Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1848-12-02

4
/ save my poor little children" The sufferings
Of my wife during that long, long. dark night,
were awful, and may not be described. She
sal 10 the door watching for the frs. dawn of
day. and when she saw the light, che leaped
for joy, as il the day would bring back her
lost Infants"
! "ih! it has been long night" she said !,
''she longes, and darkest that | ever saw
| Poor little Nelly-poor lille Jamie; where
have you been all the night! Why don't you
come 10 your own mother, who has watched
| all the nigh, long for your coming!"
II thought my cup Of afflicton was already
| full, bot now saw that more might be added.
| | was afraid my wife was about to loose her
reason. On being pressed 10 go and take "a
little rest, she gazed on me for moment and
Replied
"Yes, John, will rest. will try 10 give
them up into the hands Of God"
| tsI felt relived; she promised to go 10 bed,
| and we all prepared 10 renew the search. As
/, we were about 10 start. the Squire made his
appearance, and on his back a small key Of
whiskey; he said he had been from home un-
il late last night. or he should have come soon>
er to our assistance. He then drew some Of
the spirits, and offered it 10 ne.
No." said I: Esquire, have drank my
last glass, and j, has been paid for by the life
Of my two lovely children"
! "What do you mean!' said the Squire; 81
den, understand you"
"Well," said !, .'if had mol tarried six
hours at your grindsione, as went Quito mill
| should have got home 'ha samei day, and my
children would have all been here this morn
ing. Yes. sir, have paid fearful price for
my las, lass; either you or are their mur.
derers."
81 was sorry said quite so much 10 the
Squire, bu, Eel, all tina, said.
"Some Of The men took little Of the spirit,
and our plan Of operation being settled, we di.
| vided into two lines, extending from the fields
to the brook, one line moving west, The other
east, every man keeping within few rods OF
his RICH, hand man, and in this order she
whole line moved forward. making careful ex-
animation as they progressed. That day
passed away like the former; no gun was fired
no traces found. At night We again met AT
the house, tired and hopeless. Over ten miles
from east TO west, had been so closely exam
ined, that no living thing. the size Of wood.
chuck, could have escaped detection. The
men looked exhausted and sad. All hopes Of
finding them alive had now fed, and but little
if any hopes remained. of finding their bodies.
oOtJ6 ScctutO " abiuh oUy C""'s "0'
less. I thought SO myself, and yet trembed.
les, they should abandon The search. ! weai
into. the house, while the men kinded their
fires and prepared to cook their supper. ]
found NV poor wife much calmer than when
we Ier, in the moraing. She said she was
sure that God would 90 right
"Onr friend the Doctor, gave US all the
consolation ne could; told rs how long person
could live without food, and insisted that there
was still hope.
"If anv spark Of hope remained in our hearts
i, had completely died away by morning.
Tha, NIGHT, abou, eleven O'Clock, some flashes
Of lightning were seen in the south, and in
less than an hour a mos, fearful thunder storm
ragged around us. Rain fell in torrents, the
wind blew with destructive violence. the
crashing of trees. torn up by the roots, or
twisting. splitting and swapping like reeds,
seemed louder and more dreadful than the
roaring Of the thunder. or the kissing flash OF
the lightning. l really thought | could see
the huge and broken limbs Of the falling trees
maugl;ne The dead or dying bodies Of my help.
less in!an's. | have seen no thunder storm
like tina, since. The morning at last came;
il was mild and beautiful; the sun rose with
out cloud. and the men though much expos
ed 10 the violence Of the storm, during lss con-
,inuance. had early re.kinded their fires.
cooking their breakfast. and were preparing
for another days search. The plan was
changed, and they went out in two's and
,hree's, wherever each party should think
best; the signals. however, were to remain
the same as agreed on at first. This day. for
the first time. began 10 find my strength fall
ing me. | had 10 set down and resi- every
half hour. would sometimes fancy Ilcould
hear the report Of Gun. and would hold my
breath to hear the report repeated. but no rep
elton would follow. AS evening settled down
upon the woods. we again assembled al the
house. Every face now wore an expression
of deep settled hopeIessness. and lille for a
time was said. AT last the question was put
by the Doctor
"Shall we continue the search!"
"a pause followed, but the Doctor added
~ for one will not give II No."
$50 said the greater part; but the prospect
Of finding the children was so doubtful, that
about fifteen left Jnriog the night. In the
morning we mustered forty men. All seemed
quite discouraged. And the question again
occuDied their minds, whether it was best 10
renew the search or not. The whole seemed
TO waver, and finally all come 10 the couclu-
eion that farther efforts would be useless.
~ went to the house, connd the Doctor.
and informed him of tho conclusion to which
the men had come. begged he would endea.
vor 10 change their minds-jnst TO try one
dav more, and then should be resigned TO
nv fate. whatever it might be; did not tx.
nee, TO find them alive, but thought i, would
be a great comfort to know where they were
buried. My wife. on hearing the de,ermina.
ton Of the men, wer. on. aud pleaded with all
the earnestness of a bereaved mother, tina,
they would Try one day more-oo'y one day
more! The men (for they were men. and