Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-10-31

Looking with inefIabe scorn upon tho
food prepared for him. and laying one
strong finger on his brawny breast, he said
again, with fierce dignity,
ugh Big Injn mer'
He strobe forward. Malcolm screamed
and put out his little hand TO me. 1 fell at
the monsters feet. I implored, begged
of him with streaming eyes. besought
him to think how unworthy thing II was
for great chieftain, the head, no doubt, of
powerful nation, 10 torture poor help
less woman. I implored him to wait till
my husband should come and all the treas
ures conceivable of blankets in livellest
colors, OF beads as glittering as his own
dreadful eyes, of trinkets as gaudy as they
were worthless, should be laid at the mon
ster's feet.
For moment he paused and laid his
hand heavily upon the weapon in his belt.
But the thought of Draining me then and
there seemed too mercful. He kicked me
brutally aside, and trailing his filthy blank
ct over my half unconscious vision, strobe
away, taking with him my little baby. 1
looked with terrible fascination upon the
powerful strides that widened the space be-
tween us, till away in the distance he leap
ed upon his pony and disappeared in a
cloud of dust.
Then I became mercifully oblivious of
every thing. fell prone in the dust at my
doorway, and remained there till Charley
came.
He has told me of the horror that appal-
cd him when he found me senseless and
the baby gone. For three days he was kept
upon this terrible rack of suspense, only
when regained consciousness to be plung-
cd in deeper and more overwhelming
grief.
For / refused 10 be comforted!
What endure life with this terrible agony
soaring into my brain! 1 could far better
have resigned him TO death and the grave.
might with bursting heart have given
him into the arms of the gracious and
bountiful Saviour; but to think of him as
the prey of this swarthy fiend to imagine
him in the power of this monster! The
thought was unehdurable. The sooner 1
L was a maniac the better.
They hunted for him far and wide, send
ing hither and thither, upon this trail and
that. Charley remained by my bedside
torn with conflicting agony.
1t was season of horror and despair. A
month elapsed, and I was sinking into a
rapid decline. Mamma was on her way
out to me, but I felt she would never see
me alive. did strive for Charley's sake
at this late hour to live, but my health, al
ready shattered. had received terrible
shock. Nothing but miracle could save
me. 1 lay day after day in an apathetic
stupor from which they feared to arouse
me lest it should turn to frenzy.
Lot mo COO ir -s~-ii tiIatsuit Deau-
tiful eventide the very air was laden with
balm and healing. A gentle wind stirred
the broad leaves of a gourd vine I had
planted in the early spring.
An overwhelming sense of my unworth-
iness assailed me. It seemed as if the Spir-
it Of God had touched my heart and filled
it with premoniton of something sweet
and holy and infinitely morciful. If I were
indeed destined to die then and there, ]
could at least he perhaps forgiven. "Char.
ley" I said, striving to reach his bowed
and grief-stricken' head-"Charley, the
good God has taken care of our little one
somewhere his little bones lie bleaching
blessed Saviour"
"And You will liver" said Charley, i'm
ploringly.
"Ah, love-" answered, "that, think, /.
impossible"
He bent his head again and a strong tire.
NOR shook his frame.
Suddenly I thought heard faint foot
fall. 1t was like the ghost of vanished
memory, but 1t stirred host of emotions
about my heart. The stringIwas pulled
the latch moved. Yes, it was, indeed, oh,
| 1t was my pretty sad young Indian squaw
Her blanket, dirtier than ever, hung loose
| ly about her; in the pouch at her bach
nestled her baby. She glided in her ole
noiseless way TO her familiar nook by th,
fire, looking upon me with a singular wlt
yearnng.
"Chickaminny, papoosey, shake" sale
the plaintive musical voice.
l burst into a torrent of merciful tears
For the first time the fountains of my hear
were unsealed. stretched forth to her IN,
hands.
"Alas, poor motherr' l said, ~ am al
unable to help your baby now but Civ
him to me. All babies seem near and dea
to me now.'
She said again, sadly and tremblingly
"Chickaminny, papoosey, shake" an,
took from the pouch in the blanket child
sadly thin and hunger-stricken, and op
pressed with dirty swathes of unsavor.
linen; but his eyes were large and beauti
ful, and his hair shone golden in the ligh
of the evening sun, and his mouth wa
like that of the young god OF love. Th
sight of him sent such a thrill OF joy to m
heart that gasped for breath, and though
it must end in death but got him in m
arms. hugged him to my heart-my boy
my Malcolml Thanks to the good an
gracious God in heaven, he was min
again! He was ill., and she had brough
him TO me TO cure, the poor, pretty, gentl
savagei We doctored each other my bo
and /, with the great medicine of love.
Charley washed him from head to foo
and bade him go 10 the big weddin
trunk for his little toilet his dear little EN-
bl oidered gown that never thought woul
be disturbed again. Then, strong with tn
delirium of happiness, flew from my bee
got down on my knees and embraced tn
feet of that Indian woman. Charley too
the watch out of his pocket, motioning t
her to hear 1t tick, and placed 1t in he
hand, all the timo raining down tears o
her coarse black hair. gave her the yer
orange blossoms 1 was married in, and
pretty pearl necklace all in tiigree of golc
She remained in her old gentle dignity
quite silent and calm, and then glided I
the door. "You will come again to-mol