Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-09-11


busy.
Out in the garden, under the shadow of the
elm tree, where the Haunting tulips and sum
flower boomed. and the bees made homely mu-
sic, Mark and little Totty were playing and
chauering like pair of parrots.
And presently they came toddling in, Mark
leading his chubby little sister by the hand
"Mother," he said, "may we go down TO the
wood and gather some strawberries? Father
likes 'em with cream, you know! Please let us,
mother, III put Totty's shoes on, so the briars
can't scratch her feet, and III take good care of
Der. Mother, may we COZ"
Debbie smiled and nodded, and Mark ran off
for Totty's shoes, and after considerable grunt-
ing and Juggling succeeded in getting them on
her chubby feet. Then he clambered up on the
dresser, and got little tin kettle, and off they
started hand in hand,
''Now, Mark, take good care of your sister"
called his mother, "and don't 90 near the pond
And come back soon, for think we shall have
rain before night"
eyes, mother"
Totty looked back, her white sun-bonnet flap
ping in the breeze, and disclosing her dimpled
cheeks and tangled, golden hair.
"MOther," she lisped, couldn't you dive us
one teamtake before we does-does one, moth
err?
And Debbie put aside her needle, and, going
to the cupboard, produced the coveted cream
cakes, and put them in the chubby little hands,
her song,
And the midsummer afternoon waned
slowly. The sunshine danced and glimmered
among the green elm branches, the bees hummed
about their hives, and the hens cackled lazily
in the barn yard; and the breeze, growing
stronger, tossed the purple lilac boughs till the
air was heavy with their sweet perfume, Deb
bic worked on, singing softly to herself; and
the sunlight Crept steathily across the sanded
floor and disappeared at last beyond the door
sill Her work was done; all the little gar
ments ready for the coming Sabbath. She rose
and put her basket aside.
GO lis time the children were coming back, !"
she said, going to the door and glancing out.
The west was one mass of black thunder
clouds, with lurid, brassy edges; and even while
she stood there came distant rumble Prophetic
of what was coming.
"We're going to have a thunder storm" she
thought, her heart thrilling with fear; "surely,
Mark viii hasten home"
She set about her evening preparations,
eager to get them over before the rain. Half an
hour went by, but the children had not come
"What can make them stay OF" she thought,
looking out again, and finding the sky well
nigh overcast, and the great, black thunder
cloud rolling rapidly up before the rising wind.
The poor mother, now thoroughly frightened,
caught up Il shawl, and throwing it over her
head, closed her doors and ran down towards
the wood, calling her children as she ran. But
roar
OF the gathering Storm and the angry booming
of the thunder.
She searched and called in vain-they were
nowhere TO be seen; and, half frantic with anXi-
ETY., she ran back again, and met her husband,
just returned from his labor, at the door,
"Oh, Nathan" she cried, "the children are
gone-loSt in the wood! What shall we do?"
He turned, without a word, to the huge New
foundland that stood beside him,
"Gyp,' he said, 'the children are gone come,
we must find themp
And Gyp trotted sobcrly after him, followed
by the poor, distracted mother. As they reached
the wood, the storm broke upon them in all its
fury. The clouds rolled up in great masses,
blotting out the waning daylight, and the light
ming blazed and famed in every direction, while
the thunder ratified from hill to hill, and the
winds tore and shreked among the trees like a
pack of demons. And presently the rain began
10 pour down in great drenchiDg sheets. Poor
Deborah wrung her hands in an agony.
oh, my dear childrenP' she cried "my poor
little Totty, what will become of herr"
The father hurried on, followed by Gyp, on
and on, till they were in the very heart of the
wood. But no trace Of the children appeared
"Gyp," said the father, turning to his dog
again, cant you find the children2 Come,
good dog, tryl"
. And Gyp, with his nose to the ground, went
OIL like an arrow. The parents followed, heed
less of the pelting storm On and on, into the
heart of the wood, and round to the shore of the
pond. There the poor fellow stopped, with a
peculiar, mournlul cry.
