Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1825-11-05
EXTRACT


Lucy was only six years old but bold
as fairy, she had gone by herself
thousand times about the braes, and Of
ten upon erran1s % houses two or three
miles distant. What had her parenls to
fear The footpaths were all firm, and
! led tbrou Oh 10 plac5 of danger, nor are
= infants OF themselves incautious when
alone in their pssiitnes. Lucy went
singing into the coppice. woods, and sing
| lag she reappeared on the open hillside.
With her small white hand on the rail,
she glided along the wooden bridge, as
lightly as the ouzeI ripped from stone
10 stone across the shallow streamlet.
| The creature would be away Tor hours,
and no fears felt on her accoun, by any
one at home-whether she had gone
with her basket under her arm to collect
some articles Of household use froia
nel2hbor, or merely tor her own solitary
! delight, wandered oil to the braes 10 play
among the flowers, coming back laden
with wreaths and earlands. With a bon
| Det OF her own sewing 10 shade her pref
| " face from the sun, and across her
shoulders plaid in which she could sit
dry during an hour of the heaviest rain
beneath The smallest bield, Lucy passed
many hours in the daylight, and thus
knew, without thinking OF it, all the to-
pog.aphy OF that pastoral solitude, and
and even something OF the chaugeiul APP
pearances IN the air and sky.
The happy child had been invited TO
spend whole day, from morning to
night, al Lapslde, "a farm house about
Two mics oti) with her playmates, The
Maynes, and she leil home about an
hour alter sunrise. She was dressed
Tor holiday, and father and mother, and
| aunt lsobcl, all three kissed her spark
ing lace before she set Off by herself,
! aud Stood listening 10 her singing, all
her small v1ice was lost in tho rnurmer,
nag OF the rlvuiet. During her absence
her voice was silent, but happy; and Tie
! evening being now far advanced, Lucy
was eXpec ed bome every minute, and
| Michael, Agnes and Isobel, went 10
meet her on the way. They walked on
! aGd on, wondering littlo, bui in no de-
gree alarmed, ill they reached Ladyside,
and heard the cheerful din OF the i,np8
stiii rlotng at the close of the holiday.
jacob MaYne came 10 the tioor--but on
their kindly asking why Lucy had not
been Sent hume before Daylight was over,
be booked painfully surprised, and said
she had not been Ladyside.
Agnes suddenly sat down, without
speaking one word, Gil the stone seat be-
side ne door, and Michael supporting
her said" Jacob, our child lett Us this
morning at SIX O'clock, and i. is now
near len at night. God is mcrcdui: but
perhaps, Lucy is dead" Jacob Wayne
was an ordinary, commonplace and ra
| lher an ignorant man but his heart leapt
within han at these words, and by This
time his own children were standing
4" Yes-Mr. Foreslei-God is merciiui
and your daughter, let Us trust is not
dead. Let us trust that she yet liyeth--
| and without delay let us go 10 seek the
child Michael trembled from head
10 foot, and his voice was gone; he lfted
up his eyes TO Heaven, but ii seemed not
II be saw either the moon or the stars,
$ Run over to Raeshaw, some of you,"
sand Jacob, sand tell what has happened.
Do you, Isaac, my good boy, cross over
o "a the towns on the Inverleilben-side
and-Oh! Mr.. Fores er---Mr. Forester,
dinDa let this trial overcome you sac
sairle" for Michael was leaning against
| the wall of the house, and the strong
man was helpless as a child" Keep
mp your heart my dearesl con-" said lso-
bel, with voice all unlike her usual
keep up your heart, for the blessed
BARN is beyond doubt somewhere in the
keeping of the great God, yea, without a
hair of her head being hurt. A hundred
things may have happened to her, aud
death not among the number. Oh no
-Do-surely not death--that would in
deed be too dreadful Judgment" and
Aunt lsobel oppressed by the power oil
that word, now needed that very comfort
which she had in vain tryed to bes,ow.
Within two hours a hundred people
were traversing the hills in all directions,
even to distance which it seemed most
unlikely that poor Lucy could have
reached. The shepherds and llss r dogs
all night through searched every nook
every stone and rocky place--eyery lit.
tie shaw-every piece of taller heather
every crevice that could conceal any
thing alive or dead-bnt no Lucy was
there. Her mother, who for while
seemed inspired with supernatural