Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1859-04-08

up with the tub. then put IN the other
half of my load, and succeeded in get
ting the whole across the branch, and
travelled on about three miles and put
up for night. Wet as / was, and at that
season of the year, it is easy to conceive
my uncomfortable situation, for the thaw
was over, and it was chilly and cold. In
the morning l proceeded for hone-came
to the river: not being sensible how
weak the ice was, attempted to cross,
but here a scene ensued that on never
forget. When about halt aaoss the
river, I perceived the ice setting under
my oxen. l jumped on to the tongue of
my sled, and hastened to the Oxen's
heads, and pulled out the pin that held
the yoke. By this time the oxen we're
sunk TO their knees in water. / tsen
sprang to the sled, and drawed it back to
the shore, without the least difficulty, |
Notwithstanding the load, and returned |
to my oxen. By this time they had
broken a considerable path in the Ice,
and were struggling to get out. l couli
do nothing but stand and see them swim
round-sometimes they would be nearly
out of sight, nothing scarcely but their
horns to be seen; they would then rise
and struggle to extrieate themselves
from their perilous situation. called
for help in vain and to fly for assist
ance would have been imprudent and
fatal. Notwithstanding my unhappy ST.
tuation, and the manner by which came
by the oxen, &c, l was not terrified in
the least-I felt calm and composed at
length the oxen swan up to where
stood and laid their heads on the ice at
my feet. l Immediately took the yoke
from off their necks they lay still till
the act was performed, and then return
ed to swimming as before. By this time
they had made an opening in the ice as
much as two rods across. One of them
finally swan to the down stream side.
and in an instant, as if lifted out of the
water, he was on his side on the ice,
and got up and walked off; the other
swan to the same place and was out in
the same way. stood on the opposite
side of the opening, and saw with aston
isnment every movement. l tn n
thought, and the impression is still on
my mind, that they were helped out by
supernatural means; most certainly no
natural cause could produce an effect like
this : that a heavy OK six and half feet
in girth, can of his own natural strength
heave himself out of the water on his
side on the ice, is too extraordinary to
reconcile to a natural cause that in
the course of Divine Providence events
do take place out of the common COURSE
of nature, that our strongest reasoning
cannot comprehend, is impious to deny ::
though we acknowledge the many chi
meras of superstition, ignorance and bar
} barism in the world and when we are
eye witnesses to such events, it is not
! for US to doubt, but to believe and trem-
bic. Others have right to doubt my
: testimony but in this instance, for me
to doubt would be perjury to my own
conscience, and 1 may add ingratitude to
; my Divine Benefactor. In fact signal
) Providence seemed to direct the path
for me to pursue to procure this grain.
| Though | was doomed to encounter
| perils, to suffer fatigue and toll, there
was way provided for me to obtain the
2 object in view. In the first onset ac-
cidentally fell in with the man Of whom ]
7 purchased at the Park. l found he had
] grain to sell. I requested Of him thi:
? small supply on trust: we were stranger:
n to each other-a peculiar friend Of mine
q happening to be by, volunteered BIZ
: word for the pay. knew not where
e nor how to get the money, but necessity
a drove me to make the purchase, and II
/ the course of the winter was so fortu
!, nate as to catch saple enough to pay tbs
}. debt by the time it was due. Though
0 hazarded my word, it was in a goot
d cause-it was for the relief of my fami
,fI y, and so it terminated. But to return
;; 1 had now gone to the extent Of m,
d abilities for bread corn, but was destitut
d of meat and beef and pork were scare
y I.er in those times. Accordingly I had f
; have recourse to wild meat for a substi
b tate, and had the good luck TO purchase
!, moose Of a hunter; and the meat Of tw
Il more brought in on shares-had the On
d for bringing in the other. These tvs
u were uncommonly large-were judge
y to weigh seven hundred weight each
il The meat Of these three moose / bFough
10 IN on my back, together Eith the larg
70 bones and heads. I backed them five G