The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-06-11
THUNDER-STRUCk.
ABealltifu1StOry

said Lobers, when the business was settle
''She got home safely, | hopper
"She did, sir, thank you" said Mr.
Howe, concisely.
"She is very lovely" said Robert.
"She is that" replied Mrs. Howe.
doctor Wayne has told me her history,
pursued Mr.. Middleton. "Poor little thin,
it is q very sad one."
He is a good man, Doctor Mayne is
said Mrs. Howe, in a softer tone; land !
has been real kind to poor little Ella"
Yes; he seems much interested in he
and she certainly is very engaging. thin
L never saw q more beautiful child Wher
is she now?
''Oh, she is out, about on the hills sem,
where's
What, alone !? do you trus. her out
alone ?'
''Oh dear mol bless your hear. no; Max
with her."
"What? the dogs, do you trust her viii
him? Is there no danger in it?'
"No, sir" said Annie Howe, decidedly
mot a mite of danger don't you believe H.
guess them as has her in charge ism pc
holden to as for our aid, nohow. useo 10
feel Just IS you do-'feared OF my me 10
have her out of my sight one minute but
i've 90. mo re faith for know, lust as sure
as osn be, that nothing wouldn't harm her ;
nor it wouldn't be allowed to if it would T!
Now, there's our minister, Mr.. Tucker (good
man he is, too, as ever lived we'd ought
er be better a great deal than We are, with
such privileges in the way of preaching) /,
and he told me himself he thought there
was q special Providence took care of such
Innocent, helpless, loving things as she, and
kept its own watch over them. And finally,
| declare | believe he is about right. Why,
now, want to tell you continued Mrs
Howe, now fairly launched on her favorite
topic; '.you just hear this, and guess you
viii say so too. Two summers ago-Baby
Ella hadn't been with me but about year
then, aud l hadn't got quite used to her
little ways-well, l had her out here, a
setting on this very door step, as it might
be where you are standing now, s.,laying
with her kitten as safe as could be, |
thought and Just left her one minute to
60 into the house. | hadn't been gone long
we'll had some little chore to do in the
kitchen, but didn't think I'd been gone
but q minute or two--but when | come hsck
she wasn't here.
"Wen, thought she can't be far off, any
way; and called, and look, and | listen
ed, 10 hear her kind of hummiug round, as
she does when she's alone. And when |
couldn't find her nowheres, | tell you | was
scared Well, | rooted round, high and low,
and find her | couldn't nowheres. Nv era.
cIous If | warn I all in breeze! Well, at
last went into the breeze no, | couldn' I
ind her, nor no traces of her. So then,
finally, what does / do but go up, all in a
twitter, to the top Of the barn, and look on,
OF the little wlnder there, cause you see that
kind of overlooks the whole lot and from
there, goodness sakes | seen her sure
enough You know that narrow lane out
there back of our barn, don't you we'll
no L don't IS you do, nuther, rs you're a
stranger in the place, and we'll, it ain.
much of a lane, after Gil; its only a kind of
psssage-way up from our wood to and mead
ow land; nobody don't go there only our
men folks, and when " haul in our wood
an hay; and so it amt nothing of lane,
really, only two deep wheel ruts, where the
wheels have cut when the ground was soft,
TIL now the wheels are almost up to the hub
IN them ruts.'
well our hired man, Mike Dooley, he
was bringing IN hay that day; and when
he come to the end of the lane I'VE call it
the lane he Just turned the old boss in and
drlv him along, cause he knowed there
wasn't no turning out, and them ruts WAS so
deep; and he Jagged behind for something
or other, thrusting to our old Dobbin to go
on by himself, as he often did, seeing he
couldn't 60 out of his way nohow, if he
wanted &c; not that | mean 10 say he won Id
have tried, tor he is real stiddy, our good
horse, old Dobbin, is. And what do you
think? When l looked out there sot Baby
Ella right in the very track, and the horse
coming right along with his heavy load.
declare if it warn't fit to drop when l
seen II +; you might have knocked me down
with feather. And there was | up to the
very tip-top of the barn, and Mike ever so
far on behind. | was 30 dumbfounded and
dabbergasted | couldn't even scream and
to be sure, it wouldn't have done a mite of
good if had-poor Ella wouldn', have un-
derstood. And there that child sot, unbe-
knowing OF her danger, holding up her little
hand towards old Dobbin, and Just talking
on in her pretty, silly, baby way-'Pretty
Ella Pretty baby Good Dobbn Pretty
-bsby-leve-good Dobbn 7 with her
little hand almost touching his old nose.
Well now, what do you think that blessed
old creature did ? that cute old horse-bless
him.! He's just as sensible as a christian,
and better than half Of usis. Well, declare
you seen it with my own eyes, and I've told
ont over and over again, and | know it is
as true as the Gospel and yet it seems now
as II / couldn't half believe it myself. Well,
he stopped short, and he looked at her, and
then he looked ell round to see who WAS
coming to help her; and then he put his
head down close to her and she stroked his
old face, and laughed, and talked on, and
then as sure as you re alive, he took hold of
her clothes in them old teeth of his, and lift
ed her right up out of the track, and dropped
her safe on the bank out of the way; and
then he went on, ust as if nothing had hap
pened. 1t takes time to tell it; but good
ness ma 'twarn't a minute a doing. And
then | couldn't stand no longer my strength
all give right out; and down | went on nv
knees, and blessed God for his mercy. And
knew then that them that took charge of
that poor little innocent was of the kind
that don't slumber nor sleep
Well, got down to her as quick as |
could, for | was all of tremble, Just as
weak as a rat, and crying for dear life, / |!
lad been so mortal frustrated. And Jssi as
got to her, our Mike he came along and |
up and told him-I couldn't help it, my
heart was so full. And our Mike-why he
sol as much by Ella as | did, nigh about |
AND what do you think he said? Them r.
,sh IS queer, amt they p Says he Faith,
Mrs. Howe, and yen be promising me this
one thing, won'tye now? When old Dob,
Din dies, IF ever he do die yell mind and
have him buried wild a good act of shoes on
aim; for if liver a horse whit to heaven. old
Dobbin will be the one for it. And wouldn't
t beat the world for meanness and we'd be
citing him go there bsrefut if it were only
or this one days work, letting all the rest
ne has liver done in his life; and that's not
small. good lnck to uni Well, | don't
know about the shoes; but many good feed
extra old Dobbin has got for that job, |
know"
Just at this moment little Ella and her
uoe came slowly wandering up; one little
n W OF the child laid upon the neck of old
max, the other was full of wild flowers. She