Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1870-07-15
wish had minded Gideon. am afraid !

wish had minded Gideon. am AFRAID
am lost
David hurried on, but seemed to get
deeper into the forest. "If had only done
as he said," thought David, as he shivered
with the cold. "It is showing hard
shall be frozen, or the bears will cat me-"
| Tired and cold, David sat down to rest
moment on pile of leaves. ~ suppose 1
might cover myself with these leaves, as
the birds did the children in the story
mother told me. I should be warm till
morning, and then could see where TO go.
Why, what's this?" David put his hands
deep into the leaves, and pulled out ropo
with slip-noose at the end. 80, there are
dreadful men hidden here, somewhere.
Job told me how they threw ropes round
peoples necks and dragged them into tho
woods and killed them. What shall do?"
Tho first impulse little-and sometimes
great-people have when frightened Is to
| run. David did. He soon catoe to the
| open place where Job had experienced
such defeat of his cherished plans. The
groud was white with snow. Dave ran on.
By-and-by be saw foot-tracks. "1t is a
great clearing some one has been here"
The thought gave him courage On, on he
went. 80, how many people have been
here there are tracks all around. 1 wish
1 could catch up with them. am so cold
and tired" He stopped to get breath. A
new thought struck him. He set his foot
into one Of the fresh prints it fitted. lie
had been following his Own steps, running
| In circle.
Tho nft tIn xt,1noa In, 1,u
frozen, the mother who perished after
wrapping her child in her own garments,
the babe who smiled sweetly when strange
faces bent over 1t, and strange arms lifted
| 1t from its bed of snow, flashed through
his mind. 1t had happened on this same
mountain. David remembered it he had
! seen the pale, calm face of tho mother, and
| the innocent babe she died for. Was he to
freeze and be hid away in the snow, never
to see mother and Gideon again7 No, no!
He would try to escape.
| He struck directly across the tracks, and
pushed on through the woods, despite driv-
ing snow and weary limbs. Miles on miles
he seemed TO have travelled, when on the
cold night air were borne the words, "Co',
boss CO., boss" "Gideon fatherW Da-
vid shouted, and then moved on in the di-
rection of the voices. Soon lights were
seen and mingling voices heard
"They are hunting for me-" thought Da-
vid. "Here am, Gideon"
Overcome by fatigue, now that aid was
so near, David sank down. A strange wea-
riness oppressed him. He longed to shut
his eyes. The cleaning lights faded, the
voices died away. II help does not reach
him soon, morning light will greet snow
heaped mound under it will lie a sweet
face, white as the covering that hides it,
and little form at rest forever.
II seen something stirring yonder," said
voice.
"It's likely one O. them critters" was the
reply.
"Good God it's child, Josiah. Get up,
boy"
A strong arm shook David from the
sleep into which he was sinking.
"Rouse him II ye can, Eben. It's bles-
sed thing them critters was lost, or this
child would have frozen. What n mite OF a
fellow-no bigger than my Lucy. 1t must
be nigh onto midnight. We will go home.
can afford to lose the critters"
Farmer Ramsdell and his sons, joined by
the few neighbors, hunted all night for Da-
vid. No trace could be found. "My pre-
cious boy" was all the moaning mother
could say. Her thought was of hungry
bears, drifting snow, and little white face
she would see no more.
The next day the snow fell steadily. The
great trees held out their arms to receive
the garment that was to hide their stiffness.
The rocks lost their sharp outlines, the
shrubs were hooded with ermine, the
mountain road was hid by the covering
dropped softly upon it.
mo, mother" said Gideon, as he entered
the house in the edge of the evening, and
read the question in the fearless eyes. Far
mer Ramsdell dared not look at his wife.
He kept his pale face, with the hollows un-
der the eyes, and the deep lines about his
mouth, turned from her. 81 am to blame I;
1 killed her boy" was his torturing
thought.
Job lay that night with wide staring eyes.
Every hard word and hasty push he had
given David stood in array before him.
Visions of misty eyes and trembling
voice, "How could you, job" drove away
sleep.
All the long night Gideon and the moth
or sat by the open fire. From the windows
they could see the whirling, drifting snow.
The mother sat with clasped hands neither
spoke, their hearts were full.
Towards morning Mrs. Ramsdell rose,
laid her hand on Gideon's head, and said
in low voice, 81 have given him up. The
| GhanharJ II,
lamb, and has carried him in his tender
arms to the everlasting fold. Gideon, do
you remember he shouted only little
while 1 can waltz"
"Mother," said Gideon, "now he is gone,
will you take mo for an own sonf'
"Yes, Gideon, while we live you are my
own and only son."
Late in the afternoon Of the third day u
horseman was seen slowly descending the
mountain. Ho carried something before
him.
"Gidoonv r. called child's voice.
"Mother mother, it's Davie p cried Gid
con, as he rushed from the house.
"Me and my neighbor was hunting our
critters. We found him Jest after he gin
up" said Josiah Barrett, as he handed Da-
vid to Gideon's embrace. "You'll go fur
afore you'll find a seven -year-old boy
plucky as that one" continued the man.
"The distance he went was tremenjuous.
After he run round on his own beat spell,
he struck out onto the Arlington side, whar
we found him. Yester morning he told us
who he was, and wanted to come right
away to his mother. 1 daresn't start while
1t stormed, and my wife said he was all
tuckered out"
That autumn David was fourteen years
old. One bright morning he said, "Moth-
er, have paid the squirrel for the nuts l
stole. Come with me to-day and see IL I
give full interest"
The October sun sent CLEANS of golden
light to beautify the upper clearing as Da-
vid and his mother stood there. "If 1 had
| 10 IL 70 ha