The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-11-26
Riflmunn g!spatrt.
MONDAY MORNING.........N NOV. I'd, ises
UNDER TaH g NOW
~ TWO PORTIONS,
FART i.-(consssasf.l

lar spet: psrhsps we should not nnd IL nore
tAau couple OF feet deep few PAGES from
the wall "
40 that case, hey viii come and help as
Quit"
IL hone So; but, supposins that We are 10
BE- detained hers for any length Of tame, W.
must ace what resources we have: when US
have do ne that, we Will consider how We can
best employ them. The day has dawned.
there csa bs no d9abi for ths hour.hand OF
the wooden clock points 10 seven. lis foTtu-
rate aid not forget 20 wind up last night,
~e must always b. punetnai with Bian-
chette."
Aoet-zbsr n Yesterday morning, when ~"
discovered thai We were more close prisou"t'
Than were the Gay hstora, wa Were very
much depressed ant ssddened hsvefthet~SN
~a dad net forget our breakfast aud toe s'a'-,
whist grandfather was 1oii&iNe h't'
watched him closely. VIA eress aug" ~ -
noticed it, aud adyis~d rae 10 Ify anu learn -
milk liz order to replace him, 40 case OF h|ei
made an attempt, wGich vas clumsy ana
unsuccessful a mrs, etpecIsiiS rs biahchetir
kept wiacing and shifting her ground
as IL aware o; nv inexperteHts; but I'M
proved greatly after thces or four trials
When we had taken stock Of our pros isiohs
and utensils, we wished 20 know what sOrt OF
weather il was out 81 doors. 1 went unGrr
1he chin ney and looked up through ths oniy
outlet which remained open in the chalet
ia y te@ minutes the sun suddenly sbone
upon tag snow which rose around The opening
- s. considerable height. / poin ted out the
etFcumsLabce TO my grandfather. We could
exactly distinguish the thickness OF the layer
ofsno~, because the chimney does not rise
on tside above the roof. In tact, there Is sim
ply a hole In the roof, the outside chimney
having been blown down IN astorln.
"it We had ladder, my gfSnCfather sald,
you might get up aud 6issngaSe Il trap which
your father lately fixed on the top @: ihe
chimney, 10 keep out cold sud We, until the
enter chimney IL repaired"
Never mind the ladder" replied. ~ saw
"a the stable long ilr- pole, and that Is ali l
I haN ~ al he'd III a ic Z.
cr than that, and the pole has sun is bark on.
which makes II easier 70 mount"
set 10 work, tying = string 70 my waist
baud, ts hSui upa shovel after got ~ The top.
managed so we'll with feet aud hands. and
by pres ling against the walls of the chimney
as ths SayOyards do, that reached the roof
With ne shovel. l cleared away All open space
aud found that there WAS aboat thfee feet OK
snow on the roof Around the CHALET a. APP
beared to me that there was great deal more.
In fact, the wind had swept 1t up into heap
nevertheless, there must have fallen al enor-
nous mass OF snow in very short space OF
time. Everything TOnad about the chalet Is
hidie under thick white CARPET; the forest
OF fr-irees, which surrounds II IN ths ditec-
ton OF the valley, and which shuts In the pros
pect is white like the rest, with the eAcep-
ton OF the trunks, which appear all black
Many trees are crushed by the weight; L sa "
large branches, aud even stems, that were bro.
ken into fragments. at that moment, there
blew a strong and bitter cold wind from the
north the dark clouds which IL drove before
1t opened ut intervals. CLEANS OF sunshine
flashed through ths openings, and ran over
ths field 0! snow with the swIttness of an ar
row.
The cold began TO lay hold of me. When l
tried 20 describe 10 my grandfather what
cav, he heard that my teeth Chartered. He told
me to make haste and clear the trap, and as
Gar as ] could reach around the aperture OF
she chimney. 1t took some time, and was
hard work; but II warmed me. Follow.
ing my grandttther's directions. i passed
the striEg l had brought through pulley, IN
such q way that, by pulling from below, the
trap would open, while its own weight would
cause IL 20 shut. When We had rehearsed this
little mansuvre two or three times, TO see
that It worked properly, descended more
sasi!y than had mounted.
