Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-01-17

In the Gray Goth!
| sat down, as weak as baby. If
l didn't think of Ben Gurnell then,
never thought of him. 1t reused me
up a bit, perhaps, for | had the sense
left to know that | couldn't afford to
sit down just yet, and remembered
a shanty that must have passed with
out seeing; it was just at the opening
of the place where the rocks mar
rowed, built, as they built their light
houses, to warn folks to one side
There was a log or something put up
after Gurnell went over, but it was of
no account, coming on it suddenly
There was no going any farther that
night. that was clear; so | put about
into the hut, and got my fire going,
and Bess and Beauty and we slept
together. ... ...
1t was an outlandish name to give
it, seems to me, anyway. don't know
what a Goth is, Johnny; maybe you
do. There was great fgger up on
the rock, about eight feet high; some
folks thought it looked like man.
l never thought so before, but that
night it did kind Of stare in through
the door as natural as life.
When / woke up in the morning
l thought was on fire. stirred and
turned over, and | was ice. My
tongue was swollen up so l couldn't
swallow without strangling. | crawled
up to my feet, and every bone in me
was stiff as a single.
Bess was looking hard at me, whin.
nying for her breakfast. "Bess," says
|, very slow, ave must get home-to
night-any-how."
/ pushed open the door. 1t creak
ed out into a great drift, and slammed
back. l squeezed through and limp
ed out. The shanty stood up little
in the highest part of the Goth.
went down a little,-I went as far al
| could go. There was pole lyipg
there, blown down in the night; i
came about up to my head. | SUM
it into the snow, and drew it up.
Just six feet.
| went back to Bess and Beauty
and | shut the door. | told them
couldn't help it,-something allied m!
arms,-I couldn't shovel them out to
day. | must lie down and wait til
tomorrow.
| waited till tomorrow. 1t snow
ed all day, and it showed all uight
1t was showing when pushed tn
door out again into the drift. / wen
back and lay down. l didn't seer
to care.
The third day the sun came on
and thought about Mamie. | wa
going to surprise her. She woul
jump up and run and put her arm
about my neck. i took the shove
and crawled out on my hands an
knees. / dug it down, and fell owe
on it like baby.
After that, / understood. L
never had fever in my life, and it
not strange that | shouldn't hay
known before. ...
1t came all over me in a minute,
think. | couldn't shovel through. n
body could hear. | might call, and
might shout. By and by the fire wouI
go out. Nancy would not COME
Nancy did not know. Nancy and
should never kiss and make up now
/ struck my arm out into the al
and shouted out her name, and yelle
it out. Then | crawled out ont
more into the DRIFT.
tell you, Johnny, | was sto1
hearted man, who'd never known
fear. | could freeze. ] could bul
up there alone in the horrid pla'
with fever. | could starve. 1t wasr
death nor awfulness | couldn't face,-
not that, not that; but | loved b
true, say,-I loved her true, and /
spoken my last words to her, my We
last; / had left her those to remel
Der, day in and day out, and ye
upon year, as long as she remembe
ed her husband, as long as she rene
bered anything.
l think | must have gone pref
nearly mad with the fever and t
thinking. | fell down there like
dog. and lay groaning, "God /
mighty! God Almighty p over a
over, not knowing what it was tina
was saying, till the words strangl
in my throat.
Next day was too weak so mt
as to push open the door. | crawl
around the hut on my knees, W
my hands up over my head, shout
out as | did before, and fell, he
less heap, into the corner; after Il
Iuever stirred.
How many days had gone, or b
many nights, L had no more not
than the dead. knew afterwar
when | knew how they waited and
pected and talked.and grew ankle
and sent down home to see if | '
there, and how she-But no mat
no matter about that.
| used to scoop up little ST
when | woke up from the stupors
The bread was the other side of
fire; | coVldn't reach round. Bea
eat it up one day; | saw her. I
the wood was used up. L clawed
chips with my nails from the old
ten logs the shanty was made of,
kept up little blaze. BY and b