Phebe, the Blackberry Girl

Produced by Internet Archive; University of Florida, Children; Samuel
Thompson and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
1850.
Uncle Thomas's Stories for Good Children.
The design of this series of unpretending little books, is, to give to the Young information, joined with amusement.
They are prepared for young children, and if, from the reading of these stories, they acquire a love for good books, the compiler's object will be accomplished.
Why, Phebe, are you come so soon, Where are your berries, child? You cannot, sure, have sold them all, You had a basket pil'd.
No, mother, as I climb'd the fence, The nearest way to town, My apron caught upon a stake, And so I tumbled down.
I scratched my arm, and tore my hair, But still did not complain; And had my blackberries been safe, Should not have cared a grain.
But when I saw them on the ground All scattered by my side, I pick'd my empty basket up, And down I sat and cried.
Just then a pretty little Miss Chanced to be walking by; She stopp'd, and looking pitiful, She begg'd me not to cry.
'Poor little girl, you fell,' said she, 'And must be sadly hurt'— 'O, no,' I cried, 'but see my fruit, All mixed with sand and dirt!'