The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-09-12
A Little Hero.

Grace Greenwood wrote the following
little story-nnd true one it is-for the
Little Pilgrim. She gets the facts from en-
incident described by the Hartford Daily
Times, some yeOrs ago, as having happened
in Colts Meadows II
In the city Of Hsrtford, Connecticut, lives
the hero Of true history am about to relate,
but no longer "little," as the perilous ad-
venture which made him for time famous
in his native town, happened several years
ago. -s.qyy isy4ss1 ,ssii,s
Our hero was then bright, active boy oI
fourteen, the son OF mechanic. In the
severe winter Of l8--, the father worked In
factory, about mile and half from his
home, and every day the boy carried him bis
dinner across wide piece of meadow.
One keen frosty day he found the snow
on this meadow nearly two feet deep, and
no traces of the little foot.path remaining.
Yet he ran on as fast as possible, plunging
through drifts-keeping himself warm by
vigorous exercises, and cheerful thoughts.
When in the midst Of the meadow, fully
half mile from any house, he suddenly felt
himself going down, down, down The had
fallen into we'll!
He sunk down into the dark, icy water,
but rose Immediately to the surface. There
he grasped hold of a plank, which had fallen
into the we'll as he went down. One end
Of this rested on the bottom, the other rose
about four feet above the surface Of the wa.
ter. @ 'if#
The poor lad shouted for help till he was
hoarse nnd almost speechless but all in
vain, as II was, impossible for him to make
himself heard from such depth, and at such
distance from any house. So at last be
concluded that II he was to be saved as all
he must save himself. and begin at once, as
he was getting extremely cold in the water,
So be went to work. a at i5a
4 Fret be drew himself up on the plank
and braced himself against the top OF it ant
the wall Of the we'll, which was Of brick ant
quite smooth. Then he pulled off his coat
and, taking out his pocket. knife, cut of bic
boots, that he might work to greater advan.
tage. Then, with bis feet against one side
Of the well, and bis shoulder against the
other, he worked his way up, by the mos
fearful exertion, about half the distance Il
the top. Here he was obliged to pause
take breath, and gather up his energies fo
the work yet before him. Far harder wa
II than he had yet gone through for th'
side Of the well being from that point com
pletely covered with ice, he must cut wit
his knife graspins places for his fingers
slowly and carefully all the way up.
4 II was almost a hopeless attempt, but
was all that he could do. And here th
little hero lifted up shis heart TO God, an
ptayed fervently for help, fearing he coul
never get out alone. 4
| Doubtless the Lord heard his voice cal
ling. from the depths, and pitied him. II
wrought no miracle to save him, but breatl
| ed into his hearta yet larger measure
calmness and courage, strengthening hi
; to work out his own deliysrancs. II is
! this way that God answers our prayers, whe
We call upon bin in time Of trouble.
; sAjter this the little hero cot bic way uI
: ward, inch and inch. His wet stocking
h tlfroxe to the ice and kept his fest from eli
piDg, ID. his shirt was quite torn from y
! shoulders ere hs had reached the top II
} He did reach 1t at last--crawlea ont inl
4 the snow, and lay down for moment
} Irest, painting out his breath In little whi
|. lclouds On the clear frosty sir.