The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1842-06-14

eagerly searching fer some tdngs every boat that
crossed the harbor was met by anxious and enquIr-
ing faces. Dartmouth was The centre OF excite
ment, and the Preston Road was constantly occu
pied with vehicles and pedestrians moving to and
fro.
On Sunday morning it was quite evident that the
interest had rather deepened than declined.
load seemed to hang upon the MUD which was ex-
cessively painful. Many who had been confined
all the week, unable TO JON in the good work, de-
termined To spen the Sabbath in searching for the
babes, in imitation of Him who went about doing
good and who gave example Of active benevolence
evon on the day set apart for rest and devotion.
We strollod into Meaghe early in the forenoon
The sick husband in the woods. The bereav
ed mother, whose agony must have been intense
throughout the week, while there was chance Of
her little being restored to her alive, seemed
10 have settled into the sobriety OF grief which gen
orally follows the stroke of death, and when hope
has been entirely eA,ingushed One sick child
rested on hel lap Friendly neighbors were slit ing
around, vainly essaying TO comfort her who could
"not be comfortod," because her children ''were
not" All they could do was 10 show, by kind
looks and little HOUSEHOLD attentions, how anxious
they were 10 prove that they felt her bereavement
keenly. We plunged into The woods, and at once
how easy it might be for children TO lose
themselves in the dense thicket and broken ground
Immediately in the rear of the house, and how ex'
ceedingly difficult it might be to find their bodies
had they crept for shelter in any the fr and al
der clumps, through hundreds or which they must
have passed, or laid down beneath the spreading
roots of the numerous windfalls, which lay scat.
tered ON either hand. We wandered on, occasion
ally exchanging greetings, or inquiries with par
ties crossing and re crossing line Of march.
AS we went on, and on, clamberng over wind
falls, bruising our feet against granite rocks, oil
plunging into mud. holes, the sufferings OF those
poor babes were brought (eariuiIy homo to US, az
they must hav been to hundreds on that day. !
we who had slept soundly the night before were
we'll clad, and had comfortable breakfast, were
weary with few hours'tramp il cbalod whei
we stumbled, when the green boughs dashed il
our faces, or when slumped through balf'fro
zen morass, what must have been the suferings o
these poor girls, Young, helpless, with broker
shoes, no coverings 10 their heads or hands, aud M
thicker garments TO shield :hem from the blasts OF
keep out the fiost aud snow, than The ordinary
dress with which they sat by the fire slrollee
abroad in the sunshine Our hearts sunk a: til,
very idea OF what must have been their sufferings
ing on every PROBABILITY of the case, when, just
we struck wood path, met lad coming out
who told us that the children were found, and tha
they were 10 be en the spot ill all the partie
could be gathered in, that those who had spent h
forenoon ia search Of them, would have the melai
choly qualification Of beholding them they SUM
into their final rest the bleak mountain side.
| In few minutes after we met others rushing
from the woods, with the painful yet satisiactor
intelligence, hurrying to spread ihe news far AM
wide We soon after hove in sight of Mount Ma
| ior, IA huge granite hill, about six miles from Me-
gher's house, and caught sight ola group of pc
SONS standing upon its topmost ridges, firing guns
waving white flag as a signal of success. The
| melancholy interest and keen excitement of th
next half hour, we shall never forget. As we pa
sed up the hill side, dozens Of our friends and ac
quaniances were ascending from different points
some, having satisfied their curiosity, were retur
| ing, with sad faces and not few with tears il
their eyes, AS we mastered the activity, we say
] a group gathered round in circle, about half way
down on the other side. This seemed to be III
point of attraction. New corners moment
pressing into the ring, and others rushing out OF il
overpowered by strong emotions. When pre-
sed into the circle, the two little girls were lying
| just as they were when first discovered by MI
Currie's dog. The father had lifted the bodies, t
press them, cold and ifeess, to his bosom but the
had again been stretched the heath, and thei
J limbs disposed OF SO to show the manner of thei
death. a moro pteous sight we neser beheld.-
There were not the holiday dresses of the Babes II
the Woods, for their parents were aflluent, and
| was for their wealth that their wicked uncle con
spired against Thorn. Jane Elizabeth and Marga
ret Meagher, were the children Of poor parents, 9
they wore the common dress OF their class, an
scanty enough it seemed for the perils they ha
passed through. The youngest child had evident
ly died in sleep, her spirit had passed as genil
4 as though the wing of the angel of death had seer
ed but the ordinary clouds OF night overpowerln
4 the senses Her little cheek rested upon that {
i her sster---her little hand was casped in hers
her hair. almost white, nnkemped and dishevelleo
strewed the wide heath on which they lay. Th
] elder girl appeared to have suffered more lie
eyes were opsn as though she had watched to III
i last--her features were pinched and anxious
as if years of and anguish had been crowded !