New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-05-25

Most children who can read have read the touch
ing li,le Nursery Tale oi the Babe. - the W GODS,
and thousands who cannot read nave wept over u
as better informed playma,e., nurses or grand
mothers poured 1t into their infant ears win va
riaiions embelii shment, and exaggeratiOns. which,
il all duly preserved would I'LL boo" a. large a.
Robinson Crusoe We have seen all The touching
incidents Of the scene 50 often portrayed IN WOOL
cut. and sngraviDgs, that al any moHlent We can
conlure up the bedroom IN winch ne dllhs parent
consigned the innOceGts TO the crue! but po"en
unce--.he Wild glen in which the ruthans quar-
relcd. uton the point Of conscience as 10 whether
they ,honld be murdered or left to perish in the
Woodland then the wood itself in which they
wandered 50 long. hand IN hand, quenching their
thirst in the running brock, gathering sloe-berre'
TO satisfy their hanger, and sleeping at night be-
meath the trees, in each others arms. Truly this
little legend hos enjoyed popularity more extern
sve than Thousands of tales Of more complicated
plot and elaborate execution. The boy and Siris
Of the present generation read AID listen to 1t WIN
as much delight and n tender sympathy a' the
boys and girls OF The past and VINO can say no"
many centuries nIy pass before IT shan cease 10 De
remembered, or BE- ehorn Of any portion OF The
popularity it enjoys!
i've have had. Of late. our Babes in the Woods :
and the object of this lutte sketch Is to record
some incidents IN humble life, in which the people
OF Halifax Dartmouth, and the settlements IN their
vicinity, take at the present moment very hyely
interest, and which II is probable viii be heid IL
painful remembrance by hundreds until their dyins
day. Our story lacks something OF the dramatic
cast Of the old one, there being neither avarce,
cruelty nor crime in i and yet / Is Piiiul-t Is
wOBdrOus pi,ilul.
Alta distance OF some four miles and a half rsm
Al, T,b, e Irpiau
MS wife and ia.nli, of four children. His house
is pre,tily situated on an upland ridge between two
lakes, and overlooking the main road. His cleared
fields chiefly in front, the OF his 1T being
covered by thick growth Of bushes and young
trees, which had sprung up in the place OF the orr
gina forest long since eveled by the axe OF over
run by FIRE. Behind the lot, in II northcrly dlrcc-
ton, lay Il wide extent Of timber and scrambiing
wood and, granite barren and mora.s, the only
houses in the ncghborhoOd living cast or west on
ridges running parallel with that on which Mr..
heaghe lived, and which are separated from ii
10y the lakes that extend some distance in rear OF
his clearing.
o. Monday morning, the 10th day of April,
Meagncr, his wife, and two Of the children, lying
sick with the measles, the two oldest girls, Jana
Elizabeth, being years and 10 months, and Mar
garer, only years old, srolled into the woods to
search for lashong, the gum OF the black spruce
tree, or TIA berries. The day was fine, and the
girls, being in the habit of roaming about the lot,
not mis-. ed till late in the day. a
van, sent in search of them, and thought no
heard their voices, but returned without them,
probably thinking there was 10 great occasion for
alarm, and that they would by and by return of
their own accord. Towards evening the family
became seriously alarmed, aud the sick father
reused himself to search for his children, and gave
the alarm To some Of his nearest neghbors. The
rest Of the night was spent in heating about the
woods in rear of the clearing, but to no purpose,
nobody suPposing that gIrls so small could have
strayed more than Il mile or two from the house.
On Tuesday morning. tidings hayiog reached DAFT
mouth, Halifax, and the neighboring settlements.
several hundreds Of persons promptly repaired 10
the vicinity of MeagheI's house. and dividing IN
TO different parties, commenced Il formal and ac-
tive examination of the woods. la the course oi
the day the tracks of little feet were discovered
in several places on patches of snow, but were
again lost the spo, A. which the children crossed
a rvulct which connects Lake Loon with LAX.
Charles was also remarked. 4 colorcd boy
named Brown, whose dwelling Jas about three
miles to the north and west OF Melghcr',, also
reported that he had heard a noi.e, Of csdIci
crying, the evening before, while cutting wood ;
but that on Advancing toward, il, and calling out
the sound ceased, and he returned home, thinking,
perhaps, j, was bird or some wild animal.
The tracks, the colored boys report, and the
subsequent discovery OF piece Of one Of the child
rens aprons, stained with blood, al the distance Of
three miles from the house, gave wider range TO
the researches OF the benevolent, who began Ia
muster in the neshborhood of the place in which
the piece of apron was picked up, and ~ dcploy III
ell directions, embracing n circle of several miles
beyond and in rear of it, Monday night wa,
mild, and it was pretty evident the children sur
vved it, Tuesday night was colder and abou,
two inches of snow having fallen, the general con
vcton appeared TO be, that, worn out with fatigue
and hunger and having no outer clothing, they
must lave perishcd. Still. there was no relaxation
Of the exeriion, of the cnterprising and benevo-
lent. Fresh parties poured into the woods each
day, and many persons, overpowered by the strength
of their feelings. asd gathering fresh energy from
the pursuit, devoted the entire week to the gene
rous purpose Of rcscuing the dead bodies. If not
the lives of thc.nnocents, from the Wilderness
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday aad Saturda,
passed away, and no trace was discovered of the
Babes in the Woods every newspaper that ap.
peared was eagerly searched for some tidings
every boat that crossed the harbOr wa. met b,
anxious and lnquriug faces. Dartmouth was the
centre ct excitement, and the Preston Road was
constantly occupied with vehicles and vehicles ano
pedestrians moving 10 and fro.
Ga Sunday morning ii was quite cyidontthai tn,
interest had deepencd rather than declined. \
load seemed 90 hang upon the mind which was ex
cessively painful. Many who had been confined
all the week unable 10 JOIN in the good work. de
tcrmincd to spend the Sabbath in searching Ion the
babes, in imitation OF Him who went about doing
good, and who gave example of active beucyoenc,
even on the day set apart for res, and devotion.
We strollcd into Mcachers early nthc forenoon
The sick husband wa. in the woods The Zoe.
reaved mother, whose agony mus, have been in.
tense throughout the week, while there wa, a
chance OF her little being restored to her alive
seemed 10 hnNn scit "a mo I'm, snhr;ntN II .rinl