The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1867-07-18

and drearier. They called Mrs. Harris
name aloud at intervals, but there came
no reply. They kept saying to each other,
t'We may find her at home," but they
were heavy at heart.
The log house was reached, but the
mother and baby were not there. The
cow lowed to be MIXED, and the pigs,
who ran in the woods all day and came
home at night, clamored for their usual
feeding, but the men took no notice of
thea. Back again through the woods,
with lantern, calling and hallooing.
Then they went to the next clearing, and
the next.
GA woman lost % What telegram in
the exciting days of battle ever fell more
thrillingly on human ears than those
words, going from mouth TO mouth among
the home-nests of a new country?
With iron muscles and determined wills
the warm-hearted settlers started out
'sWe will scour the woods; we will find
her, never fear % According to custom
they had at such times, they blew dinner
horns, built fires, and shouted until they
were hoarse. No tidings of the lost ones
on that night. All the next day they
searched, and day after day as long as
possible. Fires were left smouldering
among the trees, men who knew the woods
kept resolutely to the search, but the bud
ding April forests had Its own secrets.
When Mrs. Harris started, with her
baby in her arms, from Mrs Green's, ex-
pecting momentarily to meet her husband,
she went on carelessly, her atteRtion being
directed in part to the child, when, sud-
denly looking up, she discovered no white
scar of the axe on any tree in sight. But
she fancied she had only stepped out of
the track, and might in a moment regain
it. A vain fancy! She went on, but
nothing familiar met her eye.
The night came on. The song birds
went to rest, and the owls commenced
their doleful hOoting. She was alone
with her infant in great sea of forest,
where never woodman's axe had echoed.
She was lost. She sat down faint and
tired, and, womsnlike, began to cry.
Hark That was human shout She
arose and, holding her course, ran breath
lessly toward it. And now she thought
she heard it again, farther off Many
hours of the night were spent in running,
with hysterical sobs and palpitating heart,
towards the voices of her friends, so near
that she could hear them, but so far away
that no effort of frenzied strength could
enable her to reach their protecting pres
ence. Towards morning she slept, leaning
against a tree, with the baby on her
BOSOM But she started nervously in her
dreams, and at the first bird song awoke
to full consciousness. With daybreak
came a renewal of her courage She
would not weakly give up to die. Her
friends would find them. She saw near
her some last years berries, and tough
leaves of wintergreen, and few acorns.
A poor breakfast, but she eat whatever
she could find, for the sake of her child
more than her own. This day also she
ran wildly through the tangle of dead brakes
and briers, growing from the decay of Gen.
turies over the gullies and jagged rocks,
past rude branches that caught at and
rent her dress, till she came to the dying
embers of a fire, Here she fingered long.
Her friends had been here perhaps Rob-
ert had kindled this fire with his own
hands, and for her. Hark, again! the
search has commenced this morning.
Echoing through the woods comes the pro-
longed shrek of the dinner horn. She
calls with all the desperation of one drown
ing she rushes forward, but the ground
is rough, and, alas how heavy the baby
grows! She is giddy from the loss of
sleep and the want of food. The baby
means and will not be comforted. In this
way she passed the day and another dread
full night. She finds another fire; she
stays by it and keeps it burning through
the night, for she is afraid of wolves.
Another morning and she is almost hope
less. 0, will not heaven pity her? The
little one grows weaker; he cannot hold
up his head. Another terrible night;
baby means piteously; he falls into con-
vulsions the next day he dies. ALI day
she carries the little, lifeless body in her
arms, and all night, beneath the Implying
stars, she holds it to her bosom.
She carried the little dead burden day
after day, until the purple hue of decay
was setting rapidly over it, and she felt,
with pang at her heart, that she must
bury it. Then she looked about for
spot where she might dig the tiny grave,
so deep that the wildcat and wolf would
not scent it out. Weak as she was, this
was no easy task, but in her wanderings
she came upon giant tree, uptorn at
some former time by hurricane. In the
soft earth where the roots had lain she
sccoped out the baby's resting place, and,