The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1842-06-14
From The Nova Scotian.
THE BABES IN THE WOODS.


and thousands who cannot read have went over II
MS better informed piaymates nur ses,or grandmoth
ors, poured it into their infant ears, with various,
embellishments and exaggerations, which, 1t all
duly preserved, would I'll book as large as Rob
inson Crusoe. We have seen all the touching in
cidents of the scene SO often portrayed in wood
cuts and engravings, that at any moment we can
coniure up the bedroom in which the dying parent
consigned The nnocents to the cruel but iairspoken
uncle-ths wild glen ip which the ruffians quarrel
ed.upon the point of conscience to whether they
should be murdered or left to perish in the woods
and then the God itself in which they wandered
so long, hand in hand, quenchng their thirst in
the running brook, gathering sioe berries to sa tsfy
their hunger, and sleeping at night beneath the
trees, in each others arms. Truly this little leg
end has enjoyed popularity extensive than
thousands OF tales of more complicated plot and
elaborate execution The boys and girls OF the
present geneiato read and listen to it with as
much delight and as tender a sympathy the boys
and girls of The past; and who can say how many
centuries may pass before ishall cease to be
remembered, or be shorn of any portion OF the pop
arity il now enjoys?
We have bad, Of late, our Babes in the Woods
and the object of this little sketch is to record
!
Halifax, Dartmouth and the settlements in their
vicinity, take at the present moment very lively
interest, and which it is probable will be held in
painful remembrance by hundreds until their DIV
ing day. Our story lacks something of the dramat
cast oF the old one, there being either avarice,
cruelty, nor crime in ii; and yet It's plful-'its
wohdJous pitiul.
At distance of some four miles and half from
Al Ii, oocI
his wife and family Of four children. His house
is plettily situated on upland ridge between two
lakes, and overlooking the main road His clear.
ed fields were chiefly in front, the of his lot
being cove,ed by thick growth OF bushes and
young trees, which had sprung up in The place of
the original forest long since levelied by the
or overrun by fire. Behind the lot, in northerly
direction, lay wide extent Of timber and scramb-
ling woodland, granite barren and morass the
only houses in the neighborhood lying
ridges running paru,ie, wir', tharun- hct'
Mr. Meagher lived, and which separated from
II by the lakes that extend distance rear Of
! his clearing
| On Monday morning, April 10Th, Meagher,
his wife, and two Of the children, lying sick with
the measels, the two. Oldest girls, jane Elizabeth
being years and 10 months, and Margaret, only
five years old strolled into the woods to search for
lashong, the gum Of the black spruce tree, or tea
berries. The day fine and the girls, being IN
the habit Of roaming about the lot wore moi missed
| till late in the day. A man servant sent in
search Of them and thought he heard their voices,
but returned without them probably thinking there
was great occasion for alarm, and that they
would by and by return of their own accord. To.
wards evening the family became ser iously alarmed
and the sick father reused himself to search fer his
children, and gave the alarm TO some OF his nearest
neighhors. The rest of the night was spent in
beating about ewoods in rear Of the clearing but
10 purpose ,nobody surprising that girls so small
/ could have srayed more than annie two from
the house. On Tuesday morning, tidings having
reached Dartmouth, Halifax, and the neghborIng
settlements several hundred persons promptly re-
paired 10 the vicinity Of Meaghers house, and, di-
| viding into different parties, commenced formal
| and active examination Of the woods. In the
course Of the day the tracks of little feet were dis
! covered in several places patches of snow, but
were again lost tho spot at which the children
crossed rivuet connecting Lake Loon-with Lake
! Charles was also remarked A coloed boy named
Brown, whose dwellings lay about three miles to
north and west Of Meaghei's, also reported that he
heard noise of children crying, the evening be.
fore, while cuttlug wood but that, on advancing
towards it, and calling out, the sound ceased, and
he returned home, thinking, perhaps, it was bird
or some wild animal
| The tracks, the coored boys report, and the sub
sequent discovery of a piece of one of the
children aprons, stained with blood, at the dis
lance OF three miles from the house, gave wider
range to the researches OF the benevolent, who be-
gan to muster in the neighborhood OF the place
in which the piece ofapron was picked up, and to
deploy in all directions, embracing circle Of seve
raj miles beyond and in the rear Off Monday
night was mild, and was pretty evident the chill
! dren had survived it. Tuesday night was colder
and about two inches Of snow having fallen, tlir
general conviction appeared to be, that, worn ou
with fatigue and hunger, and having no outer cloth
: ing, they must have persisted. Still there was nc
!, relaxation of the exertions of the entorprising
benevolent. Fresh parties poured inio the ant
. woods each day, and gathering fresh energy
!, from pursuit, devoted the entire week to The
generous purpose of rescung the dead bodies, if no
Z ,ba iiyas of The iunocents from The wilderness