The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-11-23
The Ieadler's Journey,
by NINA CLAUS.

the hot and dusty highways in the
long midsummer days, by yellow fields
where men were reaping the autumn
haryests, and orchards where merry
boys were gathering in the apples.
through the deep SHOWS of winter,
when other travellers were dauntcd and
turned back TO comfortable inns TO
wait for better roads; still, with his
pack on his back, and with that sal
but watchful look on his face, he Jour
neyed on
Three years ago Giles was not a
peddler but shopkeeper in a little
town in New England; and one warm
summer evening, he sat with his child
on his knees at the door of his shop.
and thought how like her blue owes
ana golden curs were to those other
blue eyes and golden curls that we've
hidden from his sight forever under
the churchyard soil, and thought, too,
how he must be father and mother
to the little one now Just then Gus
toner entered the shop. Giles sat the
child down, and went to attend to the
wants of the conner; and, presently,
when he returned, the child was gone
Giles called and searched; then the
neighbors were reused, and the whole
village was searched; next day the
country round was alarmed; then came
advertisements in the papers far and
near; and Giles, well nigh beside him
self III his agony, travelled hithcr and
thlther wherever some vague rumor
told him Of possibility of finding ira
ces of his daughter; then, the excite
ment dying away, Giles was left alone
N 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;
Il will sell out my store 1T had never
been open since that fearful night, and
will take a pack on my back, and tray
ell through the by ways and secret
hooks, and try and trust in God.
1t seems n wild undertaking. in such
an immense extent of country what
could one man do? Besides, the child
might have been carried off toanother
country. But the effort was a relief to
Giles, for, so long as we can do any
thing for the sake of our lost ones -
lost to us either by absence or death
so long we seem not wholly separa-
ted from them
And so it was that, for three long
years, Giles had plodded YEARLY along
three years that had done the work
of thirty on him, wrinklmg his smooth
forehead, and sprinkling silver on his
hair, and so it was that one stormy
winter night found him seated before
the fire of Il little inn far up among the
mountains. 1t was place frequented
by travellers in the summer season
but deserted as soon as the snow be-
gan to fall, and rs effectually cut off
from all human society MS an island far
out in the ocean.
Giles had finished his story the
story of his loss and of his wander
ings
"Ah, well, man, said the host, after
pause, Eve all must have our troub-
les. Your child is lost, and, Just now.
before you come 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 better than fifty,
so far as getting him tonight goes
Did some one go for him q asked
Giles.
ooh, said the host in amazement,
did some one want to be eaten alive
by the wolves, or hurled alive in the
drifts ? No; nobody
"Then, with God $ help | will go,
cried Giles, starting up.
Are you out of your mind, man,
returned the host; "a good twelve
miles
"In what direction ?" asked the ped
dler.
The very road you came up to-day,
and hard days work you had get
ting np--what, then, do you expect to
do in the night?'
"Have you no kind of an animal to
lead me | am going to leave my
pack here; you need not fear to trust
me with horse.
"No beast of mipe could pick his
way to night--or should, if he could,
he added, IN an undertone to himself
The peddler had buttoned up his
oyercoat, and taken his long stick in
his hand, before the host, convinced of
his resolution, slowly rose, and, mufli-
ing himself up, took down his lantern,
followed Giles to the gate, gave him
the last directions, aud looked on him
recedng through the darkness as on
one he was never again to behold alive,
and then returned to his comfortable
fire.
A fearful journey through that win
ter night. Now and then the snow
would come drifting and driving
against HIM, binding, almost stunning
him; now and then, far off through
the forest, he could hear the cries of
the hungry wolves; once or twice he
missed his way, and then his heart
sank within him, and his courage well
nigh failed but he thought of the de-
ISOLATE mother watching alone by her
dying child, and he thought where
might his own child be, and, with n
prayer to our Father in heaven, he
plodded brayely on
The twelve miles were accomplished,
the doctor was found, horses were sad