Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-08-27
OLD. SERIES.

alive, and elicit some guiding voice or re-
.pon.e. The echoes rsvsrbera,ing through
the woods, or flung back by the hills, soon
died away upon the wintry air, and all was
again silent and voiceless as tho grave
There was no sign TO indicate the direction
.he had taken. The frozen earth refused to
retain even little footprint 10 guide the
delivercrs on her track.
Still that noble band OF women and men
faltcred not. Cold, fatigue, wakefulness
and hunger combined TO oppres' them. But
what were cold. exposure and hunger to
them, when they remembered that lone
eh,ld, the beloved OF all their hearts. was
wandering, without food or shelter. through
gloomy .Olitudes and over frozen earth or
that. perhaps, her fair little form was lying
unburied In some dark covert or exposed on
,omc win,ry hill' The thought quickened
their pace and .pceded their search.
By noon Of the second day the area Of tho
search had extended TO more than five miles
in diameter. No ,idings Of the lost child
had been heard or seen. Hope had clonded
into doubt. and doubt was fast darkening
into despair Abou, three o'clock in the
afternoon. on the circumference OF the out
ormost circle Of the search, and in the de
rcction OF the 0bion swamp, freshly torn
fragment Of some garment was found cling
ing 10 the bush. II was identified as OF n
piece with the apron worn by little Ella on
the afternoon she left home. The news was
.oon communicated 10 all. and at once con-
ccn,ra,ed the search IN the direction which
/, was now certain she had taken.
Mr.. and Mrs. Riley had kept even pace
with the re-, until the morning OF the Sec
ond day. Buoyed up with the hope Of End
ing their child. and driven almost to mad
nes. by the tortured agony Of prrenis
heart, they could no, be persuaded To absent
themselves from tho search. They were
compelled at last, to yield to the conviction
that two bitter cold night. and one bleak
winter day had made them childless. With
grief too decp Tor tears they returned and
awaited in their now desolate home the TO
suit Of the search for the body Of Ella.
Alas, for the riycn hearts Of those who sit
in the silence Of an unu.tenble sorrow,
awaiting the return Of the lifeless form in
which have been gathered up the rich treas
urcs Of parents love.
In a short time after the discovery OF tho
torn fragment Of Elias apron, her body
was found. II was lying upon the ground,
cold and perfectly rigid. She had evidently
died Of cold and exhaustion many hours he'
fore. Forming rude hear.e Of pole. and
bark. with an oyercoat for a covering, they
placed the body upon IL, and began their
fearful and silent procession towards tho
residence OF Mr.. Riley.
Ye who dwell in great cities and 500 tho
funeral pageant Of the young sweep along
the crowded thorougbhres Of fashion and
commerce. gli,,ering with the trappings OF
wealth and the blaronry Of pride. scorn not
the severe simplicity Of this rustic process
sion. II the tear Of the mourner, and no,
the noddng plume and sable drapery Of the
hearse, that sanctiGcs and ennoblrs the fu.
neral cortece in the eye of reason and of
heaven. Few persons. indeed, could have
witnessed that rustic procession 70 that
home Of sorrow, bearing the cause Of that
sorrow in their midst, and withheld tho
/ tribute Of n tear TO the scene. Innocence
and beauty had faded from the earth and
old men and young men mourned ior it, de-
parture. A sweet voice was silent, and for
ever. in those rural retreats, and oil wept
that its cadence was s'illcd, and It's melody
departed. like tho hushed tones OF a broken
lutc to return no more. The veil OF dark
mes, had been drawn over the luster OF
bright eyes light had gone out in the
housc Of neighbor and frisnd-little Ella
was dead, and there were young men sohbing
and old men in tears. bearing her lileless
form to the house Of her parents.
With slow and measured step they bore
the body Of the little maiden and deposited
il in the presence Of the parents. Little
Ella was buried the next day IN the neigh
boring graveyard, whore neat tombstone,
with the inscription OF her name, age and
catastrophe, points ou, to the visitor ,hs
last resting place Of the lost child OF our
narrative. IL was never known how shO
came to wander from home ON the fatal AZ
ternoon Of her loss.