Year: 1874

BY KATE FOOTE.


THEY were three and their names were
Jack and Emma and Mary Jack was
the oldest, Emma next and Mary next
They were the youngest of ten children,
who had all been Arabs until they were
twelve years old, and these youngest had
now come into the title.


Here are some big words coming; but
I'll explain them, SO don't be scared.
They were Arabs because they were
aomadic- that is, fond of rambling about ;
and they looked upon houses only as
places where one must go only when
forced in by hunger or dragged in to go
to bed They were predatory in that they
made war upon snakes and hornets and
crows also they sometimes took the
pantry by storm and got bread, cookies
and cups of milk. And they were hos
pitable because they always liked to
have friend along when they were
rambling. They lived in a big, low,
brown house by the sea, and had Il great
deal of trouble and a great deal more of
fun Their mother insisted that they
should have their hair brushed and their
nails clean when they came to the table :;
and then there was the multiplication
table, and Mary could not get it into
her little noddie how the earth could be
round and yet have no upper or under
side to it. And then they never knew
what to do with their hats or bonnets.
Most people would say the proper place
was on the head. But my three Arabs
were quite above that. A hat was good
would hold chestnuts and little fishes,
but otherwise must be carried in the
hand. Can't hear anything said
Emma, with your ears all tied up"
Can't see anything" said Jack, with
the rim of a hat in your way"


Emma commenced the spring of her
eighth year by tying her bonnet to the
tail of a-gucss, and then I'll tell you.
Jack made great kite, taller than him.
self, and then went round to the bald top
of hill, "A long way from the house, to
fly it. But the kite behaved badly
wabbled and plunged and danced, and
wanted a balance at the end of its tail
to make it sail up into the sky with that
stately sweep they hoped to see. The
childrens hearts were almost broken
They thought of everything they could.
The united handkerchiefs of the party
amounted to one-very dirty and ragged ;
indeed, it was only hole with a hem
round it, Jack looked at his hat; but it
was of straw and too light. Emma's
sun bonnet lay on the ground; of course,
it was not on her head. The cords run
through to puff it and shape it would
make it heavy enough and not too heavy
for so big kite. He jumped at it like a
tiger, and then said, in a very mild tone ::
" EN-, there is your bonnet; it would be
first rate. You can have it back again
when we pull the kite in, and what is go
ing to hurt it up there? It's mile back
to the house, and nobody wants to go.
Come, now!"


1t is to Emmas credit that she hung
back at first. But Jack begged, and the
kite gave two or three kicks and dives,
as if to say: Really, you see l can't
get on without it,


she gave in.


Then how splendidly the kite went up,
up into the sky, tugging at the string, for
the wind blew hard. Emma lost any
conscience she had about using her bon
net in that way, and they all danced and
hurrahed with delight The next thing
was to send up a messengers piece of
paper skittering along up the string,
on which, with great deal of labor,
they printed the question: Does the
wind blow up there? Take care of the
bonnet" Then Jack gave the string a
sly pull, which made the kite nod up in
the sky, and called out "There, the
messenger has got to him. Didn't you
see him bow? That means yes"


That made them all hurrah again. But
the wind was high and the string not
strong, or else Jack did not tic the knot
tight, for in a moment more the kite-tail
parted, the bonnet filled out with the
wind until it looked as if it had little
girls head in it, and then, with all sorts
of friskings and rollings, it sailed oil on
the wind, and likely enough landed in the
next county. Emma never saw it again.
The kite came in now easily enough.
Jack hauled it down without saying a
word; Emma put her finger in the corner
of her mouth and thought of her moth
Ell; and little Mary gave wild yell:
"Oh. your bonnet, Emmal your bon
nett"


Lets go over to the Black Cave
Pond" said Jack, and see if we can get
some blackbirds' eggs"


You see Jack did not like to speak of
the bonnet because he felt himself to
blame about it, so he offered the most
tempting plan he could think of, hoping
to make Emma forget about it.


PART II.


The children were all very much en-
gagged in making a collection of birds
eggs, and Emma took her finger out of
her mouth. 1t might make it easier to