The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1848-12-28

man entered. aud coming up to me said
Mr. B., two Of your children are lost ia
the woods
'ltold him he lied, for knew not what
snid, but had some kind Of thought TINT
the man wanted 10 scare me-
1t is truc,' no said; land have been
clear down to the mill, looking after You.
And some ot',he neiehbors have been hunt
ing for the children all night
Il saw the man was 10 earnest. ! can
not describe my feelings, stranger II that
moment. Did you ever feel us If the earth
was sinking away from under your feet,
and the whole weight of the heavens com
ing right down upon your head? Did you
ever feel your hear. knocking against Your
breast like slcdge hammer, md threaten
ing tn force passage up through your
throat? Ii you ever felt SO, you know
something Of my feelings on that terrible
morning But, after all, my feelings did
not hewildcr me, nor render me inactive.
rushed from the house like mailman
soon leaving the messenger md the girls,
far behind. Neither stump, stone. nor ial-
len tree impedcd my course. was young
then, and few men were more feet nfoct
than was in those days. | remember
nothing Of my thoughts, until | had got
within half mile Of my own house. ]
then began TO conjecture which Of my chill
drcn it .ou,d be that was lost, Uor had
forgot TINT the man mentioned two.)-
Could j, he my own dear little Nelly. who
used to come dancing to meet her father
every night, with her little eyes sparkling
like daalonds? Whether | came home
drunk or sober, Nelly was always rcjoiccd
To see me.
slave YOU any children, sir!
We answered in the affirmative.
you will not wonder then, al the old
mans iears. when rcmcmhcrn" and speak
ing OF the strong pure love Of n little daugh
ter. But none can tell how dcnr II child is
until il is lost in The woods. Il is nothing.
comparatively nothing, to lay child in the
grave. ! have hid the experience of both !;
the ono is hard thing, hu, The other aw-
fillv terrible. As came in sight Of my
house, n new idea struck mc--a strange
idea TO enter head ike mine. thought;
now If there is God he can save nv child
don't know why il was but FIR the first
Time in my life felt sure there wns God
MY inGjelitv had ia a moment, completely
vanished, and ! roarcd aloud again and
again--D Lord! save the lost child of
poor sinncrr This was the first prayer
that ever had uitcrcd-hu, think God !
il WINS not the last. discovered, on mp
pronchlng the house, few men standing
abom the door. aud rs soon ms could make
myself heard, cngnircd which Of my chill.
lrcn was lost. was informed il was Mel
" and Jamie. This was dreadful blow
hut the madness Of my grief had passed
away with my in.ideliiy, and repeated.
lord, savc tho lost children Of poor sin.
ncr.' On entering the house, found ms
wife and six remaining children huddcd
together ia a corner. They Ind all cried
until their faces werc swollen, aud INV wife
looked the picture of utter despair. She
could not speak, and could only say, oh!
Mary, Mar,r
'I'he children came clinging around me
their faces grew brighter, they felt sure
that their father could find Nelly aud ia
mic. kissed them NIL, mud told them they
must stay in tho house with mother until |
came back. ] wes ubouf To join the men
n. tho door, who were delihera,ipg upon the
best plan Of proceeding, when my wife rose
from her seat, and laying hold Of my arm,
said-'
John, the Lord can save our children
Arrangements were now made for COM
mcncing the search. We were to 90 forth
two md two, cnch party having gun, aud
il either party should be successful in find
ing tho children alive, the fact should lie
announced by the firing ofsix guns, and, If
dead three guns
Perhaps | had better give sou some idea
Of the geography Of the woods. NV house
was situated about mile from the fool 0f
tho mountain to the north; along The base
otthe mountain, runs considerable stream,
holding course from west to east. From,
the south bank Of the stream, rock rose on
rock, up to tho very summit. Of the noun.
tain % steep and rugged, that deer could
hardly GET foot hold. With the excep-
ton Of two or three small fields, oil the dis.
lance from the house to the brook was COW.
cred with heavy timber. Il WINS while
hunting up the cows, about the clearings,
TINT the children got lost, and it was rca.
sonabc TO suppose that they could neither
cross the strcnm, Or climb the mountain, be-
ing only eight and six years Of ngc. We
therefore determined to contine our search
between the house and tho north bank Of
the brook, extending few miles cast and
west. DR.. P, who was my compan-
ion in the scarch, said oil he could 10 cheer
me, but TINT was dreadful day. could
not Take time to walk, but ran from one
thicket 10 another, calling ont with all my
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