The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1861-03-15
L Ii E CALEDON IAN
Story of a Strayed Child.

Jote last autumn. farmer living near thu
ad;rondacks. in New York state, went out tt
ont timber on the mountains in remote anC
solitary locality. He took his son along with
him. little boy about four years of age AT
ter having been employed for a short time
he missed the child, who had been amusing
himself in chasing kid which he found on
the hill, and he became alarmed lest ne
should have fallen into one OF the many ra'
vines, or stumbled over some OF the rocks
and precipces with which the place abounds'
No trace however, of the boy could be found.
In vain did he call upon his name, for no an
swer was returned. The anxiety of the ia
Their led him from place to place with the ut
most rapidity, sometimes finding the print OF
his sons little fee, on the leaves. but he new
er dreamed of crossing a deep gorge when
runs on the south side of the locality alluded
to, down the steep rock side of the mountain
to the margin of the Hudson. Over this
gorge he conceived it impossible for child
to make its way In the evening he found
means to send to a settlement an account of
the circumstar ces, and several humane per-
Sons accompanied by the distracted mother
cam, 10 aid his search for the poor child in
this Wild rocky region. One Of them hap
penlnS to pass over the gorge alluded TO-
perceived there the impression OF the boy
footsteps. an! tnr>e were occasionally traced
al The w Down to IT., Margin OF The Hud-
strl. " cie they .u~. a. traces 81 the untpr
ii" iit "a'd' !, I'D e we've tliir"
IN Iur mos p'it'.fl arprchei,>i us thai tt
.nu>' have been care II ljy The steam.
Gong along IL hauSs, ana crossing IA
u.s. ana ,teeis. nich they ucelyed II al
.no>. ,np >>lbIr The child could have passeo
AID clIH"ed. they a.an found the prlHt OF
IS nike! feet on The soft sand Ui a small NV
lier, and by applying measure which the.
had taken 0: the former impressions, they
.Cund It exactly TO correspond. They were
therefore induced still to 90 forward though
they had now proceeded upwards Of four
miles from the place Of setting out; and the,
continued for about the space of another mile
accompanied by the anxious father and mo-
Their. without finding any further traces of
the boy. Night was coming down on the
forest: and as the search had continued elev-
en- hours, over a rugged space of five miles,
they thought of retraeinS their steps in de
SpaIr-the distracted mother tearing her
hilr ard starting at every white stone, and
figuring to herself the torn corpse of her son
al the bottom of every cliff or stream which
they passed AT this time one of the party
who had been before the rest, on looking in
to the stream Of the Hudson, found a hand
kerchiet round stone in the channel Of the
river, which he recognized TO be that of the
child. and had now little doubt that he would
be found drowned near this place in the
stream. He called the party to approach :;
when little further down the bank he per
ceieed the boy with his feet in the water, and
his head resting on stone in quiet sleep.
Johnny. Johnny" cried the trembling faith
f. are you alive The little pilgrim lifting
his head from bis rocky pillow exclaimed, %.
father is it you? Why didn't YOU come to
,4elp NE catch the little Kid . The little fell
lows cap was filled with pebbles, with which
ne had pursued the kid from rock to rock.
from hill to hill, and through the ravines for
upwards OF five miles, barctooted over one Of
the most rugged tracts in the state, and had
been twelve hours without tasting a morsel
Of food. The sudden JOY Of the mother had
nearl y cost her her lite, bat the Young wan
derer was found not to have suffered injury
from his long pcregrnatlon.