National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1869-01-08
Maternal Love;
OR, THE GREAT MAY STORM.

OF kuSman who had promised to
assist her to pay her rent. She car
ried on her back her only child. "A
boy two years old. The journey
vas long one. Il was following
the same wild aud lonely path when
| first heard the narrative | am
about tO relate.) The mountain
track, after leaving the small village
bN the seashore where the widow
lived, passes through Il green val
ley, watered by peaceful stream
Which flows from a ncighbOrlng
lake; it then winds along the mar
gin ot this solitary lake, until, near
its farther end, it suddenly turns
into IN extensive copsc wood Of oak
and birch. From this it emergcs
halfway up a rugged mountain
side; and entering II dark glen
through which torrent ruShe>
amidst great masses of granite. il
ut last conducts the traveller, by Il
zlgzag ascent, to a narrow gorge,
which j. hcmmcd in on every side
by giant prccipiccs; overhead is a
snip Of blue sky. while all below is
dark and most gloomy.
FIo,6 tbs III 'uulain as the wild
oW'S dwelling was zen miles of, and
no hUman habitati Il was nearer
than nrr Own. She had undertaken
a loag journey iudrcd' But "a,
rent was due some weeks before,
and the Subtdctor threatened to dis
POSSESS her, as the village in Walch
She lived, and IN which her family
had lived for t"o generations, Wa
about to he swept away, in order to
enlarge Il sheep farm. Iadccd, ,aloug
/ the margin of the quiet stream Which
watcrrl hc gtccn valley, and along
the shore OF the lake, might even
then nc traced the rains OF many u
hamlet, where happy and comtcntrd
people once lived, but where no
Sound is now heard, except the
/ bl,at of a solitary sheep. or the
Sclcam OF the eagle, Il, he wheels
his flight among the di2zY preci
/ piccs.
The morning when the widow let
| her home rave promise of lovely
dav. But. before noon. = chanor
took place in the weather. North.
ward. the Sky bcram, black and
lowering. Masses of clouds rested
upon the hillS. Sudden gusts OF
wind began 10 whistle among the
rocks, and To lnilc, with black
squalls, the surface of the Iocl.--
Tie wind MA. succccdrd by rain,
and the rain by sheet, and the slcrt
by a heavy fall Of SHOW. 1t WAS
the month of MAY. for that storm is
vet remembered a~ the d" great May
storm TIE wildes, day of winter
never hchrid flakes OF sIaW falling
heavier or faster, or hurylng with
mo.c fury through the mountain
pass, filing every hollow and whit
ening every rock.
Weary, and wet, and cold, til,
widow reached that pass with he,
child. She knew that mile hrYand
ii there WAS Il mountain ,lieldn.
which could give shrl cr; but III,
moment She attempted to face til,
= storm of snow which was ru>hiu.
through the gorge, all hope rliicd .
proceeding in that direction. l.
turn home was equally impossible
She must dnd shelter. The will
cats or tuX'S den would be welcome
After wandering for some tim
among the huuc fragments of ura;
tie which sH ted the base of IA
ovcrhangia. prccipices, She at las
found 4 closely sheltered nook N
crouchrd beneath projecting lrdg
ol rock. and pressed her child t
her cold, trembling breast.
The storm continued to rage; IL
SHOW was accumullting overhead
huur after hour passed: il bpcdu
bitterly cold: the yauproarl
ed; the widows heart was si 4, Wit
= fear and anxiety. hcr child, hpronI
, child. wa, all she ,honoht of; Il
ct wrl,prd HIM m her shaw. bat Il
:" poor thine had bee sgdutlk ch
" and the shawl was thia and WoF
= rhc widow was poor. and her eliot
ing could hardly defend her fro
- the uieiclng cold ot such ulgnt
this but whatever was to btcuu
of herself, hrr child must be =!
served. The SNOW, in whirng Z
- dies, entered tLe recess, which {
Is lorucd them at best but miocrd
~ shelter.