Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-05-05
Lost in the Mountains.

peaks, aWakens admiration and awe In
the breast of the gazer but to appreciate
fully their great and terrible sublimity,
to stand, as it were, face to face with
the God who created them, one needs to
behold the lofty Mount Washington, king
like among the lesser giants, clad in the
coat of ice which winter binds missively |
around him The plumed frs and the
spreading hemlocks droop like sombre
weepers, their branches heavy with the
white snow, and glittering with crystal
icicles which the cold breath of the north
ern blast has frozen there. The stern
old rocks are frosted with innumerable
pearls, and the surface of the ice.chain-
ed river shines like field of molten
silver. For the soul of him who ''looks
through Nature up to Natures God, ;" the
sight of the White Mountains in winter
is both a sermon upon the Creators
goodness and psalm of Epraise to His
power.
A great many years ago, before the
foot Of civilization had pierced the i'm
penetrable forest north of the White
Mountains, and while the red Indian
roamed unmolested the hunting ground
of his fathers, William Reade emigrated
from Portsmouth to spare settlement
high up on what is now known as the
Saco river. Reade was poor man but
an ambitious one, and the wonderful sto-
ries which had reached him of the facil-
tiles for hunting and fishing afforded by
the wild regions round about the noun
tains had fired his brain with desire of
participation. Through thick forests
and across unbridged rivers, through
many dangers and much privatiop, he
brought his tenderly nurtured wife and
his little daughter Leila to rude log
cabin in the Wilderness. 1t was very
lonely and desolate there to the mother
and her child. The neighbors were all
too far off to be company, and the mo-
notony of settlers life was only brok-
en-, now and then, by visits from the
different tribes of Indians in the vicini-
ty, most of whom were upon terms of
friendship with the whites.
Among the Pequawkets was lad Of
about fifteen, who had been stolen, when
a mere child, from a settlement on Mas
sachusetts Bay. This boy was called by
his captors Wild Deer, on account of hi,
extraordinary agility, but his English
name was Marcus Wellman. Marcus
was uncommonly strong and daring fo
one of his years f.; his wild life had de
veloped his form and painted his cheeks
he was, withal, generous, frank, ant
handsome, and great favorite with tn
tribe which held him in bondage.
Marcus went often to the hut of MI
Reade, because there was something con
genial to the boys innate scnsibilitie
in the neat and orderly way in whic
that humble household was managed
Moreover, Marcus loved to listen to tn
childish prattle of the guileless Leila
and to witness the expression of wonde
which crept into her blue eyes when
poured out, for her amusement, some tai
9 of strange prowess and intrepid daring
The boy brought this girl friend man
:, presents of rare feathers, rich skins, an
gay wampum, and she priced these thing
very highly.
One day, when Pequawkets had bee
: on trading excursion for many week
Marcus Wellman suddenly appeared
> the house of the settler, bearing in h
> arms little snow-white lamb, presel
, y for Leila, which he had bought with I'll
fur of otters, of a settler far down {
:, the coast of the big lake. The lit
. girl was delighted, and promised Ma
Gus that the lamb, which was to be cal
= :, ed Snowflake, should never be killed
= sold as long as she lived
Time passed on, and autumn misplac,
the green feet Of summer, and empti
her golden glories upon the mounta
naples. Then there came down co
:, winds from the highland, and by al
~ ~ by the earth was wrapped in GOVERN
!. Of snow. Winter, sad and solemn, S,
: tied down upon the home of the hunt,
:, and Leila, with her lamb, no longer wa
! dered over the fragrant pastures up
- the hill-slope. But. after a while the
came great rain, warm from the hea
clouds, and the snow melted somewl
- from the cliffs, and left here and the
:, patches of blighted herbage and cri
y, grass.
1T One day, Snowflake, the pet Ian
us managed to elude the vigilance of
m mistress, and, frisking out of the hut,
,;s made his way to the meadows, where
had been wont to 60 with Leila. FIJI
ing no grass there, he climbed up I
es. mountains, and nibbled the dried lea,
IN and blades of grass which the rain
for barred.
'cn 10, 1t vas not long before Leila discov
~ ed the absence of her pet, and throw
'oi on her hood and crimson blanket,
7.' :. ran out upon the hill near by to S,
~ him. Snowflake was not to be Sc
ne however, and Leila, half frantic. ran
II L n