Melody The Story of a Child

stretches out its delicate antennae, touching, feeling, trying its way, as it goes from flower to flower. Truly, the child's light fingers were like butterflies, as she walked beside the road,

lvia, and

ur swains

r, and wi

such grace d

red she

rils slightly distended. "Meadow-sweet!" she said softly to herself. "Isn't it out early? the dear. I must find it for Aunt Joy." She stooped, and passed her light, quick

aisy dear, sorre

lease the nose of

ped to pick the meadow-sweet. "I will make the words, and Rosin shall make the music; and

weet is

ine's

ine, sweet

, I wonder. Dairy; but

,-yes, now

fine, swe

my pet

ce. "Think, if he had been blind, how dreadful it would have been! Of course it doesn't matter when you have never seen at all, because you know how to get on all ri

worr

ve lived

nly saved

ought

t last

ked hersel

s like that?" she said, as she listened. "The horse interferes, too. Oh, of course; it's Eben Loomis. He'll pick me up and give me a ride, and then it won't take so long." She walked along,

me comin', I'd like to know? I never said a word, nor so much as whistled, since I come in sight of ye." The man, a wir

en," she said. "Besides, poor old Jerry knocks his hind feet together so, I he

She's ben havin' them weakly spells right along lately.

fully. "You said that six years ago, do you know

s a leetle mite better than she was six years ago. Wal! now it's surprising ain't it, that you should know that, you child, without the use of your eyes, and I shouldn't,

oice. Her voice used to go down when she stopped speaking, like this, 'How do you do?' [with a falling inflection which was the very essence of melancholy];

s the way you find out things, is it, Mel'dy? Well, you're a curus child, that's w

lody. "But I'm going to

dd

h his eyes, ain't he?" He stopped short, with a glance at the child's clea

ple wouldn't tell Mrs. Jackson to keep putting things in his eyes. Why can't they let h

unless it's jest to wet his eyes up with a drop o' tobacco-juice,' says I. 'There's nothin' like tobacco-juice for weakly eyes, that's sure;' and of course I knew Doctor would ha' said so himself ef he'd ha' been there. Wal, here we be to Jack

nk you ever so much," s

rr

e house with unfaltering step. "T'would do Mandy a sight o' good. Come down an

up the grassy path, while the countryman gaze

p, now, will ye? He's e'en a'most as big as she is; but you'd say she was his mother ten times over, from the way she handles him. Look at her set down on the doorstep, tellin' him a story, I'll bet. I tell ye! hear that little feller laugh, and he