Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1859-12-09

alarms; nor do they meet win any en-
cOunscmcnt to aiTsrt fears I'LL the folly be-
comes habit, Neither dill William cx-
porienco any uneasine.s on aeeoun, Of the
,olitarincss Of the dwelling in which no was
to leave her, considering tha, very cireum.
stance as tho principal warrant ior her safe
~.
The weather, I have said was fine a, the
time of oficpar,uro but in our trcichsrons
climate, and especially in these hilly dis
,ricis, thcra is nothing more uncertain than
a continuance oi settled weather at that
season Of tho year; aud never did il eHhib.
itmorc rapid transition. than during the
three d.v, ~ Williams absence Before
the shade, of the first nigh, had fallen on
thc hills. tho rain he'd descended ihcir sides
ia torrents. and svo.l,l tho listl, burn into
"a river. On the second night the clouds
hal diaprssrcl. and a keen fros, succcoiod
which, Gro morning, arrested the water in
i,s course. and transformed the ground fJr
SOME distance around where We now sit In
20 a frozen lake Asain, another chang
clmr DER ,ho spiri, OF th, storm dark
cloud, began % gather, and showers Of slcet
aoI snow Co tall, ,iII oil as'in was hoary
winter. Bu, It'll. when night ctme on,
thor, va, seemingly, from thc quie,n"s' Of
90, descent. "a, depth ofsn,w. thou;h II
Iai ~ interval. fallen !or m,ny hours. and
as che un, wl, now arrived when Helen
expected % s.c h.g husband. 'hs lelt NJ
dread OF harm and no .3un'r bal sho pat
bee blty % sl'ep than she prepared q
change ol garments, a warm supper, "a
blazing inel, and clean hcarihsione, lJr
her William. anI often opsucl lha door ,o
listen and book ont. if haply she might di''
esrn Die dark figure against tho opposite
wb.,shiU. descending the loI,Pith towards
hi. homo. She vis however as often di'A.
pointed. ami ra.urnsl again 20 heap fresh
lusl on tbc Gre, eau -, began 70 feol, hr,
tho hc,rt.sicsu,-. ~ hop, deferred. and
th,n tho heavy pressure OF lureboiins evil
and when Dor baby vak'i, there were iu
tlc melancholy t0nc. Of the hymn with
which -le 1ath.I him g. r,,ia s1ul.subdu,
ir. ratUrs. nr Is hls bean my l1i e. hear
again thil lullaby whom it sounded even
NOR, dcfrly affecting than 1t could then
Ia,. I,a1. Poor Helen continued AL night
har visit, Go ,he door. ull At length, Just
a.. morning began 60 dawn, she heard her
name shouted out hy ,he well known yoic,
or william. JOY came 70 her heart, ior
sa, thought hc hll seen Lsr, and though
.hl looked iu vain l0r him. suIl be was
near. But again ~, heard hts voice, aud
ls vrrl, cll distinctly on her car Oh,
u l-n, Helen, perish O." She nsw with
the .lg.l OF Lightning down the bank; bat
when .'s approach. near 20 This spot, her
lrl.r,s. wa, aIr.steI.f,r ,he ic, irom which
thc water rc,cl.l below, could not boar
her wsi.lt. Aud then % was iur tho FIRE!
tim. ,h- Ii.c5fs..l, through tho inlIiinai
s'imm.r,u. ofih, dawn. and by bic own
wlrl-. tla,. on William hlvins reached
tlo barn, whore th, i0rc3 o' the stream be-
low aaI rendered 70 Hollow. tho !c, bad
given way, ava O., VA, only kept from
sinking 'y l.s arm, resting on tie surgoln.
ding par,. (which was st,ll Grm. Again
and again ll,.sn tried 10 each direction to
reach hImin .riie q hi, urgent cnirJauc' to
ka.p oa, aul hi. assurances that ha had
hars. ol brjns able % maintain his position
fora length OF time, from Sh, manner in
which o, va, weisel between tho ice, arl
its apparent thickness in that place whcrc
/, va, s.rs . together though be feared
10 make the smallest clertion to extriclte
himself, To-! ho should g down. In tai'
extremity ,lcr, was only ono eoars, which
gave the as,nzcl vilc any chance Of SAVING
ths llc OF her husband, and that was 20
SEEK Tor mora efficient aiI than her own.
Meantime William was almost fainIing
with exhaustion from fatigue, cold and hun.
ser and lIe'cn, thinking that II she could
supply him with food, be would Be better
ab.l 10 endure hi. situation iill she could
procarc assistance, ran to tho house, and.
putting some of what had been INTENDED
ilr hfs supper into a small basket, took a
,hoop crook, and, having tied stick t.
one cnI u i,, h11kri the basket on To thc
other end. and in this manner conveyed i,
to him. At the same time she pushed a
blanko, close TO hin with the crook, and
seen him draw It by degree, round hi, head
aud shoulders, sho returned to the cottage
wrrpsi hcr child IN small bhnke,, dnI
throwing her cloak around her, took il In
her arms then. having taken hasiy leave
OF her husband in word, which were half "a
farewell and bali a solemn prayer for bi,
till her return, she sel oG on
her journey Of four mile. to the next arm.
house Tor no nearer was there human
dwelling.
Helen Symlngton was at all times active,
bu. now supernatural strength seemed
given her, and, in spite Of her burden, she
proceeded swiftly through the snow, ascen.
ding tho bill, with Incredible rapidity,
ani dying rather than running, down their
dscli,itCs. Thus she proceeded till near
ly three of the miles were passed but the
snow, which bad ceased falling for some
time, now begun again to descend quickly,
and was accompanied by sudden gusts Of
wind which drove i, foil in her face, and
prevented her from seeing the diiIeren, ob.