The Republican journal., 1869-12-02
A STORY OF THE AMMoNoosuC RIVER

Uni vi Tx HiViUVINOO0OC nIvEn
Good bye, Martha; God help you. | shall
re back in three days at the farthest"
The hardy White Mountain pioneer, Mari
Warren, kissed his young wife, held his two
year old boy to his breast for a moment, an(
then shoudering the sack of corn which was
to be converted into meal at the rude mill
miles away, trudged on through the wilder
ness.
Martha Warren stood at the door of the loo
cottage, gazing out after the retreating Torn
OF her husband An angle of the dense shrub
berry hid him from her view, but still she die
not return to the solitary Kitchen it looked
so dark and lonesome, she shrank from enter
ing, or perhaps the grand sublimity of the
view spread out before her held her attention
and thrilled her soul with that nameless, I'M
expected something that we all see when
standing face to face with the works of His
fingers.
The finest and most satisfactory view of the
White Mountains is that which presents itself
from what is the town Of Bethlehem, on the
road to Littleton and Franconia. Mount
Washington, the king among princes, is there
seen IN It's proper place-the centre of the
"fock-rlbbed' range, towering, bald, blue,
and unapproachable.
Ear up in Il wild clearing, close by the tur-
''N ~
tage-a place wild and eyrie enough for the
nest Of an eagle, but near to the heart of
Martha Warren rs the home where she had
spent the happy days of her young wifehood
When she had turned from many a partrician
sultor, in the fair old town of Portsmouth. to
JON her fortunes with those of the Young set
tier, 1t was with the full and perfect under
standing OF the trials that lay before her. She
would walk IN no path of roses for years to
come much OF lite must be spent in the eter-
nal s0litudes, Were silence was broken only
by the wild winds of the forest, the Shrek of
the river over the sharp rocks, or the dismal
howl OF the redmouthcd wolf afar in the
wilderness.
The necessary absence OF her husband she
dreaded most 1t was so very gloomy to close
up her lonely tireside, with the consciousness
that there was no human being nearer to her
than the settlement of Lords HILL ten miles
away through the painless woods.
There was little to fear from the Indians,
although a few Of the scattered tribes vet
roamed over these primeyal grounds. They
We're mostly disposed to be friendly, and Mrs.
Warren's kind heart naturally prompted her
to many acts of friendship towards them, and
an Indian never forgets benefit.
The mist cleared away from the forehead
OF the dominant old mountain, the yellow
sun peeped over the rocky walls, and Martha
turned away to the performance of her sim
pie domestic duties. The day was lono
one, but 1t was towards evening, and the
gloamlng comes much quicker in these soil
tudes than other places. The sunlight faded
out OF the unglazed windows, though if Would
lllume the distant mountains for sometime
yet; ana Martha went out in the scantv gar
den to lnhale the odor of the sweet pinks on
the meagre root she had brought from her
old home.
The spicy perfume carried her back in
memory to those days away in the past, spent
with kind friends, and cheercd by bright
Young hopes. But though the thought of
home and kindred made her sad. not for a
moment did she regret the fate she had cho-
sen. Absorbed in thought, she had not no
tlced the absence Of little Charlie her bow
now she saw, with vague uneasiness, that he
haa lell me bed OF peppermint where he ha(
been playing, and was not to be seen. She
called his name, but only echo and the roal
of the swollen river replied. She flew bach
TO the house, the faint hope remaining that he
might have returned thither for his pet kitten
but no, the kitten was mewing at the window
but no signs of Charlie
With frantic haste she searched the clear
ing, but without success. Her next thouch
was the river Black as the night, save where
1t was hecked with spots of foam, it flowe(
on but a few rods before her. She hurried
down the bank, and called Charlie ,Charlie. ,
me thild's voice at some little distance re
pled. She followed the sound, and to he,
terror saw the boy-his golden hair and ros,
cheeks clearly defined against the purple tv;
light sky-standng on the very edge of th,
huge. detached rock, some ten feet from III,
shore, out III the sweeping current of the
river.
This rock, called by the settlers THE Phi
PIT was good situation for casting fish
lines, ana Mark Warren had bridged the mar
row chasm between it and the shore wifi .
couple of hewn logs
Allured by some clusters of flaming fire
weed growing on the side of the pulpit, Char
lie had passed, over and now stood there. re
gardless OF danger laughingly holding on
the floral treasures to his mother. Marth;
new over the trail bridge, and the next nstan
held hcr enid IN her arms. Joyful because
she found him uninj ured, and mentally resol
wing that the logs should be removed to ire
vent further accident, she turned to retrac,
her steps, but the sight that met her ewes
1roZe her with horror to the spot.
Confronting her on the bridge, not six feet
DISTANT was an enormus wolf gaunt an(
bony with hunger, his eyes blazing like livf
Goals through the mist and gloom, his hot fer
yld breath sorching the very air she breath
ed. - o''''
A low growl of intense satisfaction stirre,
the air, answered by the growl of fifty NOR,
Of his kind, belonging to the pack; in anoth
er moment they would be upon her. "
Without an instant's thought of the conse
quences, Martha obeyed her first impuls,
and struck the logs with her foot, exercising
all her mad strength in the blow. The frat
fabric tottered, the earth gave away anc
there was a breath of wild suspense. an(
then the bridge went down with a dull plung
into the waters beneath The sharp claw
OF the wolf had already been fixed on th
seant vegetation of the rock, and he hel,
there a moment struggling with ferocou
strenth to gain a foothold, the next momen
ne slid down into the chasm uttering a will,
howl OF disappointed rage.
Martha sank on her knees and offered I'M
iervld prayer of thanksgiving for her escape
but simultaneously with the heartfelt saman,
there came dreadful recollection. III,
bridge formed the only link between the Phi
pit and the main land, and that was severed
True, she was not more than twenty foot dc
tant from the shores of the river Int sh'
might as well have been thousands Of mia,
out in the ocean. The water was deem an,
it ran with almost inconceivable rapidtv
forty or fifty feet below her, over rocks :,
Sharn and ia rra1 that II mazda bo, ,l:.