The Snow Drift.
Therewas once a boy who kept all the cents that were given to him, till he had laid up two dollars. I can hardly tell the reason why it was so, but Dick Liston really found as much pleasure in putting his cents into a box as most children do in buying sweetmeats with theirs.
The reason was probably this: in the first place, we like to feel that we have it in our power to buy anything; to gratify our wants and wishes; to buy things, not only for ourselves, but for others. The feeling of this power is a very agreeable feeling; and the possession of money gives it to us.
But Dick had another motive, added to this. His father owned a few sheep, and Dick wished to own one himself. So he laid by his money till he had amassed two dollars; he then bought himself a sheep. What pleasure he did take in feedinghis own dear sheep! He called her Nan; for everything is dearer, if you give it a name.
Well, Nan must have the best potatoes, and the best turnips, and the sweetest hay,—for it was now winter, you know. She learned to know Dick, and as soon as she saw him, she would gallop to him, expecting of course to get some nice tit-bit. She was seldom disappointed. Thus a great friendship grew up between Nan and Dick.
But, now a new event came to pass. Nan had a lamb! Dick was in a perfect flurry of joy. He ran to his mother to announce the happy circumstance. He flew to his brothers and sisters, to unburthen his bosom. He told the cat of it—he told the dog of it—and away he flew to tell his neighbor, Jack Fletcher, of it. He then went back, boiled some potatoes, and fed Nanny.
Every morning Dick was up bright and early, to feed his sheep and lamb. The latter grew apace. In three days he shook his tail; in a week he nibbled a straw; in a fortnight he leaped and frolicked like a kitten. Each of these events marked an epoch in Dick’s heart, and was duly narrated to mother, brother, sisters, and playmates.
At last, March came, with signs of an early spring. The snow had fled. The sun shone warm and smiling. The blue-birds took it for spring; the hens cackled in the barnyard; the geese gabbled in the brook; the robins began to build their nests; the gardener sowed his lettuce, pepper-grass and peas.
Old Nan was also taken in by the fair show of spring. She went with her lamb to a distant hill-side, where the green grass had sprung up. Here she nibbled for a time, and at evening lay down to rest, her infant lamb at her side. They went to sleep, for the air was mild, and the moon shone bright.
But, by-and-by, the clouds covered the sky; a light rain began to fall. The wind changed to the north-east, and the air became cold. The drizzle was converted into snow, which soon fell thick and fast. The old sheep began to feel alarmed, but it was dark, and she did not like to travel across the woods and fields, to her home, at midnight. So she lay still.
But the storm continued. The air was full of snow, and in the morning it was a foot deep. Dick looked out of the window, and, anxious for his sheep and lamb, ran out to the barn. He could not find them. He looked in this place and that, but he could nowhere discover them. At length, with tears in his eyes, he ran back to the house, and told his sad story. Having taken breakfast, he and his brothers went to look for Nan. All the forenoon they spent in the search, but it was vain. The day passed, and the storm increased.
(To be finished in ournext.)