Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1872-02-17
Brave Little GIrI.

From Arthur's Children's Hour
Just one more story, Grandma,
about when you were a little girl
and lived in the woods" said Frank.
And Grandma drew of her spec
tacles and shut her book. She lean
ed her head back against the large
easy-chair, and shat her eyes, think
ing.
= remember as IL il was only yes
terday," she said, raising her head
and looking at the children, who
had gathered around her. was
only seven, and my little baby broth
er wasn't q year old.
Il am going 10 the spring house.
said mother, and you must stay in
the room and rock the baby if he
wakes So | took my knitting, for j
had learned TO knit, aud was very
proud of the stocking that was
growing under my hand.
:" 1t was a cool day, late in the fall,
and the doors were all shut. Baby
slept, and knitted for half an hour.
Then he awoke and began to cry.
As got down from mothers great
easy chair where l had been sitting,
thought l heard a strange noise
outside. 1t wasn't Lion, for he had
gone of with father TO the mill.
/ Something rubbed against the door
and made the latch rattle. felt
afraid, and went to the door and fas-
tened the bolt. l stood still, listen
ing, with baby in my arms lie had
stopped crying, and l could hear
my heart beat thump, thump,
thumpl
4" All at once there came a short,
| cruel kind of a bark, and then a
snarl. A moment after, the window
broke with a loud crash, and l saw
the long head, open jaws, and fiery
ewes of a wolf glaring in upon me.
| An angel sent by our good Father
in heaven must have told me IN that
instant of terror what to do. The
wolf was climbing in through the
small window, and to have fingered
but q second or two would have
been death.
Moved as if by IA power not my
own, and without thinking what
was best to do, l ran, with baby held
tightly in my arms, to the stairs
that went up into the loft. Scarce
ly had my foot left the last steI
when the wolf was in the room be
low. With savage growl he sprang
after me. As he did so, l let the
door, which shut like a cellar door
fall over the stairway, and il struck
him on the nose and knocked hin
back. a chest stood near and some
thing told me to pull this over tho
door. So 1 laid baby down anC
dragged at the chest with all m!
strength. just as got one corner
over the door the VOLTS head strucl
it and knocked it up a little. Blu
before he could strike il again, haC
the chest clear across. This woulC
not have kept him back If / had no
dragged another chest over the doc
: and piled ever so many things OF
top Of these. How savagely he die
: growl and snarl! But was safe.
, And now l grew frightened
,-l about mother. If she should com
, | back from the spring-hOuse, tn
| wolf fwould tear h9r TO pieces. Their
! | was only one window or opening Il
) the loft, and that did not look to
{ ward the spring-house; and so ther
: was no way in which 1 could Civ
3 her warning, or let her know, il sh
/, had seen the wolf, that we wer
: safe.
a ''For long time the wolf trie
and tried 70 get at us, but at last
j.. could hear him going down th
: stairs. He moved about in the rooI
below, knocking things around fC
= ever so long, and then l heard hil
spring up to the window. At II
same moment l heard my father
= voice shouting not far of. Oh no
e my heart did leap with gladnessl-
Il Then came Lions heavy bark, whiC
I grew excited, and l soon heard hi
e Yelling down the road in the will
D, est way. The wolf was still in Il
'e window. l could hear him stru
d Cling and breaking pieces of glas
le Lion was almost upon him, whi
he my father called him of in ste
1t command. All was silent now, b
IS the silence was quickly broken
70 the sharp crack Of a rifle, viii
a sent a bullet into the VOLTS hea
nj killing him instantly.
e Father! father!" l cried from {
y loft window. He told me aftC
ct ward that my voice came TO him
lg from the dead. lie ran around
ye that side of the house. Mother W
Us with him, looking as white a:
We sheet. / saw them both clasp th'
Ut hands together and lift their eyes
e. thankfulness 10 God.
"When L tried to pull the che
away, could not move them
es inch. In my great danger, God b
20. given me strength TO drag them
ms yer the left door, but, now that
,e- danger was past, my little haT
DIV were too weak to remove them.
TO father had TO climb up by ladC
is to the loft window and release ba
ar and me from our place of refuge.
lal Mother did not know anythi
re- of our danger until she had finish
bv her work in the spring-house- j
ed ! as she came out She saw the wO
rst head at the window, and at the sa
ed. moment father and Lion appear
lot in sight"
in Il wonder the wolf didn't
re- you!" said Frank, with wide-oI
of eyes, breathing deeply.
,ut Goods care was over u.s."
ed. swered grandma, "and il is over
nd continually. We are in danger c
md ry hour, but he gives his ang
the charge concerning US"