Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-05-08

| their breakfast. and were preparing for an
other days search; The plan was changed,
and they went out in twos and threes,
wherever each party should think best
the signals, however, were to remain the
same as agreed on at first. This day, for
the first time, / began to feel my strength
falling me- ] had to set down and rest
every half hour | would sometimes fan
cy L could hear the report of a gun, and |
would hold my breath to hear the report
repeated. but no repetition would follow.
As evening settled down upon the woods,
we again assembled at the house Every
face now wore an expression of deep and
settled hopelessness, and little for time
was said At last the question was put by
the Doctor
"a Shall we continue the search ?
A pause followed, but the Doctor add
ed for one see no use in keeping it up:
So said the rest. | begged them to
try one day more, and then should be re-
signed to my fate, whatever it might be !;
| did not expect to find them alive, but [
thought it would be great comfort to know
where they were buried. Ny wife, on
hearing the determination of the men, went
out and pleaded with all the earnestness of
a beloved mother, that they would try one
dav more-only one more The men flor
they were men, and could not stand moth.
er's tears,) quickly replied, to satisfy her,
they would continue the search another day,
not that they had the slightest expectation
of finding the children. We all went out
in a body, spreading in every direction, and
every man taking his own course. | had
got about two miles from the house, when,
near noon, | distinctly heard the report of
a muSket. fell down as if bullet had
gone through my heart. There / lay
other loud report like that of cannon--I
jumped to my feet, staggered forward a
few PAGES, and fell again to the earth. \
third report soon followed, and then all was
still. The story was now told-the dear
children were found, but they were dead.
"Oh the agony of that moment
feel it yet; | rolled on the earth-I strove
to be calm-l tried to be reconciled-tried
to thank God for restoring their dead bod
les. | would look once more upon the face
of my little Nelly and jamie although
father. | remembered my poor wife, and
rose from the earth. | knew she needed
my support, little that it could be, in such
affecting circumstances.
When | had got within half mile of
my home, | was startled by the report Of
gun; another and another followed in
quick succession, and for eight or ten min
utcs there was nothing but firing. All
this perplexed me-I knew not what to
make Of it At last | thought the men
had all got in. and were discharging their
guns, that had been loaded for several DAYS,
As | approached the house, 4 scene
presented itself which led me to think
that the men had gone stark mad They
We're dancing, and shouting. and capering
in the most extravagant manner. Can the
children be dead. thought |, and all this
going on? rushed through the crowd,
and as | entered the house, little Nelly
sprang into my arms, crying, Here comes
my father, Poor Jamie was very feeble,
but he was alive, and that was enough
When the weeping spell was over,
inquired where they had been found, and
who found them? As soon as the Doctor
could speak, he came forward and said
that himself and Mr.. I, had taken a direc-
tion that led them TO the bank of the
stream. and the foot of the mountain. The
ground had been gone over before, vet they
thought ii might be well to examine lit
tie more carefully the bank of the brook.
1t was not long before they discovered the
prints of little bare feet, apparently going
L.. Tho,
and climbing little way up the mountain,
discovered what appeared to have been
camp. where little children must have
passed a night. Little pieces of bark had
been collected, and small branches broken
off from the surrounding bushes, with which
they had formed a shelter On leaving this
camp. they had ascended the steep face of
the mountain, leaving traces of their course
sufficient to guide the Doctor and his com
panion. After scrambling up for half an
hour. sometimes on their hands and knees.
they saw before them the objects of their
search, sitting quite cOntentedly i'll little
hut, formed by placing bark and branches
as Il roof, between two large rocks, that lay
near together. They had lived upon gum,
and laid in quite little stock for after use
The boy was somhwhat feeble, but the girl
was lively and well. They knew they were
lost, but thought they would find the way
home by and by The men took them in
their arms, and in short time placed them
by the side of their mother. Notice must
now be given of the discovery, and an old
musket was loaded and fired three times,
but as the Doctor in his JOY had used pow
j IL IL.
the old thing burst.
No one was hurt, but the signals were
of course stopped, until the men returned
from the search, expecting to find them
dead. On learning the facts, general fir
ing took place. | have now told YOU the
whole story. The loss of my children for
a few days, made me a sober man, and taught
me that there is a friend that sticketh
closer than a brother That God, whose
unseen arm shielded my infants in the dark
ness and the storm, has conducted me down
to old age, giving me to enjoy a good hope
through grace [ have never tasted whis-
key rum, or brandy, from that day to this"
But what bacame of the Squire and
his grindstone
Well, the old man is dead, and | don't
like to say much about him; some of the
best farms in the country were whitfield
down upon that stone. Many are now
working as laborers on the very farms their
fathers once owned. The Squire made
money, but it all went before he died his
two sons both died drunkards before they
were thirty years of age, and his only
daughter married poor worthless creature
who finally ran away and left her with three
small children. After the old man died it
was found that he was considerably in debt,