DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE PERIODICALS |
| DIRECTOR Virgilio Buttolph |
ABOUT
Yesterday, Dame Dodd, who, by the bye, is a rare scold, despatched Giles into the harvest-field with the four-o'clock refreshment for her son and his men. There were eight nice large plum-buns, just warm from the oven, so light and white that it was quite a pleasure to see the Goody stow them together, with four bottles of ale, in a basket, which was slung round Giles's neck with all due care and caution; his mistress exhorting him all the while to walk steadily to the field, and neither to loiter by the way, nor to run so fast as to endanger the safety of the bottles. " To-day," said Dame Dodd, " I treat my son and his men with bottled ale, because they are carting wheat, which is harder work than reaping."
Scarcely had Giles trudged from the door, when he heard a lisping voice behind him cry, " Oh Dily, Dily! stop for Fanny !" mid Roly-poly caine bustling after him in a great hurry.
" Go in," said Giles, " I don't want you;" but Roly-poly would not be thus rejected: catching him by the arm, she pointed to a wild magpie that had just alighted in the yard, and was curiously examining a bone, and earnestly besought him to catch it for her.
" If I had a pinch of salt to put on its tail, perhaps I might," cried the mischief-loving urchin, with a sly grin.
Away trotted poor Fanny to the house, and returned panting and out of breath, with a bird-cage in one hand, and the other full of salt, trembling with anxiety all the while, lest either the magpie should have flown, or Giles departed, during her absence; but the magpie was still chattering over the bone, and Giles continued to watch its proceedings, cautiously approaching step by step, having come to the conclusion that the bird might be surprised and caught.
When poor Roly-poly drew near with her double lading of the salt and the cage, he thrust her rudely back with one hand, and attempted to clutch the magpie with the other. The bird rose, and flew to a short distance.
"All your fault, Miss Fan!" cried Giles, "I should have had her then, if you had not come in the way."
" I'm sure you told me to bring the pinch of salt, Dily," sobbed she, greatly hurt at this uncourteous usage. "Be quiet, I shall have her now," cried Giles, as the bird alighted a second time on the stump of an old tree, that overhung the horsepond; and forgetful of the burden that was slung across his shoulder, he made a spring towards mistress Mag, missed his mark, and tumbled head foremost into the horsepond. Souse went all the harvest-cakes into the dirty water, and floated away in fine style. Smash went the four bottles to the bottom of the pond, and all the ale was lost. Poor frightened Fanny now set up her pipes, and ran towards the house, screaming " Dily drowned ! Dily drowned !"
Out flew Dame Dodd with a horsewhip in her hand, and the moment Giles scrambled out of the pond, without so much as waiting for him to wipe the mud out of his eyes and mouth, she caught him by the collar, and took summary vengeance on his luckless shoulders for the loss of her cakes and ale.
With this catastrophe I will conclude my long letter, dear Caroline, begging you to believe me, with every affectionate wish for your health and happiness