Lewisburg chronicle, and the West Branch farmer. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1849-1849, 1849-11-28

;.teis drew oil his mi,len rDd said, "Lei t
me light ii for you, Mother" {
DO" said she, "lha,'s good child -
there. that will do-now oil. MS quick a.
,ou can and Sod bless you. And I
fergus." said she, as he opened the door
10 20 our, al you see any snow birds. dom
th,n~ sticks or stones al 'sm. It's unlucky
-snd i, . hard TO b.ar bad luck such b
d yh, 10 his. Ckirrup 10 'em. kindly, an
you'll z hone ali lie ss!er FOR H."
Lora ~srched Fergus rs long ss his din
form could be serH 10 In, .noa, ana liieI
with e. ;nIs ui real sy!Ici,udc and pity Sd
down in her little chair and btg gan to rock
away her troubles. Her attention ~ss soos
diverted and her mind sbsorted in a Eew
object Of interes,-viz watching burning
brand nearly consumed in the middle, 10 see
how many she could count before The ends
fell. And yet II must be confessed that she
often thought Of Fergus during The evening
and asked her grandmother whether she
thought he would get homea
Fergus succeeded in making his way
back to the pond without much difficulty.
The wind was now behind him. And not
only WIS IFS direction more favorable, hut
its force upon him was now diminished by
his own motion, as II Vas before increased
This created an impression upon lis mind
that the Storm was abating. At any rate
he wen, on more easily, and accordingly
yen'ured on The pond with less misgivings.
But lhs snow WAS deeper. and falling fast,
and II was lot long before he lost sight Of
his track. He reco olec;ed his fathers dir
eclions not 10 wander about IN search Of il.
but 10 push directly across-and this he
accordingly attempted to do, looking behind
every nomen, 10 see that his course WAS
directly onward. Daylight faded away
tast, and he could see but few steps behind
him. yet he went on ia this way perhaps
half mile, when he though, he should be
approaching the shore. A, last he stopped
suddenly at large dark spot dimly visible
,hro' The falling snow. at u short distance
t,fore HINT vas asbredthine hole. Oh
those breathing holes-hew many breaths
they have stopped! The ponds IN the first
setting in OF winler, free ze uniformly. $"
that The Whole surface is covered with The
CLASSY ice-but as the winter advances,
openings appear in different places, which
90 BY The name Of breathing holes. The
rustic philosophers associate Them with the
,sea OF certain windy communications with
gloomy caverns and deep reces-cs beneath
lie pond. in which great rumhIing bubbles
of deadly airs and gasses we're continually
passing to and fro.
Fergus fell hack siep or 'ws. with
his eyes fixed upon the opening beore him.
The wafer looked dark and decp, and little
waves were driving rapidly across 1t. He
did not know which way 10 ,urn-but con-
ciudcd, a, la.,, 10 go around the hole, end
then beyond u, as nearly rs possible in th-
ssme direction As before. He lhen made
. grea, sweep so as TO avoid 'he thu ce
near the edges Of The hole. until he supposed
ss had reached The opposite side, snd 'h.u
wen: on. longing 10 see the shore. Ins
dead level of the ice seemed TO weary h.,
-es-sad he could see Tor only SO short
di.iaoce before him, ,ha, he b.ean 70 'hink
he u2kl wander about all nigh, upon the
re sithou, finding the land.'
Ru, a, length there suddenly appeared
fuil before him, vet dimly seen through
thc falling snow, the forms Of hal! do
zen dark evergreens. Fergus AZ, over
Ioy.d. The very sight Of Objects that
hrcke tie dreary noDotony OF The dead
evel which he had been passing over,
seemed to relieve him. Ha thought his
troubles we're all over, for he should soon
regain his road, aud .hcn he could not be
very far from home
He went off from the ice and ascended
he shne. Ii seemed to be oreb ground,
with few scattered clumps of trees near
the pond, but as il was now quite dark.
aud The whole scene was disguised by the
&nst masses Of snow under " hch il was
buried. Fergus could. mot tell where he vas,
and Of Course could no: tel which way to
,urn along the shore. He then thought
he would walk up on the land little way,
snd see if he could rot find something
~hich would enable han 10 recognize the
psc. H. CT alnng without much diff
Guilty, under The shelter si the trees. The
ground was rough and ssemed TO be pas
'ule land, and Was IN rranv places en-
numbered with logs,and bushes. and fallen
trees. Fergus .loiledsalons among these
until he was completely mwldered and
lost, and could no, even find lis way lack
t" the pond again. He was no, cold, Tor
rh- -.rrcise kept hun warm ;-ha, he was
d,.-"urss-i and exhausted, and ears came
Iu;h hiss eyes IN spite OF ali his ttior's TO re.
press them. He sank down in the Soft
snow under The lee OF an old brush fence,
whi,.h sheltered him little from The wind.
Here, implied by the universal instinct
,f children N trouble, he called aloud three
or i,.ur times with all his strength. Fd
.krr,, 'Fa-tke-." and then sad 10 himself,
~ :, 10 Sc. Father cam hear me, aud
II he should hear me he could no, come."::
As he said this b. was half sitting, half
wing ~ the SNOW, clo,e under the fence, 4,
and fri, -omeihinc hBrd in his pocket, as
has ~eghI pressed upon II. De put his :
h .pc 10 II and found II WAS n hiiie finder /,
hn. which hi, faiher had naa~ Tor him. AID !
= L.