American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-09-06
VOLUME q.
THE PEDDLER's JOURNEY,

men were reaping the autumn harvests,
and orchards where merry boys were
gathering in the apples; through the
deep SHOWS of winter, when other tray
elers we're daunted and turned back TO
comfortable inns to wait for better roads /;
still, with his pack on his back, and with
that sad but watchful look on his lace, ne
journcyed on.
Three years ago, Giles was not ped
dlcr, but shopkeeper, in little town
in New England; and one warm summer
evening, as he sat with his child on his
knees at the door of his shop, and tho
how like her blue eyes and golden curls
were to those other biue eyes and golden
curls that we're hidden from his sight Tor
over under the churchyard sod, and tho't,
too how he must be father and mother
TO the little one now, customer ehtereu
the shop. Giles sat the child down, ana
wont 10 attend 10 the wants of the conner;
and. presently, when he returned, the
child was gonel Giles called and search
cd; then the ncighbors were reused, ana
the whole village was searched; next DAY
the country around was alarmed; theh
came advertisements in the papers far and
near: and Giles, we'll nigh beside himself
in his agony, travelled hithcr and thIther'
wherever some vague rumor told him of
possibility of finding traces OF his dar-
ling; then, the excitement dying away,
Giles was left alone in his distress. He
was restless he felt he must be doing
something. -"
"There are many places that the pa
pers seldom or never reach," )" said he /
will sell out my store" Git had never been
opened since that fearful night); /" | will
take a pack on my back, and travel thro'
the by-ways snd secret hooks, aud try, and
trust in God.
1t seemed wild undertaking; in such
. an immense extent of country what could
one man do? Besides, the child might
have been carried OFF to another country.
But the effort Yas a relief to Giles for
so long as we can do anything for the sake
of our lost ones-lost to us either by alb
scncc or dcath-so long VIC seem not Who'll
ly separated from them.
And SO it was that, for three long years,
Giles had ploddcd YEARLY along-thico
years had done the work of thirty on him,
wriukling his smooth forehead, and sprink
ling silver on his hair; and SO it was that
one stormy winter night found him seat
cd before the fire of little inn far up
among the mountains. 1t was place fire.
qucnted by travellers in the summer sea
son, but deserted as soon as the SHOWS be-
gan to fall, and as efloctually cut off from
all human society as an island far out in
the ocean
Giles had finished his story--tbc story
of his loss and Of his wanderings.
"Ah, well, man" said the host, after a
pause eve must all have our troubles.
Your child is lost, and just bclora you
came in, comes the poor old woman that
lives down the lane and tells me her child
is sick to dying, and no doctor short of
twelve miles and twelve miles is no bet
ter than fifty, so far as getting him to
night goes"
"Did somo one go for him?" asked
Giles.
"Oh," said tho host, in amazement !;
"did some one want to be eaten alive by
the wolves, or buried alive in tho drifts
No; nobody in my house."
"Thcn, with Gods help, win 60"
cried Giles, starting up.
Are you out of your mind, man ?" re-
turned the host; a good twelve miles"
sin what direction 2" asked the ped
dlcr.
"The very road you came up to-day,
anda hard days work you had getting
up; what do you expect to do in the
night?"
Have you no kind of an animal to
lend me? | am going to leave my pack
here; you need not fear to trust me with
horse"
" No beast of mine could pick his way
tonight; or should, if he could" he ad-
.ded in an undertone to HIMSELF
The peddler had buttoned up his over
coat, and taken his long stick in his hand,
before the host, convinced of his rcsolu-
tion, slowly rose, and mufiiing himself
up, took down his lantern, followed Giles
to the gate, gave him the last directions
looked on him recediIg through the dark
ness as on one he was never again to be-
hold alive, and returned to his comEorta-
BILE FIRE.
A fearful journey through that winter