The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-01-20
Calls, Shsttbes, 9netOOtes, 1T.
THEa DOUBa.E K3AEGER.

EEeroic Conduct oC Il PioReor's wife.
Among the earliest settlers of Wood
stock, beautiful town in the Green
Mountain State, was a man by the name
| of Sloey, who had left his early home
near the sea, and following the windings
Of tho new Connecticut, had at last pitch
ed on place in the wilderness, where he
erected his cabin, and then commenced
an onslaught upon the giants of the forest
that rear their heads in stately grandeur
about him, but gave way beneath his re-
lentless strokes, and IL couple of Jears
he had quite an open space cncircling his
cabin. During this time he had lived
alone, but when the second autumn came
another journey was taken to the old home
! by the sea, and when he returned a young
wife bore him company, to share with
him the joys and priyations incident 20 a
pioneer.
Three years came and went, and the
clearing had greatly enlarged It's borders,
altLough no arms but his lebored within
its bounds. The trees that at first came
up to the cabin had now retreated TO p re-
spectablo distance, and The ground they
had once occupied was now usuFped by
hourishing crops that ckeered the heart of
the settler, and encouraged him TO still
greater exertIoR.
The three years spent in the forest by
the young couple had been those of peace
and ccntentment. A son was born TO
Them at the commencement OF the second
year of their married life, and who was,
II aI, 70,
relate transpired, nearly two years old,
and as bright little fellow as ever cheered
the hearts of parents, whose very life
seemed bound Up in that Of their child,
The nearest neighbors Of Slooy wers
more than three miles away through the
forest, so that it was seldom they saw
others than themselves. The settler was
too much occupied with his work to pay
much attention to making visits, and the
distance was so great that it was not safe
for his wife to go alone, as the forest
swarmed with wild beasts, which render
ed The night hideous with their cries
Bears and panthers abounded, but the
wolves were the most 10 De dreaded and
proved the greatest annoyance for often
they would gather around the cabin at
early dusk and keep up their horFId cries
until the early gray Of the dawn sent them
bowling into the dim aisles Of the forest
and up the dark rayines among the
mountains, where shadows almost Ike
those of night lurked all through the day.
One day late in October business called
the settler TO tho nearest settlement of i'm.
poTtanCe in that section, which CHANGED
to be some eight miles distant; and he
set out early in the morning, telling hls
wife she need not look for him till night
fall, as it was very uncertain what time
he would be able to accomplish his ousi-
ness and ii might be that he would not
be at home until late in the night, but
come he would before ha slept, unless
some unforeseen event interposed to pres
vent it. Bending over his child that was
sleeping in the bed, he kissed it, and then
having bestowed the same mark OF atfec>
ton upon his wife, he bade her be careful
not to stir from the cabin or to allow the
child to wander frem her sight, for fear
that some harm might come to them from
the wild beasts. " ith this caution, which
she promised readily to observe, he threw
bis rifle over his shoulder and took his
way across the clearing, and his wife
watched him from the doorway until the
forest thicket hid her from his sight.
The morning had given promise OF
beautiful day, which assurance was well
kept until little past meridian, when the
wind changed to the eastward, and dark
clouds began TO obscure the sky to the
south and east, giving strong indications
that a storm was right at hand. Busy
with her work and the care of her boy,
Mrs Sloey did not notice the approach
ing storm until nightfall, wien the sudden
darkness that seemed all at once 10 throw
a deep gloom about the cabin reminded
her that the night and storm were close at
hand. and going to the doorway she gazed
anxiously towards that point in the forest
whence she expected TO get the first sight
of her husband.
Although her gaze was long and ear-
nest, it was not rewarded By glimPse OF
her husband then with q look at the
dark clouds that seemed to hem the little
clearing in as if with huge pail, she tried
TO calculate how long it would be before
tho rain would begin to fall, and to guess
the distance her husband might be away,
and tie chance he had Of reaching homo
before the storm.
Standing in the doorway the gloom
seemed to her to deepen every moment:
while the wind that had been signing dis
mally in the forest died away, leaving
everything almost as still as death.
The kettle singing on the hearth recall>
ed her to the fact that she had commenced
preparing supper, and turning away from
the door, she approached the rude stone
fire place, aud paying due attention TO
what was cooking there she approached
the bed upon which the boy was sleeping,
and found the air of the fast deepening
night appeared to strike him where he,
iaY Not caring TO close the door