The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1865-02-15

Pulpit" was good situation for casting
fishing lines. aud Mark Warrcn hal hridgcd
the narrow chasm between It aud tho shore
with couple of hcwn logs. Il
Allured by aoine clusters OF flaming fro
weed growing on the side OF the Pulpit
Charlie had crossed over, and now and
there regardless OF danger ,laughingly hold.
ing out the treasures TO his mother. o
Martha flow over the frail bridge, and
the next instant held her child in her arms
Joyful because she had found him min-
mred and mentally resolving that the
logs should ho removed to prevent further |
accident, she tarncd to retraco her stops, |
but the sight that met her eyes frozc her
with horror TO tho spot
Confronting her on the bridge not six
feet distant, was an enormous wolf, gaunt
aud bony with hunger, his eyes blazing
like live Goals through the mist aud gloom,
his hot ictd breath scOrrhing the very
air she brcathed.
A low growl Of intense satisfaction
stirred the air, answered by tho growl of
fifty more of his kind, belonging to the
pack; in another moment they would be
upon her! .tEs
| Without an instant thought of tho cpnso.
auencos, Martha obeyed her first impulse,
aud struck the logs with her foot exerting
all her mad strength in n blow. Tho frail
fabric tottored, they soft earth gave way,
there was a breath OF awful suspense, and
then the bridge went down with a dull
nlnnpe into the waters bencathl The
sharp claws of the wolf had already been
fixed on the scant vegetation of the rock
and he held there a moment, struggling
with fcrooious strength to gain foothold,
the next he slid down into the chasm, ut
tcring q wild howl of disappointed rage.
Martha sank on her knees and offered up
a fcrvent prayer of thanksgiving for her
escape; but simultaneously with the heart.
felt "Amen," there oano dreadful reCol-
lection. The bridge formed the only con-
Meeting link between the Pulpit aud the
main land, and that was severedl True,
she was not more than twenty feet dis
tant from tho shore of the river, but she
might as well have boon thousands of miles
out in the ocean. The water was deep
and il ran with almost inconceivable rapidi'
ity. forty or fifty feet below her, ovor rocks
40 sharp and jagged that il made her SILVER
to look over the brink. /.
Her only hopo was in her husband
Should he return ut tho expected time
they might still be alive; but il by any &C
. cideut he should he detained beyond the
timr,-she cosoh her eyes, and besough
Cold and hungry, and drenchcd by the
! mist of tho river, Charley began to. cry foi
home. She could bear anything better
. than that. She took off her own garments
to fold around him, and held hin; to he
1 breast and sang him the sweet cradle songs
4 which had &C often soothed him. - .-sti
t But tho fierce howls Of the wolves, ant
! the sullen thunders of the river, filled hi
! little heart with terror, and all the lonI
dark nigh through, he chung to hcr neck
@ sleeplessly crying to go home to papa.
: Day dawned at last, the pale sun swim
Q ming through sickly sky, the paltid fore
:, cas-. of atorm. Weak and faint from mr
y ger, and suffering intensely from coldr-.o
c summer is no bearer of tropical smiles il
S that tinhospitablecim Martha paced bacl
d and forth the narrow limits OF the rock
d Noon canIe-the faint sun declined-it wa
I u;ght again. \ cold los sank down owe
II the mouutaR, followed by drizz'mg rail
IS which before morning. changed TO apertec
delngc. The river rose fcarfilliy, foamin
'f milk white down the gorge, filing the al
D with shuddering roar, like The peal OF .
d imprisoned earthquake.
d. The day that followed was no bcttcr-
& only rain, aud ashen'whitc mist mot ra
u OF sunshine. n
|" 4 new fear arose III the heart. Of Martli
p Warren. The turbulence Of the streai
must have swept away The bridge ov,
e which her husband would cross on his r,
k, turn, afPd he would be detained for day
Id maybe for weeks. 80
e, She save. up all for lost Strongly an
rs learIully was she tempted tc ioM h'
y child III her arms aud plunge into the can
ie drou beneath, aud thus end her fear al
r, doubt 1t would he better, she though
IN than TO suffer that slow painful death {
t. starvation. Bnt something held her back
II Gods curse was on those who do sclfmu
re der.
IS Towards night lost robin, Beaten abor
&c by TIC storm, stopped to rest a monicnt .
IL the rock Martha seized upun Inn and rel
Is him in twain, with almost savage glcc, 4
cr her child to dcvolr raw-she, who thf'
le DAYS before would have wept at the sig
of a wounded sparrow.
ID Another night aud day, like the othe
y only more intensely asonizing Mmtl
m Warren was sullenly indifferent now, 81
S. furng had palsiod every noble feelin
r. Charlie moaned for supper--too weak ~
u, spent sit up, he was lying on tho roc
IS. his head in her lap, his great eyes fxed |
j. her face. ie <t-ft e
ct She tore opou vein in her arm wit
Is her SCISSORS, anu Hldi0 lllIH utllh v
to blood! Anything she said to herself !
IT calm the wild wishful yearnings Of b
oil eyes. . M En ~ hes ~ y
III The boy raised lie sat up, and peer'
through the darkness. 'l
ie Mamma be said. "Papa is coming,
ID felt him touch me" fF ~ ~
10 She wcpt at the mockery, aud drew Il
nc child frautically 10 her bosom. .7Ui
IS. The night was fair-lit mp by now mo9
'd Overcome by deadly exhaustion, again
ia which she could make no resistance, Ma
er tha fell into an easy slnmber, which, to-
IT, ard midhght, was broken by a startliF
no cry She sprang to her feet and gaz'
1t; around her. t"n ~
ga No. her eyes did not deceive her-tlle
)n on tho shore stood the stalwart form Of h
IN husband, and no wa3 calling her name wi
the energy of despair. She could only ca
ia out, 20, Mrk! Mark! and tell senselessa
~, the EARTH H i
~ When che awoke to consciousness, 81
le was living on her own bed ia the coitag
or supported by her husbands arms. sr =
he Ii was no dream She and her darliI
lat boy were safe, aud lie had como back. N
" Many weeks passed before sire gre
Ne strong again, but Mark, tehdsd her as
Dt mother would an infant, and by the tin
OF the autumn frosts fell, She was tho blltl
" Martha Marreu Of old. At tlfs time OF Il
9. Ireshet, the bridge over the AmoDoosu'
he hadein,leed been swept away, but Ma
We imnelted by AN tnconlrOllalle leaT alm0