Year: 1877

"Be quiet, now, Willie, and you too,
Mary. Sit down on your little stool aud
be just as still as mice. I've just got the
baby asleep, and want him to have a
good long nap, for he isn't bit well {.
There, take your primers and read your
A b C's." And the mother took from
the upper drawer of the bureau the care
fully treasured books.


"But Pm SO tired of sitting STILL" said
the little boy. "Mayn't we 90 out doors.
ma? Say yes, do. Well only go down to
the barn. Say, mayn't we go see the two
little bossies" And he looked up plead
ingly into her face.


Little Mary jumped up at the same
moment, and tossing her primer on to
the bed, joined in with a = "Do, ma, do
there's good ma. Cause the bossies
are so cunning, do love to see them"


eyes, go little whileS-but mind and
be good children, and don't take down
the bars so the calves can get in the gar
den-do you hear?"


They had been gone half an hour or so
when they came rushing into the cabin,
Iexclaiming with, one voice, "AIa, ma,
mayn't we have our little pals and 60
strawberrying? There's whole lot OF
them right on the gopher mound, 'tother
side of the barn, and they're just as red
and ripe as they can be. Do let us GO
and get them. There's enough for nice
shortcake, and pa loves them so, and they
will taste so good to him when he comes
home from the mill so tired"


The indulgent mother took down the
little pals, and handing one to each, and
bidding them be careful and not stain
their clean aprons, watched them until
their little dancing feet had carried them
to the place they spoke of.


GLOW glad they are." she said to her
self. as she turned from the door, "and
how proud they will be to show them tc
their father. l hope they'll get theil
pals full" And she resumed her patch
ing.


Tired she certainly was, and half sick,
though she would hardly have owned
that, and as she sat there now, 'tplyine
her needle and thread" she was sensible
Of unusual fatigue, and in spite of all her
efforts, her patches set awry, and her
darning was uneven. There was pleas
ant drowsiness in the soft hush of the
golden summer afternoon, and after q
while she yielded to it involuntarily, and
closed her eyes. Starting up ere she had
hardly lost herself, she ran to the door.
The two little ones sat side by side upon
the gopher mound, and the echo Of their
CHEEKY voices was the only sound that
broke the intense quiet of the prairie.


"They are so busy, and the baby is so
sound asleep, believe I'll lie down a
little while, for my back aches terribly
and my head is just ready to split with
pain. William says ought to take a
nap every day after dinner, but dear me,
l wonder when the sewing and mending
would get done if I did"


As she spoke she drew musketo bar
over the cradle, and turning down the
neat patchwork quilt that covered the bed
dropped off her shoes and stretched her
weary frame on the white sheets. The
weary woman unintentionally slept on,
and did not wake until the cry of the
hungry baby in the cradle reused her up.


With quick, nervous movement, she
sprang from the bed and drawing it to
her bosom, ran to the door. To her sur
prise it was almost sunset. Her first sor-
row was, that she should be belated with
her supper, aud the thought of her tired
husband coming home and having to wait
a moment for his meal was not to be en-
dured. With the babys lips still cling
ing to her bosom she hurried to the stove
and took off the griddles and raked out
the ashes. Then putting the only half
satisfied child in its cradle and giving it
crust of bread to bite on, she caught up
her kindling basket, she ran TO the chip
pile. She filled it and loaded her arms
with wood, when she suddenly remem-
bered she had not seen or heard the chill
dren yet. She looked anxiously toward
the strawberry bed. Their little figures
were not visible. For moment she was
paralyzed with fear. Then she recovered
herself and saying, "They must have got
tired and gone to sleep in the barn, as
they did Saturday." she hurried back to
the cabin and built her fire. Then draw
ing some fresh water, she filled the kettle