My Treasure Part 9

"Mine blue, too," added Dora. "We always have everything just alike."

"There, now they can see just as well as ever."

"Thank you ever so much!" exclaimed both girls at once.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

ROSE AND THE LITTLE BEGGAR.

ROSE was out in the garden with mamma. Rose ran here and there, gathering the prettiest flowers to make into a bouquet for her. Rose thought her mamma the loveliest and best mamma in the world. Nothing was too good for her.

"O Mamma!" she cried breathlessly, running up after a long absence, "there's a poor girl--outside the fence--over by the rustic chair. She looks as though she wanted--something. She won't speak--Oh! come and see here, mamma!"

"Poor child! Perhaps she is hungry," said mamma, rising quickly.

They found the child still looking wistfully through the fence. "Would you like something to eat?" asked mamma kindly.

The bareheaded and barefooted little girl looked up into the sweet face a moment, then said timidly, "Please, lady, give me some flowers."

"I'll give her mine," whispered Rose.

With a hurried, "Thanks, lady," she took the flowers and ran swiftly away before another question could be asked.

"I wish I knew where she lived," said Rose.

"I will inquire. We may be able to help her."

[Ill.u.s.tration: ROSE AND THE LITTLE BEGGAR.]

OLD CHARLIE RUNS.

SEE old Charlie run. Do you suppose he is afraid of the children or the constables? You see old Charlie gets into mischief sometimes when papa is away. He gets into the garden where there are a few young fruit trees. Old Charlie likes apples and pears. So papa told Neddie he must watch, and if old Charlie got into the garden he must drive him out.

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One day old Charlie thought he wouldn't mind such a little boy. Then Neddie asked Bess and little Effie to help. Each took a cornstalk. How old Charlie ran when he saw them coming.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SOLID COMFORT.]

Out of the wild north-east The snow comes fly-ing; O-ver our chim-ney tops The wind goes sigh-ing.

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Up, lag-gard birds, a-way, On swift wings go-ing, To where, on south-ern hills, A-far from win-ter's chills, Soft winds are blow-ing.

POLLY AND HER DEAD BIRD.

Some one gave lit-tle Pol-ly a bird. It sang all day long, and made the nurs-er-y ring with its mer-ry notes. Pol-ly was so fond of it, and al-ways fed it her-self. One day when the children had come in from a walk, they found the bird dead in its cage. A wick-ed cat had killed it.

The chil-dren all cried a great deal; and they bur-ied it in a small white box in the garden, and plant-ed flow-ers o-ver the grave.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

MOLL AND JANE'S PICNIC.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Moll and Jane had a pic-nic. They first begged the cook to give them some sand-wich-es and gin-ger-bread. Then Moll stole down stairs, and got an a-p.r.o.n-ful of po-ta-toes, while Jane got some match-es. They were go-ing to roast their po-ta-toes; and this is the way they did it. They dug a shal-low hole, put them in, cov-ered them with dirt, and then built a fire a-bove them. They were ver-y good when they were cooked, I can tell you.

BELLE AND HER BROTHERS.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The same day that Moll and Jane had their pic-nic, Belle and her two small broth-ers had one. They did not have a fire: but their cook put up a much bet-ter lunch for them, and they took it to their fa-vor-ite spot, packed in a bas-ket on their don-key's back; and, while they ate their lunch, he nib-bled the soft gra.s.s. They had a good time, and were not sent to bed without sup-per, as Moll and Jane were, for mak-ing a fire when it was for-bid-den.