Snow-Berries; A Book for Young Folks (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1867 Excerpt: ...having been a beggar would imbitter the cow's milk. The wife of David, it would seem, had her own little pride, and in my opinion she was all the better for it. After this Davy Dreamer dreamed almost of nothing but cows, and when he talked it was all about the rich man at the other end of the island, who had meadows against meadows all dotted over with beautiful cattle. "He would never miss a cow; and I dare say if he only knew of our poverty, he would gladly give us one " he used to say; and once or twice he hinted to his wife that she might go to him a-begging. But she only smiled and let him alone with his dreaming, for she thought it quite harmless. She had no idea of begging, however, for her part, and for days and weeks and months worked on, and each return from the market town saw more and more silver money in the tow bag. She was never heard to complain, but often to sing, and often to discourse merrily with her children, who were growing to be blooming men and women. A nice little plan of her own had the wife of Davy the dreamer. Meantime, his head was filled with all sorts of vain imaginings. Night after night he would start up out of sleep, crying out, " Just see what a pailful " and morning after morning when he awoke he would peep into the garden to see if a cow were not browsing the cabbages. For hours and hours he would sit facing the highway, wasting the time that he should have used for working; and never a stranger passed along but that he looked wistfully after him, for each one he supposed to be the rich man from the other side of the island come to give him the cow. But morning after morning came and no cow was found to be browsing in the garden, and stranger after stranger passed along, but if the rich man from the ...