Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-11-25

up the steep path. s.9,sdi g,svi :
ave fallen down and hurt my knee.
thought should never get home" he
called out to his wife 81 soon as &c got
near. .sl u GagDeuuI di-n9i Uel
He was quite white and faint when he
came into the cottage. slipped when
was two thirds up the hill, he said. 1--WE
been trying to crawl on ever since.
don't know if I've broken a bone, or wha.
I, it is,-but Tn glad to have got home at
last 97aiW
His wife got him to bed, and bathed and
bandaged the knee, and after time he
had less pain.
81 dare say I've only given ii a twist
he said, presently, land maybe it will be
well by morning" iia, H.. n"
But when morning came the pain had
come back, and the limb was swollen and
useless. All that day he lay in bed, and
| by nighttime he was very feverish. They
had yet sent for no doctor, for, poor as
they were, and living in such a solitary
place, they rarely thought of sending for
one when they were i'll, but doctored
themselves as they best could But now
the poor wife began to get frightened.
Her husband tossed about on his bed all
night, and the more restless he was, the
more he suffered, for every movement that
he made sharpened his pain.
She sat up with him all the night, and
then in the morning at last she said to
Barbara
You must go down to the village, and
ask Mr. Dickson to come and see him, for
Pm sure he's getting worse"
so little Barbara put on her bonnet and
cloak, and prepared to go upon her er-
rand t.. ..a. y
1t was dull, cold morning-very cold
The frost had passed away now, but there
were leaden clouds over the sky that
seemed to promise snow, and the wind
was very cutting and keen.
"You night take the children with you
as far as to Mrs. Pope's," the mother said
rs Barbara was putting on her bonnet,
land call for them again as you come
back. Tell Mrs Pope about your father,
and say I'd be obliged if she'd take care of
them for an hour or two
Then Barbara dressed the little ones, too,
and they set out.
"I'll be back, mother, as soon as ever
car" said she as she left the house.
II was about twelve clock of a Novem-
Der morning. The cottage at which Bar
bara was to leave the children was only
about mile away standing, as their own
did, close to the forest Ii was house to
which they often went, for the people who
lived in tan old man and his wife
were their nearest neighbors, and very
kind and good-natured ones. 1t was no
uncommon thing, when the mother sent
Barbara on any message to the village, for
her to leave her little brother and sister
here to rest while she went on by herself
the two miles farther; and the whole little
Journey to the village and back-six miles
in abused TO be made easily by her in
about three hours, To-day, as she left
home at twelve O'Clock, she ought to be
back, if she did not linger-and on such a
day she was sure not to linger--soon after
three. But when three o'clock arrived,
she had not returned About four o'clock
the doctor came, and the mother, half I'M
easy by this time, said to him
did you not oyertake my little girls
coming hon,c?'
No he answered, he had seen nobody.
Then he examined her husbands knee,
and told her what to do for it. AS he
was going away he glanced up at the sky
while she held the door open tor him, and
said, carelcssly,-
We shall have snow before night |
think. .. r..
80, | wish my children were at
homc!" the mother cried, with a sudden
fear
Where do you suppose they are? The
little girl was with me hours ago." he
said
And then she told him that she sup
posed they must have been persuaded to
stay at her neighbours cottage, though it
was not like Barbara, she said, who was so
thoughtful always,
40, well, don't you frighton YOURSELF
the doctor answered, good.naturedly.
"Ill knock at Mrs. Pope'S Just now as |
pass, and send them home to You"
And then he went away, and when he
got to Mrs. Popo's he stopped at the door
aud knocked.
you've got Mrs Morris children
with you here, haven't you 2" he said
Tell them to run away home, for their
mother wants them
81 got the children, sN !" Mrs. Pope
exclaimed, haven't seen them y
" Why, she sent them here this morn
ing the doctor said
"Thcn they never got ill., sir, for I've
been down in the village all the morning"
she answered, "and had the house shut
and the key in my pocket
1t was half past four o'clock, and the
short November day was already ending.
The doctor gave quick look towards the
forest.
"Ir they have lost themselves wander
ing about there, with the night coming
on he said, suddenly.
But Mrs. Pope shook her head. II don't
think they can have lost themselves, sir"
she answered. why little Barbara is as
steady AS a woman; she'd no more go into
a part of the wood where she didn't know
her way than would I'll tell you what
dare say she's done. think that she's
taken the children with her down To the