Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-07-11

found, coolly stating that her checks would
be honored at The bank for monthly sum
sufficient for her needs.
That Johnny should have so readily ac-
her husband without one word
of adieu 10 her, did not surprise Margaret.
The manifest preference of the boy for his
father rather than herself had for months
been an occasion, of grief to her. She was
conscious that The fact existed, but could
not understand the philosophy of It. She
Thought, as the sole recipient OF her love,
be could do no less than place his chief af-
fections on her In return; that the debt OF
kratitude due for the care she had lavish
ed on him from his birth, should~have
bound him TO her by bands not admitting
oven temporary separation. But reason
Annot discern the laws that control The af-
&ctions. Hearts lay hold upon hearts.
The loving are those who are beloved.
Thildren are both clairvoyant and reeip-
rfal. Johnny conld not help but know
III fs!heis love forhumanity, his mether's
sltiFrpuce; and, being himself a partof
ruwnity, hccouid not help bntpecipS(
IN.stst the one and the other.
The parting interview was fraught with
a revelation to Margaret. Had John put
cff the form Of man and put on the ap-
pearance of an inhabitant from another
planet, her surprise could not have been
greater.
She unused deeply. but her musings were
more in sorrow than in anger. John had
grown in her estimaton-bad outgrown
contempt-and yet she could not hate him.
When Margaret realized that there was
sepa ration, her first impulse was to contn-
ne her wayward course of life, but some
how, she could not tell why, the spirit was
wanting. Balls were held, but she was
not present and her doors were closed to
all visitors. Companionless, save her maid
servant of all work, whose stout husband
served as a warder to her castle, Margaret
sat down to consider whether there were
things in life that had so far escaped her no.
-tice
John Hemmiug, at the newly discovered
mining camp of Jasper Creek-busy in the
day time with mining interests, and in the
evening with the rectations of his little
son to whom he was the teacher Qbe school
~
precinct, being abroad )--tried TO think him
self happy-tried o think himself content
with the inevitable but the consciousness
of the inevitable heals few griefs, and John
was sad.
Not sad was little Johnny. Rosy with
health, exuberant with the joyous spirits
of childhood, idoized by his father, the pet
nd pialo of ho md mi,
life to him so abounded in pleasures that
he bad no time TO grieve for the loneliness
of his mother. Like bit of sunshine on
rainy day, Johnny dropped upon the
miners in their dggings, or darted into
their cabins, 10 be petted by fathers as
proxy for their own children far away, and
to be caressed by timeworn bachelors in
qualification of a dormant but not dead pa
rental instinct. 1t is inherent in the ma
[ ture of man to love children, and Johnny
t~ts he recipient of the affections Of a
{camp; and so 1t was when the days grew
fshort, near the close of the year. and the
lbov fell sick of the mountain fever, the la
III RS Of many were fureborne and business
was in part suspended that the miners
mi2 ht sit watching around his sick bed, or
stand waiting in the hope OF an opportuni-
ty to do him service.
Slowly the disease triumphed over health
and strength ; slowly the lad wasted, until
one evening, at the close of his visit, the
doctor called Hemming from the bedside
to an adjoining room, and said, with avert
ed face, johnny will die" AS Hemming
returned 10 the sick room, Johnny opened
his eyes for The first time in twenty-four
hours, and said, "Papa, take me to mJ
| mother"
"Yes, Johnny" said he, ~ will. God
! forgive me that / ever took you from her."
| 1t was the FIJI of lS6l-the beginning oil
| that season which has passed into history
| as the wet season of California. For thirty
| days 1t had stormed almost incessantly-
| rain in the valleys, snow on the hills. The
| lowlands bordering the Sacramento river
! we're inundated; the SUBMITS of the Sierra
were burdened with twenty feet in depth o.
snow. All com munication of mountain
towns with each other or with the plains
below, was shut off. Trails for animals
| could neither be made or KEEP: open anC
| the usual winter method of transit by
means of snow. shoes was forbidden by
dense pail of clouds, so obscurng the Wis
ion, that the hardest mountaineers deem
ed it madness to attempt even mile
journey over familiar trail. So, when i
was announced that Hemming proposed L
carry the sick boy thirty miles across th'
country 10 Howe's Flat, the miners said
at is madness" The doctor-familia
with travel in the mountains, in winter n
well as summer-deemed it next to an i'm
possibility for man to find his way be
tween the two points; and discouraged tn
attempt, saying, at matters nothing +
4 Johpny-his slupor will continue witt
HScGsfly any interruption till death ensues
then why should you peril your life 10
what, If successful, he cannot appreciate p
John answered: sit is not for the bo,
i alone IL is due to his mother that max
this attempt. Whether she kiss the livin
chid's lips, or lay down my life, the eff
fort, perhaps, will atone in part for III
grievous wrong did her in taking ava.
her child"
There were not wanting heroic spirit
who volunteered to acco npany John on hi
Journey but this he sternly forbade, say
ing, EVERY man who sets forth, risks hi
life; while the chances of a speedy succes
are no greater with a thousand than wit
one. go alone"
The preparations for the journey wer
made with the assistance of many read
hands. Blankets were cut, shaped, an
sewed, to shelter and support the boy an
attach Kim to his fathers shoulders, Will
! the champion of the snow-shoe adopts {
the district volunteered his favorlte pair fc
Johns use, and made them ready by al
, plying his choicest ''dope," the compostio
of which was well-guarded secret. Thes
L nIn -.l.n M Nlal nrn nnnI a hi