Our Young Folks at Home and Abroad Part 16

"Oh, what is that, Dotty?" whispered Blanche, clutching Dorothy's arm.

Scratch, scratch, it went again, and then there was a great rattling.

"Oh, it's a wolf!" cried Dotty; and down the attic stairs they flew pell-mell; through the kitchen chamber and the great unfinished chamber, and down the back stairs; through the kitchen and the dining-room, and burst into grandma's room all out of breath.

"What _is_ the matter, children?" asked grandma.

"Oh, there's a wolf in the attic," they both cried out.

"Nonsense! we don't have wolves in Ma.s.sachusetts," said grandma.

"Well," said Dorothy, "something scratched dreadfully."

So grandma went up to the attic to see about it. "Where was the noise?" she asked.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BRIGHT-EYES AT HOME.]

They pointed to the dark place behind the big chimneys. Grandma went up and opened a door and out walked--a wolf! no; Towser, the old cat!

Blanche and Dorothy sometimes have another visitor in the attic. It is a big rat. He lives in the barn. He has a road underground to the house cellar. Then he comes up to the attic through the wall.

The cousins never know when to expect him. He comes in without knocking. The first thing they know there he is looking at them with bright eyes.

They have named him Bright-eyes. They feed him with cake and cheese.

He is very tame. Grandma says she never heard of such a thing as feeding a rat. She says Bright-eyes eats her hens' eggs. He steals them out of the nests.

LITTLE GIRL GRACIE.

BEDTIME.

So sleepy and demure is my wee Gracie, So long and sober grows the little facie, So silent are the red, red lips so sweet, So quiet are the little hands and feet, I know, yes, well I know My Gracie wants to go Into the soft, white nest where every night My birdie folds her wings till morning light.

And now beside my knee the pretty lisper Her evening prayer with folded hands must whisper, While baby sister sleeps on mother's breast, Lulled with our voices low to dreamy rest.

Then in her nightie white, My restless sunbeam bright Is hidden from her shoulders to her feet, And tucked away in slumber soft and sweet.

MORNING.

A merry, white-robed figure at my side, A laughing face, with blue eyes opened wide.

Red lips that kiss me in the early dawn And tell me fast enough that night is gone.

Ripe and ready for play, In the early morning gray, Restless again are the small hands and feet, Silent no longer, little lips so sweet.

Where is the sunbeam like my Gracie's eyes?

Blue as the blue of summer's bluest skies!

What sweeter wakening could be mine than this The soft "Good morning!" of my daughter's kiss?

And thus each hour of day Girl Gracie claims for play Till comes the "Sand-man" with the twilight hour And play has vanished 'neath his mystic power.

A MAGPIE AND HER NEST.

The magpie is a very handsome bird. He knows he is handsome, too. He has a fine broad tail. There is a band of purple near the end of each feather, and the end is green and purple.

He walks about with this handsome tail perked in the air. He does not drag it in the dirt, not he!

He is a bright bird, too. He can learn to talk, and he is full of pretty and naughty tricks. He is a--thief! He steals eggs from other birds' nests. He strikes his bill through the egg and walks off with it. And he does a worse thing than that. He steals the young birds and eats them.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MAGPIE AND NEST.]

But the Magpie is very careful to build her nest so n.o.body shall steal her eggs. In the first place she always builds on a high tree. She chooses a tree that has a long smooth trunk, that the boys cannot climb easily. How do you suppose she knows about mischievous boys? She must make a study of boys.

She builds her nest of dry sticks and mud. She carpets it with wool and fine roots. (Birds can always find plenty of wool sticking on the bushes in sheep pastures. There is vegetable wool too, like the wool on the growing ferns.) Then she makes a roof of sticks; she leaves open a small round door at the side. So you see it is not easy for boys or birds to steal her eggs.

Magpies like bright glittering things like silver spoons and rings.

They often steal them and hide them in their nests.

This Magpie is a European bird. There is a beautiful red Magpie that lives in China.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MARY AND ANNIE FEED FLUFFY-DUMPTY.

{FROM "ANNIE'S DUCKS."}]

AT THE BEACH.

The Park children went to the beach last summer. It was a small beach; not at all like Nantasket Beach.

There were not many folks there. There was a young woman--a very queer young woman indeed, Sam thought. She used to go out on the beach and sit in a camp chair and read!

"Pshaw! who wants to read with a whole ocean to look at?" said Sam.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE YOUNG WOMAN.]

Such cunning little slippers as she wore! and her ruffles and hat! Oh, my! She used to draw pictures sometimes, but Sam didn't know that.

"Halloo! there she is again!" shouted Sam one day. She was drawing a picture of them that moment, but they did not know it. They were all sliding down the sand cliff.

They had taken off their shoes and stockings, and were going in bathing.