Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-02-15
Cur aluung folks.
RabY'S Rescue

New hampshire, In tiny, SHINING lake,
the Saco finds its source. Up there the
river is hardly more than brooklet, trick
ling down its rocky bed, but it grows larg-
er and stronger as 1t winds along between
the mountains, and after while becomes
dashing stream, tumbling over the little
stones in its way, and eddying around the
large ones In trothy circles. The valley
where it rises is so narrow that there is
only room for road and the little river
between the mountains. And it Is three
miles from the spot where the Saco starts
on its journey to the sea, before it passes
a single house.
Often in winter time, this valley is filled
with snow which drifts so deep that it is
sometimes six weeks or two months before
the few inhabitants can communicate with
each other. You would imagine that in a
gorge between mountains where there was
almost no land to TILL and where the road
was nearly impossible half the year, that
few people would be living and it Is so.
Here and there, where the mountains seem
to stand somewhat further apart, and where
1t Is possible TO squeeze out an acre or
two Of arabic land, there is a small farm
house and barn. But the houses are scat
tered and few, till the river has wound
along twelve or fifteen miles
On the left bank of the Saco, close to
the rivers edge, is little white house,
surrounded by few acres of farming
land. 1t is the home of Reuben Trues-
dale, his wife, and four children. They
are quite poor. and work hard, as most
New England farmers have to do. There
are not more than half a dozen acres to
cultivate but Reuben does little shoe
making, harness making, and odd Jobs of
carpentering for his aeighbors-everybo body
/ is neighbor there who lives within doz-
en- miles-to exc out living for his fami-
/ ". His oldest boy, named after him, Is
about fourteen and is a bright, energetic
( lad, with little education, but a great deal
Of boyish good sense. The next one,
/ Bonnie, is ten, the third, Tim, is nearly
six. But the darling Of the household is
the baby girl, Lucy. Lucy is the pretti-
est little thing you ever saw, with bright
hair curling in dainty rings all over her
head, and laughing eyes that dance under
their long. even lashes.
1t Is about her [ want to tell you, and
the startling adventure she had when she
was only 4 year old She is the pet, and
7 pIaything, and comforter Of the whole
family When her mother is worn out
with the house-work, and the teamwork
which Is her share, when the boys have
torn their clothes worse than usual OF been
guilty Of some uncommon degree of mis-
chiet-for ReUbbie, and Bennie and Tim
are very human boys, and constantly get
into mlschief-then baby Lucy is her So
lace and recreation. Her mother, sitting
down in the old-fashioned wooden rocking
chair, takes Lucy in her arms, and soon
torgets that she is not a city lady with
plenty Of servants at her beck When
her father comes in late from work, tired
and dropping, the glad little cry Of Papa,
papa" brings back the smile to his lips,
the hope to his heart If the boys get
angry with each other and begin to quar-
rel-as boys will, you know fearful
q" Rubber ;" from frightened Lucy dispels
the storm, and Reubbie or Bonnie catches
her up in his arms with tender, brotherly
kiss which seems to say, For your sake,
little darling, I'll forgive him"
One day last September, as Reubbie
came out OF the barn, he noticed large,
dark, threatening cloud hanging over the
mountains, and even shrouding their sum-
mts in its soft backness lie said to his
mother, as he entered the house, guess
we are going TO get a pretty hard storm,
mother, tonight or tomorrow. I'd better
20 down cellar and see that the windows
are fast
" Yes" answered his mother, " the wind
is beginning to blow a perfect gale.
shouldn't wonder if it were the equinoc-
tial. Any how, it is going to be a severe
storm, and I'll run upstairs and look to
the windows and | wish you'd 20 up
garnet and see if the roof is tight. If II
Is MT, you'll have to stuff something into
the holes, for | don't expect father home
tonight"
Mr.. Truesdale often stayed over night
when he went to help neighbor very far
away. This time he had gone to " barn
raising" and intended to return next day.
The wind rose higher and higher, unit
it blew a furious gale, and the rain began
to fall in torrents. Those who live in cit
les can scarcely conceive what a storm is
among the mountains. The wind tears uI
and down those valleys, uprooting trees
knocking down chimneys, blowing of
roofs, and carrying destruction on all sides
: That night it was terrible. Mrs. Trues-
: dale, though she had lived there many
years, had never known any thing like it
! The wind howled and shrieked around the
house, rocking it almost off its founda.
tions. The rain on the roof and against
the windows sounded like millions of little
= trip-hammers. Through the darkness she
could see the river foaming madly over it
rocky bed, and she felt very thankful thai
her flock were all safe from its angry
reach. Before she lay down she murmur-
ed a prayer for all the houseless and
homeless ones who should be out on that
dreadful night. Then, taking one last look
! out at the storm, she folded little Lucy in
her arms, and went to bed.
The next morning the rain was found to
have swelled the river until it had over
flowed its banks, and was rising rapidly
toward the house. Mrs Truesdale, seeing
that the water would soon be at the door
/ called the boys to help her, and began re-
! moving the furniture of the lower room
up stairs. Every one was so busy as not
to think much about baby Lucy, who was
Growing in her wooden cradle near the fire.
All at once came a tremendous blast, and,
running down stairs, what terrible sight
, do you think Mrs. Truesdale beheld ? The
5 cradle, with baby Lucy in it, floating out
! of the door, which had blown open, and
through which the water was pouring :