ROCKY MOUNTAIN GRASSHOPPERS 



child. Being an only child she gradually grew 

 into the habit of listening to the conversation 

 of her elders and sharing the cares, hardships 

 and disappointments that went to make up the 

 life of the frontier farmer as he battled against 

 grasshoppers, drouth, hot winds and blizzards, 

 in what so often seemed a vain effort to eke 

 out a living and secure a home. 



The corn which her father had planted in 

 the spring had grown higher than her head. 

 Ella spent many pleasant hours wandering 

 through this cool, shady field, gathering the 

 silk from the newly forming ears of corn to 

 braid and pin on the head of her rag-doll for 

 hair, or watching the little beetles that chanced 

 to be feeding on the juicy leaves of the corn- 

 stalks, or the useful little "lady-bird" with her 

 modest-colored calico gown eating the destruc- 

 tive aphids; while the timid little field-mouse 

 with his soft gray fur darted noiselessly behind 

 a corn-stalk or under a fallen leaf as she ap- 

 proached. Sometimes her bolder friend, the 

 striped ground-squirrel, alarmed by the soft 

 patter of her little bare feet, would run right in 

 front of her, or even across her toes, such was 

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