The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1868-05-08
ORANGE COURT HOUSE, VA FRIDAY MORNING MAY s. 1868


all imagination, and whether 1t is OF
not, shall certainly die il this dread
full incubus Is not removed shortly
All was now confusion; the tea-tablc
deserted. the meal scarce tasted; and
my friends alarmed as much ut my
looks as my words, were rs anxious to
hurry me off as they had before been to
detain me. 10 me those terrible moe
ments seemed hours, yet am assttred
| that no more than half an hour elapsed
| from the time my first fears found ex-
| preston before we were on the road
| toward home. A horse somewhat no.
| ted forifleetness was before MS, and with
| only two in the cutter-the rest staid to
| the concert, and made Mr.. A.
promise that IL nothing was the matter
| we would return-went over the road
at rapid pace. | knew from the fire.
! quent repetition of a peculiar signal
| that the beast was being urged to his
| best, yet grew sick with impatience
| at nv restraint. | wanted to fly. All
| this while my fears had taken no deti-
ute shape. only knew that the child
was in danger, and felt impelled to hllr-
ry to the rescue. Only once was the
| silence broken in that three mile jour
ney, and that was when, on reaching
all eminence from which the house was
i'm full view. said. ..Tbank God. the
house ISM on fire.
,.T'I at was nv own thought said
| Mr. 4 buf there was no sjacking
of sneed. On nearing home a cheerful
| lioht was plimmerino from Mrs. +
IS win1low before the vehicle had
fairly stonned we were clear of il. and
onening the door. sold in the same
breath .sWhere,s eddie ?r tt
sEtldie? Why he was here little
while AGO., answered Mrs. E.,
nleasantIv' striving to dissipate the al
arm she saw written on our counten-
ances. ale ate supper with tile chill
dren. and played awhile at marbles;
then smoke of Libby Rose having new
nictI,re hook and that he wanted to see
| il. You'll find him over there"
With swift stems Mr.. A. crossed
the street TO the place mentioned. but
ret,r,cd with. .IIe has not been there. -
| EJd;a ,vos remarI,,hlv fond of skating.
and NV nevt tbou0ht was that he had
Iaon temntod to disobedieuce. | said
calmly s.Wo will oo to the pond,n |
u,as .,erfactIy colfected. / could have
wor,,fed ~,,r Cd ali n;obt without fatipne with
t,n nerves in That state of tension: hut
Wr - said ssNo. yo,I must 30 in
and lie down Ed,lie is safe .nonoh.
"onaYrhera ahont the village. hi go
a,'d ,;n,lI,i,, Rut there was notbino In
tho tona ae in tha vordsto reoss,Ire me
y. % ha snolse he crossed the hall to our
o,v,, room ans tnrnrd the knob. The
Joo,. yyas >ioclxed What coujd that
nnean2 eddie was either on the inside
or had taEen tbe kew AWAY with him.
NJ ran r9und To n window
with a hroken snring. which could be
o,aned from tho outside. IL went mn
,l;th q clona hut dense volume of
smoke drove him hack. After an in
stant ouotber attemnt was made. and
tb;e time on Ionnge directly under
rho ,,.indo,y he stumbled on the insen-
siblo form ~ little Eddie smothered in
s,,,nI,ai Ii,,,, and onnarentIv lifeless
10 80 horna into tba frash cold air
~ =, 60 ,.o,,,rh hanJiino ,yas ra'
stn.aa - nonso;onS1oss
''J'uu T,o,, ~ tho, ho,,,. th,nl, boyo known
ho,, hraha,,, oh. fait ,shen be Iifted Isaac
from the altar. unharmed. in obedience
to tho oon,n,and Of an angel of thc
Tord Trna had hean sm6iected to
nv s',o,, tr;aI of strenoth and f,ith. INV
E.,bar tnnu, ! u,onld have shrunk ,t-
tari,, hoforo ~. yet lit WINS not a SINH
lar mes senSar,b ,yhisnered to me in
the midst of that gay partv an hour
nrev.ous. | have no wish TO be conyinc-
ed Of II. and were the books placed in
INV HANDS which I knew had power by
its subtle reasonincs To rob me of this
sweet belief I would never open it.
Eddie said ON returning from school
be made rood fire. and as the wood
was SNOWY thouoht he would nut it in
tho oven to dry--somethino he had
never done hefore Then IN leaving
Mrs. E--'s room. he went i'm for al
a..~I hoto,o .,x;,,o. = :, ooo5 T ;bh,y Roca,e