Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1858-11-27
and SO cold, aud SO very drOwsy. 1 wisl


and still endeatOred to urge him forward
In what direction they were going, he knew
not, yet hoped for the best At length
after wandering about on the desolate
snow-clad waste for nearly two hours, with
out meeting living creature--the fury o.
the storm ever increasing, and the cold q;
the day wore on, becoming yet more intense,
he yielded to the faint cntristies of poer
Ally, to sit and rest just little while
He sat down with both the children on hi;
knees, Midgkns still slumbering, but moi
peacefully, as happy childhood sleeps; hi:
teeth Chartered he moaned necessarily anc
trembled from head to foot Ally wa:
| pale, foot-sore, exhausted In this terrible
strait, what was the bewildered father tc
do Shivcring as he was with cold, the
agony of his mind aused streams of per-
spiration to roll down his care-worn cOunte-
nance. A short time suficed for delibera-
ton; be arose. took off his coat, wrapped
it round his boys, and placed them in a sit.
ting posture against the drum.
Now, Alfy,' said he making O painful
effort TO speak cheerfully, L must leave you
for q while. You know | can walk very
fast; and I'll try to find my way to the
village, and get some one to come and help
me TO carry you and Midgkins to the Tray
clers' Rest
But, father you mustn't go without your
coat see what large fakes Of snow are
coming down.
Don't heed me, love- replied father
but try to stay awake, and keep close to
your little brother
Yes, father, and I'll say my prayers. =
Mother always told me to pray to God to
take care of us if we should be IN trouble. ,
The idea of mother at that moment al
most Overcane the mountebank but he
struggled manfully with his feelings he
embraced lovingly, again and again, Ally
and the unconscious Midgkins. He could
hardly persuade himself to go /; yet to stay
was certain destruction, for the snow fell
still, the darkness still increased Alone
and uneucumbered he might reach Eglin-
thorpe very soon-nay, perhaps, at that
moment he might be close upon the village,
although the darkness obscured it from his
view. These cheering hopes he tried to en-
| courage, as if to brace his nerves for the
approaching trial. A trial it was, and
heavy one, to leave his young ones in utter
darkness on that dreary moor but it must
be. The father yielded to stern neccessitv
and with tears of agony, tore himself from
the spot, and walked away with rapid
strides. 1t was all guess-work as to which
way he was going--all hap-hazard-it
being by this time so dark that, to use a
common but expressive phrase, you, couldn't
have seen your hand before you.'
rup mn .,.rY
The door of the Travellers Rest afsSavs
stands Hospitality open, as is becoming in
roadside house of entertainment. On this
particular stormy night, the snow came
drifting in furiously and the wind whis-
tling along the wide passages of the old
fashioned public house, disturbed the whist
players, who were enjoying their usual eve.
ming rubber in the bar-parlor. Mrs Daw-
son, from her samctum (the barr, where she
sat in attendance on her customers, observ.
ed this, and called out to the servant
Bet, my lass, thou mays't shut the front
door we shall ha' no more visitors tonight
for certain nobody would venture out in
such storm so get thy supper, and bed
wi thee-thou hast to rise early tomorrow
If the morning turns out fine, we shall ha'
lots O. fair-dry folk here by seven o'clock
Betty went to obey her mistress's orders
bnt Immediately rushed back, screaming
with terror, and crying out A ghost,
ghost she took refuge in the kitchen,
slamming the door after her, to keep the
spiritual intruder at respectful distance.
"A ghost ; why, what does the sillv
wench mean 2 said Mrs Dawson, as she
put her knitting down, and came out of the
bar to ascertain the cause of this extraor-
dinary conduct. On arriving in the pas
sage, she might have echoed Betty's cry
that is, if she, too, had been given to q be-
lief in ghoSts-for there, leaning for sup
port with one hand on each door post, stood
figure ghastIy to behold Ia man, gasp
ing and struggling for breath his eyes
bloodshot, and glaring wildly around his
hair matted and dishevelled shoeless
and, in such bitter night as tn at wearing
only the thin garments Of sire et-tumbler,
and those saturated with snow. AT last,
the mountebank had reached the Travellers
Rest whose friendly lamp had guided him
to the door.
Bless me ? cried tic ianidiIady. here's
poor chap that looks as if he was dying.
He's one of the show folk, l see. Come
in, good man don't stand there-come to
the fire /; thou seems perished'
The mountebank csSayed TO accept her
hospitable Invitation he staggered for
ward a few steps ; uttered, in hoarse
whisper, the word water when stream
Of blood gushed from his mouth, and he
fell heavily face downwards.
The house was all astir directly the
rubber came to sudden close, aud tue viii
lage doctor, who was one of the card play
ers, hurried out to the sick mans assistance.
With the help of the other members of
the whist party, he raised the patient upJ
and bore him carefully into the bar-parlor, !
where he was deposited on the sofa. Joe
Ostlcr, and Betty too, now that her fears
Of the ghost were dispelled, hastened TO
offer their services in his behalf.
Blankets made qnite hot, Betty ! Warm
water and a sponge, Joe A glass of
weak port-negus, Mrs. Dawson
Such we're the doctors hurried orders
in compliance with which, the persons ad,
dressed disappeared instauteously, aud re-
turned anon with the appliances above |