The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-05-09
f4sax
a LITTLE HERO.

zeess In the city of Hartford, Connecticnt, lives
the hero of the true story I am. about to relate
s7s--but no longer "little,n as the Perilous adven-
tune, which for q time made him famous IN his
lag native town, happened several years ago. /,
Our hero was then a bright active boy of
I-the son of . mechanic. In the severe
winter of 49,, the father worked in = factory
> about mile and half from his home, across q
piece Of meadow land. ggtfTE -
One keen, frosty day, he found the snow on
IN E little foot path remaining. Yet he ran
! an, plungfng through drifts-kept himself
I warm by vigorous exercise and brave cheerful
e When in the midst of the meadow-full
half q mils from any house, he suddenly felt
himself going down. down. he had fallen into
81 cell. Es@ Aas sas5 -
He SINK down into the dark icy waters, but
.ose Immediately to the surface. There he
gfasped hold of the plank which had fallen IN
to the well a. he weat down. One end of this
rested on the bottom of the well, the other
~ rose about four feet above the surface of the
Wzter.
e The poor lad shouted for help until he was
shcarse and almost speechless, but ali in vain,
= for It was impossible for him to make himself
heard from such . depth and spch a distance
] from any house. 2 re- gstl1sls
= : s. at last he concluded that if he was to be
j - = A84lG aL0 0CSAh ~ ~
.as he was getting extremely cold in the water.
? So he went to work.
sa First he drew himself upon the plank and
braced himself against the top of it and the
wall Of the well which was of brick and quite
. smooth. Then he pulled off his coat, and ia
liking out his pocket knife, cut of his boots,
that he might work to better adyantage.-t
2 Then, With his feet against the side of the
5 Val, and bis shoulders against the other, he
worked his way up, by the most fearful exer-
zion, about half the way to the top. Here he
was obliged to stop, to take breath, and gath
e. mp his energies for the work yet before him.
( For harder was it than all he had gone thro,,
for the side of the we'll being fron that point
completely covered with ice, he must cut with
! his knife grasping places for his fingers slow.
y and carefully, all the way up F.,4 II
,sa- It Fassalmost 3 hopeless attempt, but il was
all he conld do And here the little hero lift.
eup his heart to God, and prayed fereently for
help, fearing he could never get out alone.
Doubtless the Lord heard his voice calling
from the deep and pitied him. He wrought
. miracle to save him, but breathed into his
hearts yet larger measure Of calmness and
courage, strengthening him to work out his5
i own deliverance- It is in this way that God
s~oftenest answers our prayers when we call up-f
ION him in time of trouble. 1aeHs1 sle
And thus the little hero cut his weary way
upward inch by inch. His wet stockings froze
70 the ice and kept his feet from slipping, but
his shirt was quite worn from his shoulders
ere he reached the. top. ss i
He did reach the top at last-crawled out
into the snow, and lay down for a moment to
sest-panting out his breath in little white
clouds, on the clear frosty air. 5 i
He bad been two hours and a half in the
WE'LL 4
His clothes seou foze to his body-but he
no longer suffered With the cold, as, full of joy
and thahkfnlness, he ran to the factory, where
his good father was waiting and wandering.
The poor man was obligedto 60 without his
dinner that &ay--but you may be sure he cared
-httle about diat, while listening, with tears in
his eyes, to the thrilling story his son hadto re-
late to him. zsssst 80
He must hsEe been very proud Of the boy E
that day, as he wrapped him up in his own
warm oysrcoat and took him to his mother. Is
!; And how that smother must have wept and
smiled over the lad, and kissed him and
thanked God for Etm. org rys4sb5se 1907. II
I have not heard Of the nlittle hero's for
two or three years, but ] trust he is growing I
up into = brave heroic Iuan-and I hope he
VIII never forget the Heavenly Friend who
did not forget him in his hour of need. Il,
; s1here Is an old sayfng Il rat truth lies at the
bottom Of 4 well h
4 trust that this brave boy found and brot
up from there the trutB-God helps those who
themselves.-Grace g. eensoood. "A