Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-02-10
Dawn Upon the Hills

LULU AoAASRACA0 0Vy CAl41C0
mournful tune upon his reedy pipe
1T is dull up acre on the hills" he
sighed. and stretched himself and
slept
The spirit Of the morning, clad in
mists OF all the rainbow colors, came
down the sloping valley and touchea
him.
you poor little mortal" she said
You belong by rights to the plains
and the towns. But as fate sends you
up among us, here on the downs,
must comfort you as best can. Look
and see, with fresh eyes!"
But the Shepherd boy only bIinked
What is there to sect" he SAID.
Look" she said.
There is nothing here to make up
for the games they are playing down
below in the village street At any
rate, you can't say the silly fat sheep
ale worth looking at
He was cross.
Look" she said, and fioated up the
valley. It was shallow valley with
a few trees in it, and soon lost itself
among the bare, round hilltops, while
its edge broke out on to the bare,
round hillsides.
She tioated up and up till she look.
ed like little wisp OF cloud come
down from the primrose sky, and
then the Shepherd Boy saw her grow
thinner till she melted among the
green mounds.
While he was straining his eyes tc
look up the valley, little girl in Q
blue-gray frock. came dancing down
She tripped very lightly and playfully
among the tussocks of fine grass
pointing her toes and trying all man
ner of steps. Then he saw another
little girl dancing, and she was IN
rosy pink, but hardly more than .
baby. After a while they saw each
ether.
who are you!" asked the blue girl
Il am the First Sunbeam" said the
other. And who are your
Il am little Raindrop that fell ir
the night. See how l SPARKLE" anG
she shook out her dress till it spark
led like diamonds.
Then she went up close to the Sun
beam. You can't catch me, little
Sunbeam!" she cried, and was OF over
the grass with the little Sunbeam at
ter her. They chased round and round
and up and down: but it was no good
the Sunbeam was too young and
feeble.
You are much too SLOW" cried the
Raindrop. you must wait for your
big sister, who comes to wake the
flowers. You can't catch me little
Sunbeam"
And again she was on, up and down
and round about, making nothing OF
the hillocks or the bitches, and diving
through the furZe bushes, while the
poor little rosy Sunbeam had to 60
round. Her fat baby legs Jagged be-
hind, and she fell over a root that
poked out OF the ground. There she
sat for while, looking as though
she was going to cry. But presently
she cheered up.
Il shall go on all day till I do catch
her, she said, and plodded on round
the furze patch.
After she had gone the Shepherd
Boy kept his eyes fixed on the furze,
for he saw a hundred little fellows
in dark green coming out and NOV
ing round about the bushes. Each
had bright yellow cap, and they
were tiny, fat little fellows. A lot of
little girls who must be their sisters,
because they were so like them, came
peeping out, and tie little boys came
running to them, and they flung their
arms round each others necks and
gave a big kiss. The Shepherd Boy
knew it was because they were gorse
blooms, and when they are out kiss
ing is in fashion.
AS each one seemed to want to kiss
all the others, it took some time, and
meanwhile three naughty little brown
leaves came tumbling down the val.
ley, hand-in-hand. AS they made most
OF the journey by turning somersaults
it was wonderful that they held to-
gether.
They stopped to laugh at the little
green chaps. That's a silly way to
behave" they said, rustling as they
laughed. 1--WE wanted to see what PEG
pie did down the valley. We held on
to our beech twig all through the
frosts and gales, just to show that we
could if we tried, till we got brown
and crisp, and this morning we fell
on, right on to the back of fine
young breeze who gave us ride down
here. f,this is all we shall see, it's
not worth much!" and they rolled
over together, laughing and rustling
and hooking the poor green fellows
till they looked shy and silly, and the
little girls wanted to run in again.
But suddenly one of the grown boys
shouted to the others, Here's
strong, fresh gust. Catch him as he
passes" and the others danced right
up In the air, and flew helter-skelter
down the valley on the back OF the
wind.
Then the Shepherd Boy looked up
again, for he heard the sweetest
sound in the world, and there OF the
head of the valley was Sunbeam, tai
Ter and Simmer than the last. She
blew on golden trumpet, long,
pure note, till the Ky became brighter
and the flowers woke up and tossed
the dewdrops out Of their hair, and
the whole hillside .urned to gold.
AS the Shepherd Boy looked behold
his silly flock of steep came over the
rounded hill, one by one, and as they
passed into the green Ian Of the val