Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1859-11-01


in winter. 30 cold and stoHa That travel
was inpracticable, / found salf laid up
at Dodge's, with fair kpect Of q
week s stay; and, to tell Che |ih, ! rather
| liked the idea. / had, in travels, be-
come addicted to the arden 'ld as was
the lion Of the place. the stranger,
who was 80 liberal with BIZ Ieats, hnd---
blush to own it now, sir easantly -
The storm continued for days with
out intermission--- one 81 ll0se cold,
north west blows and sri6N 1.olans that
leave the snow piled in l,&A drifts. Or
wreathed faneilully into 'isa of won
3 isSi ~ sssaia& j sI.s ssird As, ! III II.
tie girl, thinly clad, and benumbsd with
cold, came softly into the BARR room, and
Struggled in between the great stove and
the wall. ! was not, as yet, 50 hardened As
to look upon the suffering unmoved; and
instinctively felt an interest In the little
stranger from the moment that | saw her.
and my interest was greatly enhanced
when noticed that she timidly shrank
from observation, and seemed inteutly
watching for some one. I Idivined at once
that she was an angel of mercy, sent by
some lorely, suffering mother, to persuade
home some drunken reveler from this MS
erable den Of death. Drawing my chair
close to the stove, and speaking as kind as
possible, | asked her to come 10 me.
"'Don't, Don't, please ddn't whip nae,
SIR said the little one, sobbing.
"'No. my dear, wish 70 help you
What are you here for. this cold night?
Please, sir, to find pa
els your pa here. my little one? Tell
me which is your pa?'
"l can't see him, sir, but ma told me
to come and tell him that she was dying
"'Your mother dying where does
your mother live? When did your pa go
away from home?'
"'Oh, great while ago, sir, I don't
know how long. But am going back.
We've got no fire. and nothing to eat, and
ma is cold ....,.... ....ra5
wait, little one, said l, and, sitting
her down behind the stove. / pushing
into room adjoining, wheres few minutes
before | had seen Dodge enter, and where
found that pelsonage engaged in assist
ing a bleared and bloated individual TO
dress.
" Mr. Dodge said I, 'there is little
girl in the bar-room who has come TO get
her father
"'Tell her to go home. said the drum
ken wretch whom Dodge WAS assisting.
'rhat yoicel -.s,...,.-sa:..,sp4-.,, 4-.,,,.,, /,
"No, | was not mistaken. Time and
intemperance had not been able wholly TO
change it. | had heard it when il in
spire" happier feelings, but could not be
mislaken-it was the same voice STILL
The drunken wretch, who atterward as
certalned had been drunk for three days,
was George Dane.
"The true situation of affairs flashed
upon my mind al once. pictured to my
sell Alice, the wife Of wretched drunk-
ard, suffering, perhaps starving, at this
very moment, and | SO near. took the
little girl in my arms, and walked out
into the cold night air. qse
Where do you live, my little one
said l, i am going hcme with you to see
your mother
$50, ma will be so glad, she's 80 cold
and hungry; will } OH please, Sir, give me
something 10 eat?'
Il haslened back, and, filing my
pocket with cakes and crackers, returned.
and taking the child in my arms, pushed
through the snow in the direction indl-
Gated by the child, 10 her home. Aad
such home. Oh, that man should fall
so low! All was dark, still and cold.
Not breath to tell that human being
inhabited the place. no feeling Of warmth.
nothing but cold, dark silence. But the
child ian to one corner of the miserable
hut, exclaiming: -a .ge1al
"Oh ma, ma, wake up. The man
has brought you something to eat. Ma.
won't you wake?' And she sobbed as il
her little heart would break. She conlin-
ued talking in this strain to her mother,
making all kinds of endeariug speeches,
and telling her that they would 'havs some
supper now, and, Ma, the good man has
come to see u.s. She kept talking and
sobbing. while l, by the aid Of matches
and jack knife, succeeded IN kindling a
little fire, which grew till the room was
lighted and some degree d wsrfath i'm
parted.
at was q terrible feeling to know that
| was in that wretched abode with death
and my sister. There was nothing that
deserved the name furniture in the room.
Not chair, nota stool, not abench, even.
except cupboard in one corner, to indi-,
cate that it was ever a human habilation.
Close by the fire, on nest Of straw, was
the cold emaciated form of my sister Al
ice. What a meeting was this, after
five years absence! [ took her BY the
hand; it was cold as Death. | raised her
up. and held her to the fire. and rubbed my
hands rapidly over her wrists and temples.
to impart warmth. is she dead? SHE
must not bel, Look at me, Alice, / am
your brother, come to save you. Icould
not bear the thought that she WIS dead 4
"At length came the reward Of my la
borsa She brealhed family. it was true,
but life no, she was not dead. Calmly u
worked on; and slowly, yet surely. my
sister was coming to life. She spoke, but
hos,t L.,