Ay clothes wei all wet, and had no others
10 pat gu. We lighted a bright fire OF tTigs
AID dr-coues. and then lowering the trap and
leaving 10 more Than the necessary space for
the smoke 10 escape, we spent the create
part OF the day by The CHIMNEY corner, with
no other Iignt than that from the hearth for
cur stock OF oil was very small, and we clear
w sd that we must not expect to quit our
prison SO soon. We did not light our lamp
eIli il was time u milk the goat.
We ind IL very unaecustomed and meian-
Choly life, 10 have 10 drag through whole d3 y
in this duh manner. Still 1 think that the
hours would ba less Wearisome. II We were not
living L.. a Constant state OF expectation. Il
always seems as II sJme one were on the point
OF coming 10 rescue US. l mounted a s-roud
time pom the roof 10 10 * whether anybody
had arrived; / iucessantly questioned grand
papa. he Is ia hope, he says, that my father
reached home safely but perhaps tne roads
are completely choked by the drifed snow.
At last, after com pIetely closing the chimney
by means of the trap We went 10 bed hoping
that somebody might come 10 orr assistance
to-day but this morning we nGd that, for The
preseI I. the thing is slmosE i'm possible. As ;ar
We can observe. II must have showed all
night. We had considerable q. tficu ity in open.
ing The trap TO light cur tire found two ieei
Of fresh snow.
Ngueas.r rs The snow continues 10 fall
aouudantIy. have esain had great difficulty
Ia raising the trap. We think it prudent IL
clear The roof OF Il portion OF the snow with
which it is laden. i employed great part oil
the day. leave under my fact layer otsnow
sufficiently thick TO keep out the cold, and !
throw OF The rest.
1t Is some amusement TO escape ont OF my
dungeon for "A lite while, and vet what do
see IS very sad The ineq Cslities OF the ground
around are scarcely distineuishabie; the
whole landscape is most fcriorG. The earth is
white, the sky is black. i have read a. school
the narratives of voyages me Icy Sea and
tue Polar regions; fancy We mus; ne trans
ported there. But since those WFatcnEd travel
ers. who suffered SO much from cold and in-
cure such great dangers. have soplstmes re-
turned TO their native land, | hope that we
also shall see my IS her a1d oar village again
We are not deprived OF scsry comfort In our
seguetiered habita. lion. We have found more
hay aud straw than Blanchette would con-
sumo in q whole twelvemon th tor food ano Deo-
have Ia her valuable resource. But an accl-
dent might deprive US Of her; ana we were
very glad to find, in corner OF the stable, a
small stock of potatoes. We nave beSuh 10
cover them vi IN straw, 10 protect theIn from
the frost. My fatner had packed the wood
stack also Ia the stable; but there Is not
enough to carry as through loIg winter. We
dlc right, therefore, In thinking OF closing the
trap d. the times when We nave no urgent
need OF fire as we have reason TO fear that our
fuel may run short, 1t is good thing TO be able
20 keep on, the cold. Fortunately, the snow,
which inprisons us, also shelters us. l am
surprised that we feel the cold so little, buried
up as we are. "Chat Is Why" my grandfather
observed, "fhe young wheat gets through the
winter 80 we'll" We will do the same. We
will lie snug aud close all the winter and In
spring we will put our heads out OF The win
dow. But what a wearisome time we have TO
get through till then, and God grant that that
may be ali we have to suffer!
To make up for tins wood, We have a heap OF
fire. 1nss, which / partly coiiec ted my eif 20
burn at the village. II is u mere chance they
were not taken there. Aud in short, if we are
driven TO IT, We shall not hesitate 10 burn the
hay-racks and the maDgers In the stable.
When IL becomes uestion of life and death,
We must not look 100 closely at trifes; we shall
be actiug like the nayigators who cast their
oargoee into the sea.
Our people had already in part nnfurnish-
ed the chalet. What we regret the least Is
ms great caldron tor making cheese. They
have left a few necessary kitchen utensils :
md, besides, "A Ratchet all Jagged at the edges.
and saw which will hardly cut. We have
each OF us pocket-knife. Although our
housekeeping articles are very incomplete we
snail manage TO get on with these. Wemuch
more regret the provision ours are but scanty.
what ply we could only fud three loayes.
OF the sort which ore kept for whole
year In the mountain, and which are Obliged
al last 10 be chopped up with Ratchet. We
also found plenty OF salt, small quantity OF
ground coffee, five bottles Of old white wine a
liiils oil. and a small stock OF pork lard.
We have only one bed, but we sleep at our