The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-09-13
WHOLE NO. 737.

the very Top, When the huor wa opened,
mass Of snow fell IN, though wi,at remained
was up 20 Wllly's shoulders, The first thing
20 be done was 10 get 20 the COW, ~ give haT
her breakfast and bring bahy's, So sally
taid Uu her last dry peat, and fitted the kettle5
and then she and Willy set lO work a. clear
way 10 tho COW, They Were obliged 10
.bave baby ~ The little Onos aud ID took an
hour % erosa the yard. Willy was 30 have
brought in soag fuel bot tho peAt-stAek was
~ tho end OF the hOnse and, As they could
see, 70 completely buried in the snow a. to b.
hopeleaaly out pf reach. Herr was the milk,
howeyerAnd there was a little Of the oataieal
len, and come pOtatoes. Sally wished nov
they hal brought ln u,Ore frDm ths barn bat
who could have thought thay would want any
morel Father would get them presently,
when he came.
But nobody came all that day.. late al
night, all the ehildr-1-bu Sally were asleep
at last, though they had been too cold and too
hungry 10 60 10 rest quietly, Aa usual. The
hre had gone out since noon; and the last
cold po'a'oe. hal bcen eaten IN tho anfTnoon.
sally was lying with tho baby cuddled Close
20 her ior warmth anda last, she foil asleep
Too, though sho was very unhappy. In the
morning, she felt that their affairs were dea-
perate, Willy mlial got down the mountain,
be the snow what Il might, and toll somebody
what state they were In Tor now, there was
no more food for the COW within reach, and
she gave very litile milk this morning and
there was nothing elsc. ID had not showed
for some houp aud Willy knew the way 10
well that he got down 10 the valley, having
had good many falls by tho way. Al the
first farmhouse he got help directly. The
good woman took one of the lAborcrs with her
with food, and basket of dry peat, and
promise 10 clear the way 10 the oatstraw and
hay, for the relief Of the COW. Tho farmer
set OF 10 consult the neighhorr about whcrr
Raven and his wife could be; and the reSt
orihe family dried tle boys clothes and gave
him good bowl of pofridge.
Ia very short time, all the men in the
valley. and their dogs, werc out ON the snow, q,
their 6gures showing like moving rpecks on
| the white eSpanse. Two Of them, who hal
been at the sale, knew that Raven and his
wife had set ont for home, long before dark
on thu SECOND day. Raven was, a. might be
expected, Tho worse for liquor; boi not 90
much 20 but that he could walk, with his wife
20 keep him in the path. Thoy might possi-
I bly, have turned back bat it was TOO probA-
bic that they vert lost Before night, Il was
ascertAined that they had not been seen again
| ia Langdale and in two days more, during
which, the whole population was occupied
ia the search,or in taking care OF the Children
their fate was known. Ravens body was
found, little way from tho track, looking
like man in drunken sleep Some hours
aflnr, ,ihn barking nfA doQ brought the search
ers 10 who're Janet was lying, at the foot OF
n Hprrripire. l,e,st tl,r,y feet al.e,- Hsr dualh
must have been immediate. ID seemed that
her husband, overcome by the effect Of the
cold (Which, however.had not been excessively
on his tipsy brain, had fallen down in sleen
or n stupor; and that Janet unable to rouss'
him, had attempted To 6nd her way ha,k -and
by going three or four yards aside from the
path, in the uniformity OF the snow, had step
ped over the rock. There was strange and
ghastly correspondence between the lhst day
Of her married life and the first; and 10 tho't
her old friend and bridesmaid, Sally, who
came over TO the funeral, aud who, ia turn
ing over tho poor rcrpnants OF Janct's ward
robe, found the punches Of orange flowers
carefully paPcrcd up, and put away in the
iurthcst corner OF drawer.
There was nothing LEFT for the children,
but the warning OF their fathers life, and the
memory Of their mothers trials They were
not allowed 10 go upon the parish--not even
Dan. II was plain that he would not live
very long; aud neghborly charity was sure
r 10 last rs long rs he, The others were dis
persed among thc farms in that and the near
est wales, and they have grown mp as labor
crs. The land aud buildings had been mort
gagged beyond their value, and they went at
onrc into the hands OF stIangurs