Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1845-12-25
THE LOST CHILD.

| n correspondent OF the u. LOUIS weekly Ia
zette gives the following account Of hunt for
lost child, in one Of the thnly Peopled neighbOr-
hoods Of the West:
! About ten o'clock in the morning was heard
| loud shout at the gate-'s HOl Mr.. w., no I--n
What's wanting" "O'Larry's boy is lost--lit.
tie Johnny" This was enough to secure afatheris
aid; and on he rode to shout the same at every
door he passed. Little Johnny! said l. and INV
heart burst forth at the very sound. He was fair
and lovely child, little Johnny. and had gentle
af1ectionate MOTHER with ardent and sacrificing
love which few mothers ever feel. His father was
bold hunter-his horses and hounds and rife had
more OF his heart than all the world besides; but
little Johnny nestled there; indeed he was great
pet with the neighbors, and won more caresses and
sympathy than all the rest of the children to-
! gether.
Such appeals are always sovereign; but few, per-
| haps, have ever met with more quick or general
response-every body turned 'out-the news few
like lightning; and men and boys for ten miles a.
round came in to assist in the search, while wo-
men and children were running to and fro, and hail.
ing every passer by, to learn the progress Of the
| work. Never before. may dare to say, was there
| such neighborly union a. now peryaded this
motley mass-the same gush OF sympathy, the same
fearful apprehension, and the same images of death
and wo, pervaded every home and heart. 1t SEEM
ed il one vast cloud Of gloom enwrapped the re-
gion round from which shone out in lured glare,
and to which every eye turned, and every pulse
| beat true-the lost child! ...s -"
| Little Johnny was about four years old he had
been out in the field. with his father and the black
man, who were harvesting corn-had filled his lit
tie bag with roasting ears, and started for home a.
bout two o'clock P. M. On returning at night,
they ascertained that the child had never been
seen. 1t was nearly dark, but the alarm was given
and some fifteen twenty neighbors took their
horns and commenced the search. The corn, where
he was first seen, was the first object of course
here they took single rows, and secured the field
in vain. They then scattered through the adjoin.
ing wood; the father frantic often calling out in
| voice of thunder, ssHo! John--ho! John-O, John
Then, fearing the boy might be alarmed and afraid
to answer, he would soften down into the gentle
winning tone oil the frcside-" Johnny, Johnny
my dear, fathers come"
| 1t was cloudy evening; and though perhaps he
had never bowed the knee ''beiore Jehovah's awful
throne" he prayed-O how earnestly he prayed
the Lord it might not rain that night. The air
was damp and chilly, that, if the child were q.
live. with his bare feet and light jacket, he must
be suffering cruelty from the cold. But the wolves!
ah, this was tho tear this terror. which all felt,
none dared to breathe. A wolf had been seen Prov
| ling around the premises-indeed they had com.
mon path across the praire,-and the point where
several beside myself had heard the cries Of distress
was famous haunt for them even in the midst Of
their anxious search, distant growl would now
and then burst on the ear, picturng forth the den,
the cubs, the --. -.'...lt ''&
The dogs were very eager in the field, especially
wolf dogs. Winder, one Of the best, would run on
no other trail. O'Larry knew this, and watched
with most intense anxiety his every move. He
scents-he scents-he runs" Oh, my God, he 3
got my boy" He leaps from his horse, he sees
the footprint of his own dear Johnny in the 20.
pher hill by his side-he tracks him to the wood.
and off from Winder's trail. -ah, now he breathes
again.
| The search was continued till midnight. when
part thought it best to relieve their horses. and
wait for day light TO begin afresh. But the father
with three Of his hunting friends, who had resolved
not to eat or sleep till they had found the boy still
kept on-sometimes riding, sometimes Walking
calling and shouting il for no other purpose than
to keep the wolves al bay AZ length they station.
ed themselves within hearing distance Of each 9TH
and sat down to protect the child rush to his
rescue. in case they should hear him attacked, TO
| watch until the morning. s'2.F Is
! At early dawn, about SO new horsemen arrived,
and the search commenced anew. The field was
examined for the track, which was pursued with
some doubt, as he had been there three successive
days. On tracing the path which led towards the
wolf woods. the imprints Of Johnnys little feet
were again discovered, as he appeared to be run.
ming. and the mark Of his bag dragging along by
his side. Here the fathers anguish gushed anew
as the fears Of the preceding nigh, were justified
and corroborated They now agre.I to take sta.
tion 81 about rods abreast, go up one side Of the
branch aud down the other. till the whole surface
Of an extensive area arher than he could possibly
have traveled) had been explored They had com.
pleted one side, and were returning. when the sig.
nal was. given--Johnny was found! The noisy
shouting, and repeated peals Of the hunterss wind
ing horns. soon grouped the solemn cavalcade.
But O'Larry, though foremost in the hunt fell
back at the first note of the summoning horn, nor
| did he speak word, or scarcely breathed, till he
matched hia own frtle JOhnny from the arms sOf
his delighted bearer, and pressed him with fran
tic fondness to his now bursting heart The dear
boy was found about two miles from home. in
thicket Of hazel, picking fberts. with his bag OF
corn on his arm. He looked bright and happy ;
and when asked where he was going, said he was
| going home, but IL was so far. He said he hadn't
seen any body. but he heard some one call him and
| that he was afraid, and that he ran away until he
was very tired, and then he laid his head down on
his bag, and cried-tbat while he was crying he
saw q big carriage 70 by with candles in it, (the
thunder aud lightning, and then il grew very dark,
and he asked God 10 take Of little Johnny and
went TO sleep. He seemed amazed to see so many
around him. and all SO glad to see him.
0u-The following, from the Sana.cich (.sEs.) Co.
sevUer, penued on one of the blank leaves If a
| hymn. book, in q church not thousand miles from
that place The writer was evidently out OF hu-
NOR, either with himself or somebody: s..
| "Could old King DAVID but for once, r
To worship here repair, u. r...t..,..
| And hear his Psalms thus warbIed out, ..
y Thinks I, he'd almost swear!
But could ST.. PAUL but just pop in. \, i "a,
From higher scenes abstr acted, st 4,o
And hear his Gospel here explained,
| I'm sure he'd run distracted