Year: 1876

IoI = &Iu Ill. Anu SD III Wcut On udy III


ter n. How tired Josie would be at


night and how discouraged! Some


times she cried herself to sleep; and then


in the morning woke up refreshed, and


then perhaps it would be one of the good


days, when every thing would 60 on


smoothly, and she would almost wonder


how she got so tired and discouraged the


night before. One thing made her happy,


and it was this, that she was helping


mother; and she thought she could never


do too much for such patient, loving


mother; and truly she could not. One


dark, gloomy, rainy day when nobody
| could 60 out doors Josie took the chill
dreD up into the attic to play. Now there


was every thing in the attic; old spin


ning-wheels and loom, boxes and band


boxes, old fashioned tables and worn out


chairs. Queer old pieces of furniture and


old-fashiOned chests of drawers, and an


cient china ware were all thrown in to-


gether topsy-turvey. Hurrah what a


time they all had in the old attic, dodg-


ing among the relics; hiding behind the


old boxes, and humping their heads


against the rafters.


When they got tired of play, then


Josie must read them story ; so che
did.


1t was fairy story. A little girl had


wandered from home. 1t was bright


September day, and she went into the


woods and could not find her way out.


When she found she was lost she began


to cry. The great shiny tears came into


her eyes, and chased each other down her
81, aalra 20 har aI L. l.


hair became tangled, and her dress torn,


and her hands were scratched with the


brambles. Poor little thing she was 60


tired she could hardly move ; and down


she fell right among the leaves under a
great oak, and fell asleep. While she


slept she had beautiful dream. The


queen of the fairies came that way, and


found the little girl. The fairy queen


was very handsome and very richly
dressed, but not proud. She rode through
the air in little golden chariot, with
silver wheels. drawn by two beautiful
large butterflies, who were trained to
stop or 60, and fly high or low, at the
queens command. Now when the queen
saw this little girl under the oak, she Or
dered the chariot to glide down from
the air under the oak, and she knew the
little girl was lost. She told her not to
be troubled, and not to cry, for she should
find her home; SO she gave her charm,
and told her to keep it in sight and she
would surely find her way home.


With that the fairy queen started off
in her chariot; and either the noise of
her starting or something else woke up
the little girl. The first thing she thought
of was the charm. Just above her head
but beyond her reach was a thread of
silver. This she felt was the charm. So
she determined to keep it in sight. She
walked along but kept her eye on that
silver thread all the time. Sometimes
she almost lost sight of it. Sometimes the
clouds would come over the sun, and it
wouldn't show so clearly. Sometimes
she would have to go back few steps to
find where she had lost sight of the
thread; and then she would 60 on for
a long time again. At last she came into
an open pathway where she knew the
rest of the way, and she was so happy to
find the path once more, that she started
off on full run, and lett the thread or
it left her, she didn't know which, and
she ran all the way home and right into
her mothers arms. What do you think
her papa said when she told him about
the silver thread? Why he said he
guessed it was only a spiders rope, such
as the spiders throw out so they can find
their way back to their webs. Well, the
little girl was safe home any way, and
Tommy and Kitty and Josie herself were
very glad of it, when suddenly they all
began to wonder where baby Frankly
was. He was nowhere in sight. Hadhe
tumbled down stairs? Had the fairies
got him? They all began to look round,
over the old attic, and at last Tommy
found the little rogue all cuddled down
in the lowest of chest of drawers, which
they had opened, and he was fast asleep.
What a laugh they all had then, aud
how they shouted to mamma to come up
and see the baby! So mamma came up
and lifted the little treasure, and kissed
him over and over again. And then
Tommy had to kiss him; and then
Kitty, and then Josie. And while the
children were showering their affection
ate kisses upon the little innocent, their
mother looked over the old papers in the
drawer. She found old newspapers that
were printed in the time of the Revolu-
tionary war, and old letters and old man.
uscript, and just as she was about to
leave she found one that made her look
a second time. 1t was something that
should have been found ten years before.
1t was deed from Mrs. YouDg's own
grandfather giving her the entire right
to large amount of property in a dis
tant state. 1t was property that no one
of the family knew of his having, and by
the deed had not been found;
and when her grandfather had suddenly
died the deed had been overlooked, and
other people had the use of the property.
A skillful lawyer soon put the whole
thing right, and Josie's mother didn't
need any longer to keep that sewing
clicking all day, to earn bread
and clothes for the children. But the
question now is, what would have be-
come of them all but for baby Frankly, or
if Josie had not 10 kindly taken care of
him, and If baby Frankly had not gone to
sleep in the lowest drawer?