The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1863-05-29


When little Lizsie was nearly three year.
old and Martin fifteen. he had an opporiu
nifty OF proving his devotion to the child
and OF drawing still closer, il possible, the
bonds which united him TO his mother.
Marian and Mr.. Walters had gone out to
drive, and Martin was absent too. so tia,
the ch:id was left in the care of her nurse
How it happened. nobody ever exsctly
knew. The girl had always been faithful
and kind. but the child got out Of her sigh,
while they were in the field Probably she
fell asleep. At all events, when she called
Lizzie. who had beeo playing among the
flowers, there was no answer-the child Vas
gone.
She was quite frantic with alarm, and
lost more time in shrieking than was at oil
advisable. uncertain which way TO run-so
starting in half a dozen different directions
only to return to her original stand point
ana get Oh lew more superhuous shrieks.
Martin hsd been in the woods, with his
sketch-book, and. tired of that, he was
making his way down toward the river to
try his luck with hook and line.
Susan's screams reused him. and he hur.
ried toward her, crying out,
What is it What is it?
She could hardly calculate. She gasped !:
Lizzie-lost
He fairly shook her in his fear and agony.
Where is she What do you mean q
She's gone l can't find her-oh l.
oh Z
For an instant he stood paralyzed by the
dread which came over him. His quick
mind took in the truth at once. Ooly a
day before she haa begged him to take her
frS hno -l..f
of the bright pebbles along the banks.
Only while tie first horror of the thought
flashed through his mind did he stand thus.
lie dropped Susan's arm. aud. with groan
al his heart which could find no echo from
MS compressed lips, he few toward the
river.
The stream vas not wide. but very deep
where he would come out upon it was Just
where the highway crossed it by means Of
a stone bridge.
Il seemed to him that he should never
reach the stream. He saw it shining
heard It's tumultuous murmur, and. though
ne strained every hervs. it appeared to him
he chiid's name-he had no power-he
could only rush on in that desperate race.
which some instinct told him was run
against death.
be reached the bank-just under the
bridge he saw the futter of white garments.
With one desperate bound he leaped into
he water and caught the child's dress as
She was floating down the current.
The water ran SO swift that he lost his
ootIng In breath. How he did it he never
;ould tell. He got the child on his sboul
lers--he managed to swim out of the eddy.
ithouSh he was terribly exhausted by his
pnfg inf,s{{ {{uusrHss rsyet,fs s.ho bs i.,, oi.,t.;
rho was only suffering from fright and the
oldness of her bath.
At that instant Mr.. Walters and bis wife
Fhfch s81ssui ihae hfer bfidssss bfiddss... Marian looked
could spring from the carriage -..a ----i
he spot. Martin had heard and seen them.
He caught Lizzie in his arms and stag
yered up the bank. crying.
She's safe, mo,her-she's safe y
By this time the nurse had reached the
pot. and between them they managed to
explain.
Itwould be difficult to tell what anybody
lid during the next few moments-tempo-
AIRY insanity is quite excusable after such
scene. But when they reached home--
y hen Marian could realize that her darlings
we're safe--sitting with Lizzie on her knee
and Martins arms about her neck. then she
could think and feel.
.Oh. Howard she exclaimed, If l had
not done my duty by your child. mine
would have been lost to me to-day If he
had been punished and had run away.
think what a retribution it would have b.en
to me-
There was no auswer-there could be
none; but during his after life the father
never forgot those words.