American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1855-05-24

spiritual look, expressed upon her coun-
tenance, thatyou could not but fancy she
had conversed with the angels. Without
any allusion 10 the past, without any pre-
face, she began, after silence of perhaps
half an hour, the promised story. Hand
ed down 20 me, il reads like this:
1t was night much like Shorty years
or more have passed since its winds blew
its snow drifed, since its cold palsied and
its darkness frightened. Beside the same
hearlhsione, the same only that it was
not worn SO smooth, for the house then
had tested but thirty instead of as now,
seventy and odd winters-an aged man
and his wife sat before the blazing fire
striving to while away the long evening
hours. There was not then, as now, daily
mails coming into our remote little village,
freighted with news in every shape. The
press did not team; as now. with magazines
and books; it was rare to sCea newspaper
in this old kithen, and rarer any volume,
save THE ONE. The old man had studied
that some time, and carefully replaced it,
the Bible did not then as now, grow
dusty while other books we've thumbed to
pieces. He had eaten his apples, drank
his cider, and cracked some walnuts for
his wife, whose teeth were sounder than
his own; and now sat close as lie could
draw himself to the flames without scorch-
ing his homespun garments, ,nodding good
bye to the sky bound sparks. The old
lady had rolled up her knitting, and, with
her broken fork, in those days they had not
heard of nut picks-with her two tined
fork which had lost one of its members, sat
digging out with patience worthy OF the
gold mines of these times, the rich, sweet
kernels.
Suddenly size dropped 10th fork and
nut, and in another instant started to her
feet, her pan falling from her lap, and
threatening many a grease spot on the
well secure floor. Hastening to her hus-
band, she shook his shoulders, saying,
wake up quick, and listen. Half fright
ened, he jumped, and came near setting
) his stocknged feet upon living Goals; but
his watchful wife, drawing him off the
hearth, whispered little wildly, Listen,
now don't you hear it?' Hear what?
said he, s.illhalfa>leep. WHY, the sound
: Ike child crying. There, there, now it
gpes again. Dogo to the door The
old man, now fully reused, stood with his
, hand to his ear the right one, the left had
been deaf for many year. It's the wind
wife; don't you know it? 1t is fashion it
, has when its cold
, Il. wasn't the wind,' said she solemnly
with little nervous agitation yet visible
in her face. know the ciy of the wind;
it never makes a sound like that. There,
and she clung to him, quivering Ikea dead
leaf, don't YOU hear il?' He certainly did
hear something that sounded like the cry
of child; and now it did not die away, as
it had when his wife had noticed it, with a
single sob, but heightened into screams
But how it could sound so near, or whence
9 come, was mystery; for the house stood
then far away from any other house, but it
: was child's cry, that was certain.
? "I'll 60 and see" said he summoning
S courage to his somewhat faint heart, and
i he turned to the door, His wife followed
c close and fast on his steps As he with
e drew the little slip Of wood that fastened
=, the latch-there wasn't then bolt or lock
: in the town, land opened the door, bun
$ die, so it seemed, though of what, ii was
hard to guess, fell into the room with a
e heavy, lifeless sound. The wind blew a
white sheet over it ere they could again
S fasten the latch. Half horror, half wonder
struck, they dragged the coarse blanket to
It the hearth, and unrolling it, discovered a
n woman and child; the latter struggled TO
d free itself from its many wrappers, and
n screaming with all its might; the former
IT motionless as corpse, with lips as ashy
d and checks as sunken. A half hours
;; charity to the babe, who seemed to have
II seen a twelve month completely revived it,
g and it lay Of its pillow with its little white
II feet stretched to the fire, as happy as love
e could have made it, cooling as sweetly as
though nesting on a mothers warm bo
IS som. BUTT took longer TO bring back a
p" pulse to its pale protector; and many time;
e did the good Samaritans turn from her
n leaving the sheet drawn over her as we
d cover corpse. Buta sigh, SO faint that i
r seemed dying breath. at length encour.
aged them, and they applied restorative'
at until satisfied she would yet live.
is But it was many weary day ere she
W could leave her bed and when at last she
le stole from it, and sat up in the old lady's
L rocker, and lulled her baby with old songs
h she seemed to watchers more like a spirit
3 than sick, sad stranger. But gradually
l. through their tender nursing, she recov
1T cred strength, and not only tended hei
ii child, but assisted the old lady in many o
\, her domestic duties. But she said very
st little-less than they could have wished
/ for in their hearts they longed te know heI
story. They knew she was sinner
t. knew by the meek penitent way in which
ut she hung her head when they read thu
le Bible, at morn and night; knew it by The
p. stained face she raised 10 them after eacl
as prayer. But they loved her all the more
er or rather were all the kinder to her. And
l. though she revived memories that it wa.
d agony to bear, they folded her to their af
rs fections as they would their own lost lamb
# had she not gone ere they could reach her
ID The winter passed. and still the stranger
h fingered, filing with her little one a small