Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-12-25
TME FIRE-SHDE.
The Deserted Children.
A REAL

In the autumn of 1928, a man was descend
ing the Ohio river, with three small children in
a canoe. He had lost his wife, and in the en-
igrating spirit Of our people, was transporting
his all to new country where he might again
begin the world. Arriving toward evening IN
a small island, he landed them for the night
After remaining a short time, he determined to
visit the opposite shore, for the purpose, proba-
bly,, of purchasing provisions; and telling his
children that he would soon return to them, he
padded off, leaving them alone on the island
Unfortunately, he met on the shore with some
loose company, who had invited him to drink
He became intoxicated, and in attempting to
return to the island in the night. was drowned.
The canoe foated away, and no one knew of
the catastrophe until the following day.
The poor deserted children, in the mean
while, wandered about the uninhabited island,
s%training their little eyes to get a glimpse Of their
father. Night came, and they had no fire nor
iood-no bed to rest upon, no parent to watch
over them. The weather was extremely cold,
and the elder child, though but eight years OF
age, remembered to have heard that persons whc
slept in the cold were sometimes chilled to death.
She continued therefore, to wander about; and
when the younger children were worn out with
fatigue and drowsincss, and were ready to drop
into slumber, she kept them awake with amusing
or alarming stories. At last, nature could hold
out no longer, and the little ones, chilled and
aching with cold, threw themselves Oh the ground
Then the sister sat down; and spreading out hel
garments as wide as possible, drew them to hen
lap, and endeavored to impart the warmth of hel
own bosom as they slept sweetly on her arms.
Morning came, and the desolate children sal
on the shore weeping bitterly. At length they
were filled with joy by the sight of a canoe APP
preaching the island. But they soon discovered
that it was filled with Indians; their delight was
changed into terror, and they fled into the woods
Believing that the sayages had murdered their
father, and were now come to seek for them, they
crouched under the bushes, hiding in breathless
fear, like a brood of young partridges.
The Indians having kindled a fire, sat down
around it, and began to cook their morning
meal-and the eldest child, as she peeped Out
from her hiding place, began to think that they
had not killed their father. She reflected too,
that they must inevitably stave, if left on thi:
lone island--while on the other hand, there was
a possibility of being kindly treated by the In.
dians. The cries too, OF her brother aud sister.
who had been begging p%iteousIy for food, hac
pierced her heart, and awakened all her energy
She told the little ones, over whose feeble mind.
her fine spirit had acquired an absolute sway
to get up and go with her-then taking a hanC
of each, she f%earIessly led them to the Indian
camp fire. Fortunately, the savages understood
our language, and when the little girl had ex
planned to them what had occurred, they received
the deserted children kindly, and conducted
them to the nearest of our towns, where they
were kept by some benevolent people until their
own relations claimed them.-Ca>ket.