The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-04-25
Copyright, by Joseph b. Bowies-)

DOT cnllQTeu was just W NO. 4 L
whether little boys OF /
girls; and she enjoyed having them i
come to see her or go to see them' s
but at the same time she did not ap-
near to miss them when they were not ,
with her. There was so much that
was still a marvel to her in the mani
fold mystery of the country, that sne
was companioned by the grass, the
birds. the leaves, the sun and the
rains. Sometimes she would swing In
a little hammock / had fixed up for
her under a maple tree, and remain
in a sort of dream for hours together.
At such times she would drift back
and forth, looking into space, and
dreaming, maybe, OF the miracles
which she was passing through Al
least, If that be mere suppositlon'
1.-The wonder was not yet quite gone
From that still look Of hers"
And her mother and / would watcn
her from some nearby window as she
sat there and rocked idly, the sun
glancing in on her yellow hair, the
shadows deepening in her wide-open |
brown eyes.
In the spring and summer, and in
deed until along in September and Oc-
| tober, in that almost semi-southern
| country, Lenore went about In the
yard and over the adjoining country
| in q very un-ornate attire consisting
| of a linen slip or shift" without
sleeves, and reaching about to her
knees, Bare-headed and bare-footed
| L. he
while she often got muddy and some
times dusty, she was not hampered in
her movements by reason of any elab-
orateness of dress. She would tear
off her little sun-bonnet and throw 1t
aside as fast as 1t was put on her head
and shoes she seemed to hate instinc-
lively. She ran in the sun like min
iature Indian, and every month she
appeared to get more sturdy.
A walk with her mother and myself
of three miles or more over the hills
would not tire her in the least, al
though at that time she was not yet
three years old. OF course we dress
ed her more when we took these
walks, and put shoes on her. AS
rule. she raced ahead of US, and was
not in the least fatigued when we
got home.s Usually she would not
wander far away from the house when
she was alone, but occasionally she
departed from this custom, and dire
we're the tragedies which. followed.
One time l saw a flock of plover cir
!, Gle over the house and light in pas
: ture about half mile away, and took
!, my shot gun and went after them.
Lenore was swinging in her little
| hammock, and she opened the yard
: gate and came down the road after
me. / did not notice her, and slip
| ped under the pasture fence and be-
gan to walk in the direction OF where
| the birds had gone.
} Meanwhile she had trailed along the
road for over half mile from home,
/, | and her mother and the girl had
) missed her. There was swift search
l of the garden and the orchard, a look
: ing around a clump of trees by the
!. roadside, and at last a grand rush to
pull the bell that hung over the
smoke-house. This was in the nature
of a notification that something had
happened, as it was not meal time
But as Mrs. McGaffey grabbed the
wire that swung the bell 1t broke ant
came down, incidentally cutting
groove in her nose, and further add
ing to the confusion.
:. BY that time the girl had taken an
y other peek down the road and discov
!, cred Lenore, and came tearing dow
- the highway. Meanwhile l was jus
II getting into the plover and reducing
u the census in that direction, total,
IL oblivious to the hubbub along the roa
and at the house. When the baby wa
q reached and caught up she was fright
ened, and when she reached home he
d mother was just about ready to ful
rs nish a medium case of mysteries TO
n inspection. And who got the blam
er for all this? You must be singl
al man to ask such an absurd question
rs 7 ought to have known that a bah
Id which had never wandered away b.
er fore was going to follow me If wer
ny after plover; | should have heard tn
ly bell which didn't ring; 1t seemed Il
er credible that / didn't hear the wome
ne call for me, with me only mile ava
ne and the wind blowing strongly frol
M me to the farm; and any man not
sn brute would have inevitably notice
Ia a baby on road half mile away
au the south while he was facing nori
70 and shooting birds as fast as they g
,n- up. twas plain to be seen that l WI
ny palpably in the wrong. admitted n
NJ disgrace, and was finally forgive
Ius But don't let it happen again.
On another occasion Lenore hi
gone into the garden and aft
ne filing up comfortably on green COOS
~ berries, had followed the path out in
va the orchard, and was amusing hers'
ine picking white clover blossoms. ST.