Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-08-12
Lost In the Woods.


events ofmy story occurred II was in YER
mont, within the limits of the town Of Rock /
ingham or Springfield, it is impossible to tell
which, that the log cabin which was the home
of the heroine, stood surrounded by forest. |
The real names Of the actors in this tragedy
Of the woods have passed out Of the legend,
and therefore substitute the names which
como to my mind.
II have finished my spinning, Robert, and
shall carry the yarn home to-day. | think |
will spend the day with Mrs. Green, and wish !
you would come and meet me and bring the
baby home,' said the young wife, taking the
linen yarn in her apron and the baby on her
arm.
"Very well, +" replied the husband, giving
the Growing child kiss, as he started oil with
his hoe over his shoulder, for the wheat field.
His lot had been burned over and sown with
wheat, but the huge stumps Of the old trees,
and the thick underground roots in the new
land, prevented the use Of a plow.
All day he worked busily in the fresh soil,
with the strange wood sound about him, eat
ing his lunch at noon from his little basket
until the heightened shadows Of the forest
around his clearing betokened sunset. Then
he started of to meet his wife. A mile or
two in the forest his neighbor Green had made
his clearing He went on without meeting
his wife aud baby until he got to his neigh
bors door
why" said Mrs. Green, in answer to his
inquiries didn't you meet her. She hasn't
been gone long-only few minutes"
Can she possibly have missed the marked
trees?" asked Robert Harris aghast
"Do not be alarmed, neighbor Harris"
said Mr. Green, will 60 along back with
you"
The two men went together through the
forest. which every moment grew darker and
drearier They called Mrs. Harris name
loudly at intervals, but there came no reply.
They kept saying to each other, " 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, which ran in the
woods and came home at night, clamored for
their usual feeding, but the men took no no.
tee of them Back again through the woods
with lantern, calling and hallooing.
Then they went to the next clearing, and
the next. A woman lost :" What telegram
in the exciting days Of battle ever fell more
, thrillingly on human ears than these words
going from mouth to mouth, among the home
/ nests of new country2 With iron muscle,
: and determined wills the warm-hearted set
tiers started out 1--WE will scour the woods
we will find them, never fear" According
to custom they had at such times, they blew
dinner horns, built fires, and shouted until
Al ~. - lsaf No.
on that night, All the next day they search
ed, and day after day as long as possible
Fires were left smouldering among the trees
E men who knew the woods kept resolutely t.
D the search, but the budding April forest ha,
its own secrets.
. When Mrs. Harris started with her bah,
/ in her arms from Mrs. Green's, expecting mo
mentarily to meet her husband, she went o
5 carelossly, her attention being directed in par
/ to her child, and suddenly looking up, sh
discovered no white scars Of the axe on an,
c tree in sight. But she fancied she had onl,
c stepped out of the track, and might in a mo
= ment regain it, A vain fancy She wen
r on, but nothing familiar met her eyes.
:, The night came on The little birds wen
o to rest, aud the owls commenced dolefu
HODllnB. EuC was dlobc. WIN iuidhA !
n the great sea Of forests where never woodman
1t -axe had echoed. She was lost She sat dow
e faint and tired and, woman-lke began to cry
II Hark That was certainly a human shou
She arose, and holding her course ran breath
Y less toward it. And now she thought sh
heard it again, farther off Many hours /
Z the night were spent in rushing with hystei
n ical sobs and pal pitating heart, towards til
- voices Of her friends, so near that she coul
u hear them, but so far away that no effort {
rt strength could enable her to reach their pr,
sr tecting presence.
10 What pity it was Towards mornin
" she slept, leaning against a tree, with the bi
by ON her bosom. But she started neryousl
X in her dreams, and at the first bird song awol
r, to full consciousness. With daybreak can
IN a renewal of her courage. She would n,
}" weakly give up TO die. Her friends won
r, certainly find her to-day, or she would fin
them. She saw near her some last years be
~ ries and tough leaves of wintcrgreen and
few acorns A poor breakfast, but she a
&c whatever she could find for the sake Of h,
I child more than her own. This day also 81
On ran wildly through the tangle Of dead brak
r. and briers, growing from the decay of cent
,r- ries, over the gullies and jagged rocks, pa
e. rude branches that caught at and rent b
is dress till she came to the dying embers of
,e. fire. Here she fingered long. Her frien
be had been here; perhaps Robert had kindl
W. this fire with his own hands, and for h,
ur Hark, again. The search has commenc
this morning. Echoing through the WOO
al came the prolonged shrek of dinner hor
,e She calls with all the desperation of one drow
he ing; she rushes forward, but the ground
le- rough and, alas how heavy the baby grow
ng She is giddy with the loss of sleep and t
want of food. The baby moans and will n
Ird be comforted In this way passes the d
lse aud another dreadful night She finds ano
er fire; she stays by il and keeps it burni
through the night, for she is afraid of woly
es- Another morning and she is almost hopee
ION Oh, will not heaven pity her? The little G
u grows weaker; he cannot hold up his hei
10 Another terrible night; he moans pteousl
'nc he falls into convulsions the next day
ut dies. All day she carries the little liiel
me body in her arms, and all night, beneath
er- Implying stars, she holds it to her bosom.
~, ~ She carried the little dead burden day
'r, ter day, until the purple hue Of decay '
ns settllnB rapluly oNor IL, anu she ioN, WI"
ind pang at her heart, that she must bury
ho- Then she looked about for spot where
: l. might dig the tiny grave, so deep that
81 wildcat aud the wolf might not scent it {
La Weak as she was, this was no easy task,
- in her wanderings she came upon giant n
~ uptorn at some former time by a hurrica
',' ~ In the soft earth where the roots had lain
u scoopod out the baby resting place, and m
~ ing il soft with moss, covered the cold Ii
1--WE 1--WE form forever fron her sight Then she
rm- "o"" y e'e go - b" ssuPo' u sis,
her ai''r nvu' p"s''i' ~" ",",'y GUY ~"
,Sa dreadful pilgrimage. Then she noted eve
, w ~ thing about the spot Here was rock, I'll
" stood an immense hemlock. Yes, she wo
know the place She could find il easily v
Robert Then began again the struggle Il
thn ,y;iIarnaaa