Year: 1863

/ ber, two children, Ben and Maggie, af
ter hurrying with might and main tt
get dressed, ran into the dining room tc
catch their father before breakfast; for
he was going out of town to spend the
day.


You ask, now, said Ben, just as they
were opening the door.


Father, Ben and want to 60 chest
nutting dreadfully, wont you let US &c
with you and stop somewhere? Ycu
know we're used to the Country, said
Maggie, nervously, afraid lest she
should hear mo- before she had finished
'Chestnutting !! replied their father,
in surprised tone, that sounded just
like no, before he had said anything
else, why there's no chestnuts within
fifty miles Of us =.


Maggie walked to the window to hide
her disappointment, while Ben. tried to
ook as if he din't care much about it;
though in fact they both had been plan
ing it every since they had been awake.
But their father went away in little
while, and no more was said about it.
But as they walked to aud from school
that day, in the warm November sun,
they longed sadly for the leafy hollow
they knew Of where, last fall, they had
gone nuttiug with their cousins and
schoolmates.


4 used to think I'd never get tired
of seeing the toy shops said Maggie
'I'd rather see one of the little red
ground sqirrels again, running about af-
ter nuts, than all the toy-shops that ev-
er were made y


These were country children, and no
wonder the city could not satisfy them.


At night their father returned; aud
after tea, as they gathered round the
fire, he said so yon made up your
mind to 90 nutting this fine day, did
you children


We talked about it up stairs, and We
thought maybe we could 90 little ways
out Of town, and you could leave us
somewhere, and come for us agnin,' said
Ben.


There's no chestnuts in this part Of
the State, replied their father. How
ever, | wish you might go. guess ]
shall have to tell you story about nut
ting. Did ever tell you how | went
cI stnutting on Sunday. when Was lit
tie boy and what came of it?'


No, tell US, do, said both children
ut once.


One Sunday morning, when | was
about nine. my brother Tom and we're
straying around the door-yard, trying to
pass the time till church time. 1t was
rather hard work, for we had no Sunday
school: but | believe We were tolerable
good boys in general. At any rate We
never had broken the Sabbath open y
and publicly, though 1 fear we did not
love it very much for it was not made
attractive.


1t was a sunny day, after a white
frost like this and presently it occurred
to me there would be lots of chestnuts
down that morning. said so TO Tom,
and asked him what harm there would
be in just walking over to Uuclc Seth
lot Chat was wood lot where there
were three splendid old trees) and to
pick up few. Tom agreed twas nc
worse than going to the orchard for ap.
pies, and father allowed us to do that.
So, after little debating we concluded
to GO We did not feel as bold as lions
as the righteous do We said there was
no harm in it, and yet we took pains to
60 out the back way, through the gar.
den, which was out of the way Uncle
Seth didn't mind the chestnuts, we knew;
he nadeltbc boys free to get them, yet our
hearts misgave US as we walked along,
and we almost expected something to
happen US. Soon. however, We reached
the trees, and forgot our scruples in the
eager search for the ripe, open burs that
lay strew among the leaves.


we forgot everything, till after few
minutes, we heard fierce barking close
behind US. There was Uncle Seth 6
great black Newfoundland dog making
fercely after us, and the old man him
self not far off, setting him on. We
both took to the tree at once and in a
moment were safe in its branches


The old man laughed little as he
watched us, and looked as if this was
just what he expected He only said
'Nutting Sundays is bad business lit
tie boys and then walked away. Not so
Towser, he. understood his business
which was to keep us treed. After we
saw Uncle Seth fairly at homo and seats
ed in his front porch in full sight of us
we undertook to get down. But this
seemed likely to be dangerous. Towser
was fierce as lion and we were afraid
of him. We saw we were in trap
Next we tried to make friends with the
dog, but he understood his business and
was not to be tempted to betray it by
us. He would frisk and play about for
US while we sat still but the moment we
tried to gea down he was readyrto fly at.
All that was left was to wait for him to
get tired. We had to wait long time.
He was faithful fellow, but didn't
admire his faithfulness much then. The
morning wore to noon, and yet there we
all were-we in the tree, Towser at our
feet. and the old man watching us from
his distant seat. He did not 90 to
church that morning.


We could see all the people going up
sko ,hu,ob kill xya o,,,,,o1 o,,c,lroo