Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1866-12-21
The Peddler's Journey.
BY NINA CLAUS.

merry boys were gathering in the ap
pies, through the deep SHOWS of win
ter, when other travellers were daunt
ed 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 face
he journeyed On.
Three years ago Giles was not q
pedler, 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 eyes
and golden curls were those other
blue eyes and golden curls that were
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 a
customer entered the shop. Giles
sat the child down, and went to attend
to the wants of the conner; and, pres
emily, 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 himself in his agony,
travelled hither and thither, wherever
some vague rumor told him of a pos
sibility Of finding traces of his daugh-
ter; 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
papers seldom or never reach" said
he; a will sell out my store lit had
never been opened since that fearful
night, and will take a pack on my
back, and travel through the by-wayS
and secret hooks, and try and trust
in God"
1t seemed a 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 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-oo long we seem not Who'll
ly separated 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, wrinkling 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 little inn far up
among the mountains. 1t was place
frequented by travellers in the sum
mer season, but deserted as soon as
the snow began to fall, and as effect
ually cut off from all human society
as an island far out in the ocean.
Giles had finished his story-the
story of his loss and of his wander
ingS.
"Ah, we'll man" said the host, after
a pause, "we all must have our trou
bles. 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 tC
dying, and no doctor short of twelve
miles, and twelve miles is no better
than fifty, so far as getting him to
night goes"
"Did some one go for him?'' asked
Giles.
"Oh," said the host in amazement
"did some one want to be eaten aliv,
by the wolves, or buried alive in th'
drifts? No; nobody"
"Then, with Gods help | will 90,
cried Giles, starting up.
"Are you out Of your mind, man,
returned the host; "a good twelv'
miles"
"In what direction ?" asked tn
pedler.
"The very road you came up to-day
and a hard days work you had get
ting up-what then, do you expect t
do in the night ?"
"Have you no kind Of animal t
lend me? am going to leave m
pack here; you need not fear to trus
me with horse"
"No beast of mine could pick hi
way to-night-or should, if he could,
he added, in an undertone to himsel
The pedler had buttoned up hi
I overcoat, ard taken his long stick i
his hand, before the host, convince
of his resolution, slowly rose, an
muffiing himself up, took down h
lantern, followed Giles to the gat
) gave him the last directions, and lool
: ed on him receding through the darl
2 ness as on one he was never again
: behold alive, and then returned to h
i comfortable fire.
9 A fearful journey through that wi
i ter night. Now and then the sno
h would come drifting an d driviI
e against him, binding, almost stunnil
} him; now and then, far off throu!
l. the forest, he could hear the cries
e the hungry wolves; once or twice
u missed his way, and then his hea
d sank within him, and his courage WE
t. nigh failed, but he thought of the dc
e olate mother watching alone by b
d dying child, and he thought whe
" might his own child be, and with
n prayer to our Father in heaven,
le plodded bravely on.
he The twelve miles were accomplis
g ed, the doctor was found, horses we
saddled, and it was bright morni
before the two reached the little i
is up in the mountains, much to the
le tonishment of the host, who shaki
- the doctor and the pedler each by
in hand, declared they were two hero