Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1873-03-26

Tears came TO her relief at last. aRd
sitting down she cried long aud bitterly.
In her agony she essayed to lift her
thoughts TO God, but The soul at such
times cauBot at once draw near TO him
who wields the rod, that The stroke may
be less severely felt. Do not blame her.
gentle reader, as you sit safely inirenehed
behind your system of reason aud philoso-
ply for giving way SO entirely to passion
aud TO terror. Have the rules you have
carefully devised for your guidance Ia all
emergencies ever been subjected TO test
ike this? lie is cool indeed, who un.
ainchingly and unappalled, can look such
u catastrope steadily in the face.
All the long aiternoon-longer Than n
hundred years il seemed to her--lhe
wreiehed creature walked around the
sIneuldering ruins. wringipg her hands III
mute and hopeless agony. She could See
nothing that resembled her boy, aud she
almost hoped he had escaped. All around
the farm she ran, back TO the spring. aud
over the hills, crying, Charley" but on-
ly the mocking winds in the tail pine.trees
answered. or. they drowned her voice in
their pitiless sweeps across the wintry
woods.
Back to the ruins she ran aud resumed
that hopeless, agouzing walk around the
ashes Of her boy. The sun went down,
the moon aud stars took their stations in
the grand march Of the worlds. and the
winds were hushed as night fell around
her. The woods we're silent save the dis
tant howings Of pack ofwolves, aud the
nearer hOoling Of an owl.
Reardcr, have you ever stood and wait
cd for time 10 eud !? If so you caa con-
c-ivc how slowly passed the ages-for SO
they seemed to hcr-crc her husband re
turned. She heard the cracking Of the
whip and his cherry voice down the road.
Swilicr than the wind she few to meet him
aud fell wordlcss and senSelcss ut his feet
Good heavens, Mary? What is i'll?
But there was no answer. Raising the uE'
concinus iorm in his arms the alarmed hus-
band rushed homeward leaving his team to
pod along as they would. When be reach.
ed the crest of the hill, and saw--not his
home. but racancy-saw the black ruins
still sending up u tiny smoke, he sank
down with groun helpless almost as the
burden be bore. As he had cllnbud the
hill Wit, his fainting wife, his fathcrl y in
stipct had pointed to his son. He expect
ed to fnd him u pallid corpse; perhaps
arrayed for burial, but hcautiiul--so beau
tiful in death. But this--homeless and
childess--was more than the strong mar
could bca9.
| Rallyng, he lifted up his wife and car
ried her to the spot. He chated her fUrn
till he brought life to her asaia, aud the'
she told him the sad and fearful story.
Together they rakcd over all the en-
bers of the burned dwelIing-togethel
they went over the farm aud the woods
d-iogether they shouted the name o
their sou. Till the tears blinded them ans
the greatest sob rose up AMI checked them,
Charley! Charley" the weeds :ans
with the cry, the owl hootel in response
ald the distant pack Of wolves stepped
their dismal orgies. to listen, but no Char
ley was there to come.
Morning found the wretched parents
turning over again and again, the ashs
, and dead Goals of their house. Th'
paii,nt oxen stood yoked at the gate, still
, hltched to the wagon they had drawn al
J the previous day. In his glief the settle
had had but one thought, and that though
was "Charley." Uuyoklng his team whil'
his wife was preparing little food, the,
ate few mouthfuls and set about a mor'
systematic search, About two miles ava,
lived "a Choctaw hunter rejoicing in thu
appelation of Big -Bear-Skin." beneatl
whose uncouih exterior aAd swarihy skin
there beat heart softeucd by the "mill
: Of human kindness" ,sa4 Taal
To his cabin repaired Mr.. Armstror {
aud told his story The Indian listened il
silence not muscle moved on his face
not quiver around his glitteriug eyes al
he heard the recital. When it was fin
shed he only said. "Big- -Bear-Skiu go anc
see r Aud away he vent. aIHo
Further on was another encampment--
quite village IN fact whore lived thu
chief Of the band. Thiiher repaired tho
I unhappy father. and as he and the chic
were great friends, the latter collected hi
braves aud set out to the burned dwelling
Arriving there they found Big Bear-okit
intently studying the gronnd o.
!. "What is il 2" demanded the settler.
/ Cracks heap. Nloccasin tracks all
round. Greek Indians s---po Choctaw moe.
casip h,re.'