Year: 1878

pair of specs and a new cap or two for 6


birthday present." laughed Jake, un


covering the tin kettle, while his father


eaid:


eve won't have you an old woman


before you're young one, will we, lib
Come, sit down by me and have some
dinner. You're good to bring us the
nut-cakes and get here in such good
season."


The three were very happy and merry
over their dinner, although Roxie de-
clined to eat anything except out of her
own pocket, and the time passed swiftly
until MIR. Beamish glanced up at the
sun, rose, took his ak out of the cleft in
the log, and, swinging it over his head,
said:


"Come, Jake, nooning is over. Get
to work"


"AIl right, sir. You can sit sill as
long as you like, sis, and by and by I'll
take YOU home on Rob-"


"Tm going now, jake" said Roxie,
hesitating a little, and finally concluding
not to mention the checkerberrles, lest
her father or brother should object to
her going alone into the wilder part of
the forest. "Ma said she'd be lone
some" added she hurriedly, and then
her cheeks began to burn as if she had
really told lie instead of suggesting
one.


"Well, you're right down good girl
to come 80 far and then to think Of ma
instead of yourself, and next day we're
working about home I'll give you good
ride to pay for it"


And Jake kissed his little sister ten
derly, her father nodded good-by with
some pleasant word of thanks, and
Roxie with the empty tin pail IN her
hand set out upon her homeward jour
ney, little excitement in her heart as
she thought of her contemplated e1cur.
sion, n little sting in her conscience as
she reflected that she had not been quite
honest about any part of it.


Did you ever notice, when little
troubled and agitated, how quickly you
seemed to pass over the ground, and
how speedily you arrived at the point
whittier you had not fairly decided to
go?


It was so with Roxie, and while she
was still considering whether after all
she would go straight home, she was
already at the entrance of the sunny
northern glade where lay the patch OF
bright red berries whose faint, whole
some perfume told of their vicinity even
before they could be seen. Throwing
herself upon her knees, the little girl
pushed aside the glossy dark-green
leaves, and with low cry of delight
stopped down and kissed the clusters
of fragrant berries as they lay fresh and
bright before her.


80 you dear, darling little things !"
cried she, Chow 1 love to see you
again, and know that all the rest Of the
pretty things are coming right along!"


Then SIZE began to pluck, and put
them sometimes in her mouth, some
times in her pail, and so long did she
linger over her pleasant task that the
sun was already in the tops OF the pine
trees, when, returning from little e1-
cursion into the woods to get a sprig
from shad-bush," Roxie halted just
within the border of the little glade,
and stood for moment transfixed with
horror. Beside the pail she had LETT
brim.ful of berries, sat bear-cub,
scooping out the treasure with his paw,
and greedily devouring it, apparently
quite delighted that some one had saved
him the troable Of gathering his favor
ite berries for himself.


One moment of dumb terror, and
then feeling of anger and reckless
courage filled the heart of the woods
mans child, and, darting forward, she
made snatch at her pail, at the same
time dealing the young robber a sharp
blow over the face and eyes with the
branch of shad-bush in her hand, and
exclaiming:


"You great. horrid thing! Every
single berry is gone now, for wont eat
them after you. So now !!


But, so far from being penitent or
frightened. the bear took this interfer-
ence, and especially the blow, in very
bad part, and after a moment of blink
ing astonishment, he sat UP on his
growled little, showed his
teeth, and intimatcd very plainly that
unless that pail of berries was restored
at once there would be trouble for some
one. But this was not the first bear-cub
that Roxie had seen, and her temper
was up as we'll as the bears. So, firm
~ grasping the pail, she began to retreat
at first slowly, but as the
bear dropped on his feet and seemed
inclined to follow her, or rather the pail
of berries, she lost courage, and turn
ing, began to run, not caring or noting
in what direction, and still mechanically
the pail of berries.


Suddenly, through the close crowding
pines which had 80 nearly shut out the
daylight, appeared an open space, and
Roxie hailed it with delight, for it was
the river, and once across the river she
felt as if she would be safe. Even in
the brief glance she threw around as
she burst from the edge of the wood,
she saw that here was neither the bridge
nor the ford which she had crossed in
the morning point altogether strange
and new to her, and, as she judged,
further down the river, since the space
from shore to shore was considerably
wider. But the bear was close behind,
and neither time nor courage for delib-
Grafton WIS at hand, and Roxie, after
her moments pause, sprang forward
upon the snowy ice, closely followed by
the clumsy little beast.


At that very moment, mile further
up stream, Mr.. Beamish and his son
Jake were cautiously driving Rob across
the frozen ford, and the old man was
saying: >,


I'm afraid we'll have to 60 round by
the bridge after this, Jake. I shouldn't
wonder if the river broke up this very
night. See that crack"


"It wouldn't do for Roxie to come
over here alone again." said Jake, prob
ing the ice-crack with his stick.


And Roxie-poor little Rozie-whom
Jake was SO glad to think of as safe ut
home, was at that very moment step
piug over a wide crack between two
great masses OF ice, and staring forlorn-
II about her, for little way in advance
appeared another great gap, and the
bear close behind was whimpering with
terror as he clung to the ledge of the
floating mass upon which Ro1ie had
only Just leaped, and which he had
failed to Jump upon. Shaking with cold
and fright, the little girl staggered for
ward across the ice until at it's further
edge she came upon a narrow, swiftly