed, and they started out. One
or two frogs hoped up on big fiat
rock and croaked little, but the
children did not hear them.
II guess our grandmother will be
s'prised when we get home and te,.
her all the way we've been," said
Constance, as they waded round the
big rocks and "scooched down to
escape the overhanging branches.
"S'pose the mill should start up!"
said Tommy. suddenly.
20, Tommy, what would we do?"
said Constance; for to the little girl
the rush of the water down the quiet
stream was dangerous and fearful
thing
Il only said 's'pose,'" replied Tom
my. DO you think anybody ever
waded down this brook before, Con
stance?"
Let's hurry, Tommy" said Con-
stance.
Just then there came a rushing
sound from upstream. The shallow
places began to ripple. Looking back,
they could see little eddies and cur
rents. The alder bushes were too
thick for them to reach the shore
easily.
Lets run" said Tommy. I'VE can
get to the bridge first" and they
splashed and stumbled on as fast as
they could. Tommy dropped his
stick, and Constance forgot to hold
up her dress. Round the curve in
the stream, out from under the alders
and there was the green field and the
sloping shore; right ahead was the
big wooden bridge
Hurry, Constance!" called Tom.
my, for right behind came the rush
ing water, and Constance hurried;
but her foot slipped. and she sat
solidly down in shallow pool.
Tommy pulled her to her feet, and
kept close hold of her hand. The
brook began to swell in little tides
about their feet; but now there was
chance to scramble ashore, and as
they reached the bank the water
came swiftly down with little white
tufts Of foam upon its torrent.
My" gasped grandma, when the
two dfabbled figures came into her
clean kitchen.
We've been following the brook"
SAID constance.
Then grandmother smiled. Why"
she said, that's just what your moth
err used to do when she was a little
girl, and your grandmother, too" she
added.-Alice Turner Curtis in
Youths Companion.
THE ROAD TO ANIMAL LAND.
Long years ago there lived in
China a very wise and very strange
old man. Very wise he was, because
he knew all that the birds and ami
mails said to each other, and had
many wonder-tale for the little Chi
nese children. Very strange was the
wrinkled old man, because he would
not live in house, no, not even a
very plain little house. All day he sat
beneath the trees, wrapped IN his gor-
geous silken robe, talking to the
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