The father and mother FASTENED up There,
in yielding earth, were little footprints the un-
mstakable impress of Totty's chubby shoes,
and, strewn about, were bits of moss and broken
flowers; and presently, away out upon the yell
low, angry waters OF the pond, they espied
AS she recognized it the poor mother uttered
a piteous cry.
"0h, my precious babies they are gone-they
are drowned"
"YeS,'' replied the father hoarsey; "they are
gonel lmuSt get help and drag the pond Ny
poor wife, you had better come homep'
But Deborah shook her head, and crouched
down upon the shores of the yellow pond. And
there she sat, with the pitiess storm beating on
her unsheltered head waiting and watching in
the very patience of despair.
Her husband went for help, and his neighbors
responded to his call. They hurried to the spot
by scores, and the pond was dragged, but the
bodies of the children could not be found.
Again and again they repeated their efforts, but
with like result.
The storm had spent its fury, the thunders
ratified far away in the distance, and through
the riffs in the black clouds a full summer moon
poured down its silver light. The men stood
round the yellow circlet of water, regarding each
other in silent perpleXity; when faint and far
away came the sound of tremulouS cry. The
father listened inteutly. 1t came again-a long
and mOurnful cry.
"i'Tis Gyp," he said, dashng off in the direc-
ton of the sound; "he's found 'emI"
Deooe and her neighbors followed, through
the dripping, moonlight forest. As they neaTed
the spot, the dog heard them coming, and the
howl changed into joyful bark. He came
bounding ito meet them from beneath little
coppice thickly rooted with vines.
There they were, side by side, on the reekinr
mass, little lofty fast asleep, with her curly head
pillOwed on Marks arm. Mark was wide awake.
his eyes as bright as diamonds.
Ihe moment he caught sight of his mother, he
burst in tears.
Poor mother" hecried out, "what naughty
boy to make you suffer so; but indeed didn't
mean to be. We met Tom Saunders in the wood,
and he told us there were some jolly big straw
berries down by the pond; and | thought we'd
get EN- to please father. But Totty walked SO
slow, the storm was up by the time we got there
But got the strawberries, and bouncing big fell
lOWs. theysare. Here they are, father; | held on
to EN-. by the time got the basket full the
wind was blowing great guns, ana Totty began
TO cry. took her in my arms, and tried to run.
and the wind took my cap off, and whirled it
plump into the middle of the pond. Oh, my
buttons, but tdid rainl The drops hit my head
Ike bullets! But Rugged lofty tight, and ran.
and ran; but somehow couldn't run right; the
storm turned me round. | saw this place al last
and we crept in, and poor lofty soon cried her
self to sleep, and u dozed bit too for the first
thing | knew here was Gyp, putting his cold
nose on my cheek"
They jOurncyed hOmeward through the gilt
tering summer woods, and as they reached the
cottage the Sabbath morn was breaking, fair
ana sweet and holy-a type Of that eternal
morn which is to come; the east, one blaze of
gold and purple, birds twittering on every
spray, lambkins beating from the green hill
tops-GOd's blessed peace resting on all things
like benediction.
The grateful parents bore their little ones in.
and Debbie hustled about, preparing hot
draughts and dry garments
And now" she said when everything was
done, and lofty lay asleep in her fathers arms
her brown chubby feet peeping from beneath
her snowy frocll-"now, husband, wen get 'ep
TO bed and let 'em have a good sleep; poor lit
tie dears, they need it "
She led the way into the bed-chamber. and
turned to arrange the little trundle-bed, but She
reeoiled with a cry of horror.
The white pillows and dainty oyerlids were
one mass charrcd and sulphurous ashes; and
one corner of the room was all torn and spIin.
tered. In their absence the lightning shaft had
struck their dwelling, expanding its deadly fury
IN the pillows where the little heads of their
children would have lain had they been at home.
There had been death and danger, and out in
the wild night safety and deiverence Gods
providence had saved them
PLANTS FOR SUNNY WINDows,-Vines for
the window, whether in summer or in winter
are now the fashion Of all fond of window gar.
Ttlp a. H. & 4