Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-09-30


er upon its cioudless course. At half past
nine, as the long train, with its freight of
eager faces. moved from the depot, was ly-
ing in darkened room, my forehead bound
IN ice-bandages, and my feverish pillow sat
urated with camphOr and hartshorn.
The disappointment, in itself, was not Sc
we're. l needed rest, and the utter stiffness
was very grateful to my overtasked nerves.
Besides, the slight put upon poor Betsy had
destroyed much of my pleasure in anticipa-
ton. L lay patiently until two o'clock,
when, as expected, the pain abated At
five was entirely free from headache, and
fe.t much in need of walk in the fresh air,
which slight shower at noon-day had cool
ell and purified.
Choosing the shaded route, and ascending
by gentle slope, 1 walked out upon the
hill, and, book in hand, sat down under a
tree, alternately reading, and gazing upon
the sweet rural picture that lay before me.
Soon pleasant languor stepped my senses.
Dense wood and craggy hill, green valley and
| gushing brook faded from sight and hearing,
and was asleep.
Probably half an hour elapsed before |
opened my eyes, and saw sitting beside me
the same elfsh little figure had once before
encountered in the wood. The stringy hair,
| the san burned neck, the tattered dress. the
wild, weird-looking eyes, could belong to no
one bnt Mrs. Walkers Betsey. In one hand
she held my parasol, opened in position to
| shade my face from the santing sunbeam
with small bush in the other, she WAS pro-
| tecting me from mosquitoes, aud other insect
| annoyances.
"W ell done, little Genius of the Wood
am | to be always indebted to you for find
ins what lose?" said, jumping up and
shaking my dress clear from leaves.
She laughed immoderatey. g First you
lost YOU shade in the woods, and now you We
been and lost yourself. guess you'll have
to keep me always" she gggled. trotting
along beside NE. ''I was mighty scared when
| see you lying there, and the sun creeping
round through the trees. like a great red lion
going to spring at you and eat you up.
thought you had gone to the ride"
| explained the cause of my detention, and
saw that she was rather pleased than other
wise; for. as | soon drew from her. she had
been bitterly disappointed in the affair, and
| felt her r, lection very keenly. She had come
to this spot now, for tine purpose of peepins
from behind some rock or tree at the merry
company on their way home. which would
ne at six o'clock.
Il coaxed old Walker and his wife to let
me have some green corn and cow-cum-
bers. and put on my best spencer, and went
to the depot this morning, but none OF EN-
asked Inc to get in. Hal Price kicked my
basket over, too, spose l wasn't dressed
fine enough They all wore their Sunday
things | wish t'would rain pitch, and spile
'em | do sO!'
offered her many topics of consolation, but
she refused to listen. and went on enumera-
ting sundry disastrous results, which she
lust wished would happen she did so -
and giving vent to various amusing, IT un-
christian denuncations. Suddenly she stop
ped, and at the same instant, we raised our
heads and listened. 1t was a ep grinding,
crashing sound, as of rocks sliding over and
past each other There was a cracking, as
of roots and branches twisted and wrenched
from their places,-then a jar, heavy and
terrible, that reverberated through the forest,
making the earth quake beneath our feet,
and all the leaty branches tremble above us.
We knew it instantly-there had been a
heavy fall of IA rock not far from us, and in
simultaneously we started in the direction OF
the sound. The place was soon reached. An
enormous mass of rock and earth N which
many small trees were growing, had fallen
directly up on the rail rad track,
and that too, at the point where the stream
wound nearest, and its bank made steep
descent upon the other side.
After a moment Of gazing in horror-struck
silence, the thought started to our hfs'-
what is to be done? 1t appeared we were
sole witnesses Of the accident. and though the
crash might have been heard, and the jar
felt at the village. who would think of Il
land slide? And upon the rail road Ten
minutes ut least must elapse befo re we could
rive the alarm. and in half that time the train
was due.
In that speechless. breathless moment, be-
fore nv duller ear perceived 1t, Betsy
caught the s,und of the approaching train,
mufiled as it was by the hill that lay between
1t was advancing at fearful speed; rushing
on-all that freight of joyous human lite,-
on to certain destruction into tie terrible
, Jaws of death
, was utterly paralyzed. Not 50 with Mrs
Walkers Betsy.
IL am going to run and yeA,' she cried,
and was off upon the instant Screaming
at the top of her voice, keeping near the
2 edge of the bank from which she c}uld be
| soonest seen from the approaching train, g,
f rlunging through underbrush, and leapng
: like a chamois among the rocks, she dasned
on, and sounded her warning cry as she
went.
| "Fire Fire Murder Hello the
house Head tn horses Thieves Ii YES
/ Mad dogs Get out of the way old Dan
t Tucker - were few of the changes mpro-
5 vIscd as she ran.
followed as | could; seemingly in sort
t of night III arc, wondering why ] did moi
d, shricl, vet incapable of making sound; cx
II pecting every m ment to fall upon the rocks
It vet picking my steps with sureness and
!, rapdity that astonished me e.cn then.
d Betsy's next move was to bend down q
e small sapling, and calling to me to 'hro"
If my red Scarf upon it, she allowed 1t to re
1 bound. Then She bid me shake 1t, which
J. did vigorously 1t stood at an angle up'r
C the bank, and commanding long stretch o
II the ra road, it was-a most appropriate piac'
9 to erect signal Then leapinS upon th'
: track. she boun c,i on like deer, shouting
and cesticulating with redouhed energy
Y now that the train appeared IN SIGHT.
g soon became evident that the engineer Wa
o neither blind or deaf. for the brakes wer
o speedily applied, ana the engine reversed
r Still if dashed on with fearful velocity, ant
e BETSY turned and ran back toward the 90
IS structed place IN an az ony OF excitement.
/ Gradually the speed lessened, the wheel
e obeyed their checks. and when at last the.
t. came to full stop. the cow-catcher wa
t, within four feet of the rock. Many, seein5
! tic danger, had already leaped off; man.
t more, terrified and unconscious OF the rea
is nature of the danger, crowded the platform
~ and pushed off those before them. 1t was
OF scene of the widest confusion, IN the midS
'e of which my heart sent up only the quiVe'
:. ing cry of joy-"Saved saved
, Betsy had climbed half way up the ban
d. and thrown herself, exhausted, upon II
n VI gravel, with her apron drawn over her heaC
- [ picked my way down to the tram, to assn
-. =. the frightened children. Mr. Price, To
~ ~ principal, was handing out his own thre
Vi and teachers and pupils followed like swarm
-, of bees from Il hive.
ID snow, Miss Burke, said the prinelpa