Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1872-07-27
Perishing in q Snow-Storm.


small village which lies at the foot Of
Mt. st. Bernard, Mariana, poor
peasant girl, started on foot, to reach
the home of her father on the brow OF
an adjoining hill.
It was not without anxiety that she
noticed the darkness increase as. she
asceuded the barren path which led to
the mount but, resolved not to yield
to fear, she kept prattling, in the fond
and childish language Ofa mother, to
the babe which she bore in her arms.
She SOON discovered, however, that
darkness was, after all, the least for
midable of the enemies she had to
fear; for she felt the keen breath of
the south wind scattering her hair,
and saw the huge piles of clouds col.
lecting upon the mountain top; and
well she knew what dread Omens were
these. Finally she hurried forward,
pressing her child closer to her .bo-
som, to shelter it from the chilling
blast, and the heavy, scattering drops
of rain that were now beginning to fall.
The darkness was now complete.
Afar in the distance she heard the
barking of the frightened dogs, inter
rupted at times by the tempest of fall
ing snow, or by the distant uiuttering
voice ever breaking from the gathered
clouds that hung like dark and wrath
full demons over the mountain. y
Terrified, she paused +: she looked
through the dark gloom for some light,
some beacon to direct her steps but
all was pitchy dark. She listened
with intent ear, hoping that some dis
tant warning voice might guide her
through the night. But even the
barking of the Monastery dogs had
ceased; instinct had taught them to
shun the wrath of nature. She press.
ed her babe more fOndly to her breast
she sheltered it more closely from the
tempest, and strove to hope, though
reason bade her despair, that even
yet she might find some shelter from
the falling snow. ~ =
With feverish anxiety, she groped
about. Might she not find some tree
beneath which to shelter, at least, her
babe! Fruitless search The red
that, like coiiing serpent,
twisted along the mountain top, show
ed her the bare and treeless state of
the declivity. Before her rose a steep
and disorderly mass of rocks, that
seemed the ruins of some decayed
temple crowned with snow. tiil
She strove vet to hope; but she
strove in vain, and, like a condemned
martyr, she sank down to await her
dUOm. il;Eisieea
But her childl Where Twas be
She could not see him. iaG.Hion aulgol
But she did see him Cannot a
mothers eyes pierce even the thickest
She pressed her lips to
his; he breathed as regularly as,
when, each night, she opened the lit
tie blue curtains OF his cradle to give
him the last kiss of each day. 70
Poor childl He slept! What car
ed he for the convulsions of nature
the thunder's voice, the lightning's
flash What, to him, were the fears
or anxiety of his motheri. He rested
upon the bosom of that mother, and
was safe. .u0zilA ~
Poor babel This might be the pre-
lude of death. That thought struck
the hapless mother; and she almost
sank beneath it. U ..gf
With the energy Of despair, she
clasped the infant to her, breast.
Madly she kissed it's burning cheeks.
No, great Cod" she exclaimed,
" he cannot die! Will the thunder
strike the lamb-strike him when he
sleepsi No! raging nature will pro-
tect him. Strike, God, this breast !;
because I have sinned but my child
he has never, offended thee. o
sweet Jesus spare him! Thou once
hast seen the anguish of the, virgin
By the pangs Of her grief,
shelter mine. Mary, consolation of
the afflicted, protect him Thou
knowest mothers grief; but thy son
he was to live. sgain. If l lose
mine, never, never! Oh, spare him"
She tore from her shoulders the
light shawl which sheltered them,
and, having wrapped her babe in it,