Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1852-01-24
From the Carpet Bag.
TRACKS In THE SNOW:
ny GEO. CANNING HILL.
CONCLUDES

The tears ran like rain down her heated
cheeks, and she folded her child still more
tightly within her arms; as if the greatest
cause of her anxiety were, after all, but the
trnest source of her consolation
She had no moaey, and she sank beneath
The load OF her lttle debt. Small as it was.
it was as weighty as the milestone that draps
down so many, stronger-far stro niger than
she.
she saw only a narrow means of support
through the long SHOWS that were coming.
tder oIl-crulse was nearly exhausted. and
the meal was scanty upon TIE bottom of her
barrel. Yet these would insure her end
Ruth against absolute starvation. She had
wood pile sufficiently high 10 melt awav
all the nu<nbness from her fingers. and the
chlllRess from her heart But The rest was
unpaid On the morrow, she must meet
that debt, or become a beogar
Poor woman! How could she help press
sng her younging 10 her breast, and she'd
-<iiffnggN burning tears of sorrow!
The fire went out upon the hearth, and
with her chids head still on her bosom she
prayed Heaven, silently and fervently. 10
temper the wind TO the shorn lamb.
Thank God Even such silent PRAYERS.
that do not reach even the lips Cfthe power
fy-strlcken, but only burned like fragrant
incense on the alters about their hearts -
And they are not always unanswered
All through that long night they slept.
mother and CHILD. They slun,bered as
sweetly as those whose beds were Of down.
and whose curtain-foIds were of damask.
Their rest was anbroken as the rest of the
rich.whc relied only in luxury and uncount-
ed gains.
Quite as rosy-tinted dreams wreatbed
themselves about their pillows, as disclosed
their beauties and their wealth To minds
less troubled with poverty than theirs
They forgot cares; they slipped out from
the presence of the troublesome. into the
airiness and intangibiIity of the beautiful
and the unreal. Yet for the time. il was
no unreality to them. They basked in the
warm sunshine of the truest hopes and fam
cies.
All night long, while they slept and while
they dreamed, the teatIery snow was silent
ay falling. All the night through, it dropped
without the sound even of an airy spirits
football. All through those leaden, slow
motioned hours, it came saling-sailing-
dancing and Keeling. and falling
ever-falliug-lalling 1t lay spread out up.
on the walk, and on the steps to the lowly
door. 1t capped all the post-tops, as if they
were gay hussars in white costume for a
masquerade. 1t piled itself SLOWLY M in
long and narrow lines upon the fence. and
affectionately against The door. Il flung
around the tree a radiance, as pure and as
airy, as if the spirits of the unseen storm
would thus flower the tree-branches and
decorate the light sprays, ere they vanished
an their slight charios OF the wild gusts. II
covered the length and tile breadth of the
little roof, as with an outspread blanket. 1t
kept fal!ing-falling and made hilIocks on
each stick of wood that was piled without
the door.
The morning of the New Year dawned,
as clear as when the word first went forth
LET THERE BE LIGHTr The earth was
hushed, like a sleeper. Slowly the gray
streaks and streamers in the eastern sky
vanished, and The long blood-red lines
came steadily up over the rim ofthe distant
horizon.
What scene met the gaze of the widow
and her child
The mothers conntenance grew sadden-
ed, for her forbodings were many. But
little Ruth's eyes sparkeld and diated with
pleasure.
She few impatentIy 10 the window.
momentarlly obllvlous of the cold fate, that.
like this same chilling snow, was fast wall
ing itself about her young heart.
There were no words, wherewiIh childish
ecstasy could be limited. Her own spirir.
pure as the nnsullied and antrampled snow
itself, reveled galy in the scene and bathed
itself, in the spotless fancies that rose like
heavenly mists fiom it.
The whole surface of the snow seemed
TO her unbroken. All was round, and even,
and faullless, and pure. Her lille heart
was full to overflow with Joy, and she reyel-
ed in the bright thought of New Year.
Her mother was at her side, but with far
different feelings. Her eyes ran to and fre
over the fearful picture,-fearful only to
such as she,--and she shuddered.
Ii was just as she shuddercd the night
before
Tracts! There are tracks at length
exclaimed she, pointing ia their direction.
Who can have been about here last night
She traced them TO the gate-up the walk
quite to the little door. Determined to
know the whole of such mystery, she
went 10 the, door and opened il. 1t was all
ready unfastened!
The tracks bad stopped there; and then
they were imprinted again on the walk, as
by the return of him who made them.
Looking again, this time behind the door,
she espied small box. She snatched it
from its hiding place, and FASTENED to open
it.
The interior was small, but lit was we'll