Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-25

she responded to the Children -
| Yes, I remember a time. am sure
you haven't forgotten what have told
you about my home near Lake Ontario,
and the road going down to the lake,
ooh, no." came In glad chorus.
"Well, one morning your Aunt Sus.
an and I went farther down the road
than we had ever been before alone.
"How old were you then, mamma"
asked Nell. 49,
Aunt Susan eight remember how
beautiful everything seemed,--there
were so many flowers, the pretty vel
low buttercups and the purple wild
geraniums and quantities OF lovely
dandelions, and in some places their
long stems reached above the tall
grass and were covered with what we
called the white feather flowers. The
birds were singing merrily all around.
the air seemed full of them, fitting
along from corner to corner Of the
crooked rail fence. We liked the
pretty bluebirds best of all, and fol-
lowed after as they flew ahead Of us."
Were they really truly blue?' asked
Nell
"Of course" answered Edward,
they're alive now"
"Oh, yes" said mamma, land Ed
ward and must teach you girls to
know the pretty bluebird. Pink and
blue birds We called them, for we liked
the soft color of the under side of their
bodies almost as we'll as the bright
blue of the back and wings. In our
chase after birds and flowers we were
following the beaten path. which was
very near the fence. There were
many bushes and small trees growing
in the corners, and sometimes they
hid the path before US. In our happy
frolic, as we passed one clump Of
bushes, we came suddenly upon COW
lying in the shade. As we came near
to her, she started to rise to- her feet.
Coming upon her 80 unexpectedly
frightened us very much. She looked
to us Of monstrous size, and We had
no doubt that she was getting up to
do something terrible to us. Your
Aunt Susan seized my hand and drag
wed me to where the wagon track lay
bordered by the green grass. Then
she took me up in her arms and ran
as fast as she could. ..,.. .
81 was very heavy. and she was a
slender girl, but felt sure she. would
take care of me. So do not think l
was as frightened as she was. Still
we both felt sure that the COW was
tearing after us, and, when sister could
carry me no longer, slid to the ground
and ran by her side, holding her hand.
At last l stumbled and fell, and then
Susan had to stop. 80" -. t,-.7
Now we knew that we were at the
mercy of the COW, and that something
must happen. -s....a ~ ..'., T.
"Stster glanced behind with look
Of terror on her face. I. too, looked
in the same direction, as lay nat upon
the ground. And remember thinking
that the cow must be standing over
me. We could not believe, our eyes!
There was no COW in sight! How we
wondered at the peaceful quiet OF the
road behind US! The gentle old bossy
had not stirred from the shady spot
where we saw her. and had had no
thought OF running after two little
girls" -,
ooh. wasn't that terrible?" said Nell.
her cheeks as red and her .eyes as
bright as II she herself had been in
the race. .s 49,
poor mamma" said Mary. in a
plying voice.
$50 you see, my pets. how children,
and older folks, too, are often fright
ened at things that aren't happening to
them at ALL
IF you had known more, 1t would
have been better. wouldn't 1t, mamma"
said serious little Edward, patting hef
hand in sympathy.-Mary s. Roberts.