The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-11-26

stretct of .aesolate countrywide, rocky val.
leys, all clad in their snowy garments with the
deserted snaamer chalets scattered over them,
mockiag tie traveller with an idea of human
life; beneath, frowning precipices of black rock,
where tae snow could find no resting place
through pine woods, whose venerable denizens
had srrViv I'd many generations of mortals.
Moored TO the rifted rock,
Proof 10 the tempest shock.n
The chill jren were asleep, Raoul in his moth
er's arms, iho half unconsciously was humming
to herself hymn of praise as she wrapped the
little nest ng warm in her furs. Olaf, after
repeated Celebrations that he was not in the
least saerJ, had been glad to lean his head
against his sisters shoulder; his eyes soon
closed, AS be was as sound asleep as his little
brother. Ella gave herself up to a dreamy
reverie, as she thought over the solemn commun-
ion service. the sermon, and then the bright
future before her. Pleasant thoughts they
we're; IN h',r life's horizon it was all blue sky
behind her, and she saw still more before her.
And soon these thoughts were woven together,
and bright castles in the air arose, which made
her smile to herself as she pictured them before
her miadss eye; wha: Hugo and che would do
when they bad a home of their own-how they
would welcome the wayfarer nurse the sick,
and suecor the distressed.
Lost il her own thoughts, Fila had little
needed aoise which was heard from time to
time, and which she fancied the fall of ava
lanches f ON crsg to crsg in the mountains.
But now IL on a sudden she remarked that her
father ha l several times turned his head to
look bach, and that his face wore a troubled
expressio j. "What is it, father ~ she asked I;
is there anything the matter2"
"Noth lg, nothing" he answered, in short,
stern ma, ner, not at all usual to him." hope
9th han rod 10 in O
lower TOM" God grant it may be nothing"
Her uneasiness by no means lessened, but,
understar ding he did not wish to be questioned,
she rerns ned silent, but with her attention on
the alert to discover the cause for anxiety.
The dull noise in the rear certainly increased,
and was heard at ftful intervals, now almost
swelling into note, then dying away, and was
decidedly nearer than when first she had re-
marked &. The horses, too, seemed by some
wonderful Instinct to partake her fathers unea-
siness. Iust then, the noise began afresh, and
now an rnuuistakable howl sent fash of GER
tainty to her mind. Unable longer to bear the
suspense she half rose, and gasped out" Oh,
father, is it's it the wolves?"
"TheJ are long way behind" said An
dress; "we shall reach home well, never fear"
! But Il 3 farmers face contradicted his cheer
full word =, and with sinking of heart as if its
action ID been stopped, and then a tumultu-
GUS rush of blood through her veins, Ella sank
back in Ter seat. 1t was fearful revulsion of
feeling y be thus suddenly torn from state of
dreamy t;everie, and brought face to face with
great danger. The fainting sensation was
over dl ectly, and closing her eyes for a mo.
meat I'd murmuring heartfelt prayer, her
natural courage returned. Ella had till then
ONLY Sc IN dead wolves, the trophies of the
chase, snc once or twice one securely muzzled
on its way to some foreign menagerie; but too
many dreaded wolfstories are current round
Noewee ian hearths in the winter for her not to
divine tae greatness of the peril, and she tried
to calct late their probable distance from home,
and the chances of escape.
| Frau Ingeborg next heard the howl, and
asked ,e same terrified question as her daugh-
| ter.
"Ob God, my poor children " was her only
exelau .tion and then she, too, was calm and
still.
Nea, er, nearer is the howling-faster go the
trrrife' horses; their instinct has told them the
danger Ella gently disengages herself from the
sleepir Olaf, and, unbidden, gets out the rifle
and p wder.A ask, and in silence looks to the
lohdin; Andreas's eye falls on her; he is
even a that moment pleased with the fruit of
the trs ,aing he has given his child, in her pale,
compo ed face and steady hand, like brave
Morse maiden as she was. Her eyes are now
strsinei to look back as far as she can. Ere
long, o.: the brow of a hill they have descended
she seF black moving mass against the sky.
81 zee them, father, but they are far of
yet"
A g loan escapes from Andreas "God help
US, tt mi" he mutters. Wife and daughter
read 8 face, and from their hearts, too, goes
up tn agonized prayer. All well may they
pray On came the pack, some half hundred
gsunt hungry wolves their dismal howl freez
| ing til life blood of the Jansens. The horses
bounS onward with red nostrils and painting
stiles. they 60 like the wind, but the distance
is ste Oily diminished. And the howl of the
w5lve sounds like a mocking demon cry
a" J, ha ! ye go fast, we faster; ye are few
We ar many. 1t is our turn now. Ye are the
hante !, we the hunters. Ha, ha how like We
TIE CT ,nge?"
Would it not be possible" said Ella, " tc
take rofuge in one of these chalets Could we
not bafricade ourselves there?"
" 1t would be only quicker death. The
wolves would soon force the door; there would
be mo- fastenings of sufficient strength to resist
them.r
ThS ked above, around-neither help mol
bops TO be seen. The pitiless earth was
Trapll9d1fn one vast winding.sheet of snow, and
tae cold glancing lights in the sky revealed
H.
cold damp stands on the farmers brow; still
be guides his horses with firm hand, speaks en-
cpursgingly to them, and though he, knowing
the Eeril best, has given up hope first, he re-
laxee no effort. 1t was hard, in the first fush
ct manhood, the prime of life, with the blood
foursing through every vein in strength and
lower, to have nothing to do but die. As he
looked at his dear ones, he thought, were these
but safe, death would not be 30 fearful but
then, the image of the pleasant home at Ravens
Gal rose up before him and to leave all this
TO die, and leave no name, no heir behind, il
vas hard Was it not triumph of Christian
faith that he, thus circumstance, could bow his
head ,neekly, and say, "Thy will be done2
Dame Ihgeborg said nothing, but her tears
fell fest over the nesting Raoul she was strain
ing to her heart, and, as the child started at the
noise, she hushed him off to sleep as carefully
as, if he had been in his little bed at home
thankful that one at least of her darlings was
spared the anguish of this valley of the shadow
, Of death. And yet to her arose ray of light
glesm OF happiness, as she thought that she
and oil her dear ones would cross the river o.
death at the same time. No widowhood, M
orphsnage, no childlessness-the parting of
moment, and then the eternal reunion in bliss
Olaf, reused by his sisters rising, had awoke
and, seeing the wolves, had burst out into terri
> fed crying but when Ella gently babe hin
. pray to God, and try and be brave boy, h,
caught the infection of her cslmness: Swallow
| ing his tears he knelt on the seat, and, hiding
bis face in the fur wraps, that he might not Sc,
the object of his dread, he manfully tried t.
stids his sobs, and repeated over and over agaiI
his simple prayer.
Of all, Ella was the happiest, for one grea
|, comfort was hers; her bestbeloved was safe
q and az abe thouoht with a thrill of INV thu