Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-02-06
LOST.

IA. Willie was hardly four years old;
and When once he was few rods away
from Che barn, off on the plain of monot-
OnouB, yellow stubble, he could not tell
where he was, and could not detect the
deceptive nature of the sound and its
echo. He could see nothing; whichever
way he looked, wherever he walked, there
were the same reverberations; and the
same narrow dome of watery gray was
everywhere shutting close down around
him. AS he followed the mutfied sound,
in his efforts to get back to the barn, 1t
seemed to retreat from him, and he ran
faster to overtake it. He ran on and on,
and 30 was lost.
That night and the next day few
neighbors, gathered from the adjoining
deed about the fields and the margin of
the woods, but found no trace of the lost
child. 1t became apparent that ageneral
search must be made
The fog had cleared away on the sec
cad morning after Willie was lost, as
ab01ta hundred woodsmen and farmers
and hunters, gathered from the farms and
forest and settlement near by called
Whisky Hollow, stood and sat in gro
tesque groups around the little farm
house and barn, waiting the grand organ
1zatiOn into line, preparatory to sweeping
the woods and finding Willie.
During all the hours of the two previ-
Ous nights, the lanterns and torches had
been flashing in and out behind the logs
and brush Of the fallows; and the patch
e Of snow, that fingered in spite of the
April rains, gave evidence that every foot
Of the adjacent clearing had been tram
pied over in the search. But these men
were not yet satisfied that the search
about the farm had been thorough.
Sanding by the house, they could see the
6eldof the nights work-the level stub
Bile q the grain-lot, and the broad, irreg
ulAt allow used as pasture and filled
with humps and logs and brush. Here
and there could be seen men still busy
p01fng sticks under the logs and working
around bog holes in the low ground.
You zee it stands to reason" said Jim,
addressing group by the house, "that a
little chap less than four years old could
not get out of this clearing into the
woods"
white haired patriarch remarked
with great confidence and solemnity,
The boy is within half a mile of the
house, and if | can have command of six
men will find him." The patriarch
continued to press his suggestion until he
secured his company and started off, feel
Ing that he carried a great weight of re-
sp0noability. He joined the og-pokers
and bog explorers, but nothing came of
his rich.
The morning was wearing away; the
men, gathered from a great distance,
were impatient of the delay to organize
the Lire.
WiHie had been out nearly forty eight
no haf ha "A no
yOud lie stubblefield into the forest,
neax1yhal a mile from the house? If he
AAd mayed to cross the brook at the
edge % the woods, he had the vast Adj
1ondeck Wilderness before him. 1t was
time 10 search thoroughly and upon a
hx9o Gale, if the boy was to be found
But reason for delay was whispered
ArO6nd-the fOrtune-woman was coming.
Boon rough tarm-wagon came up the
road and through the yard gate and stop
ped in front of the door of the farm house
There was hush of voices and a rever-
ent look upon the part ofsome of the men,
and q snicker and digging of the neigh
bOrs' ribs upon the part of others, as
large, featured woman was helped
out OF the wagon by the driver of the,
team
40k0 kcu1dIe WAS luc ldUlOuS fortune
woman. Some of these jewellers on the
edge a the wilderness were no better
than the classic Greek and noble Roman
OF anc3ent times, for they believed in
divinat1on.
The fortune woman went into the house
Wherethe mother of Willie sat, crying
The nm crowded the room and windows
ana oQQr. Some of the men looked sol
emu, ono jeered. Out at the door Josh
0xpseMed apologetically that, 'inasmuch
- soma thinks as how she can tell, and
soma INKS as how she can't, so if were
sno1tns better for to go and fetch her, so
- IA might satisfactory themselves,
ana nult found, and everything done
Tor tsallttle bow"
1870 brief @ance with the teacup in
up the hollow with her teacup, ex-
Po.1ang to find the child About
na4 81 ne men struggled after her Jim
0ecst TO the group that fingered at the
no1sNNnt he would sell out and leave, if
tho 1e crowd disgraced the town by
foaI0N after that "old e-devil."
a1Fanger coming upon the field at
tnis -. the scene was curious and pic
IufesqQ and some of it unaccountable
In INC aground was vast descending
Plaln 81 evergreen forest, sloping away
from the Adirondack highlands to the
dlm daatance of the st. Lawrence Valley,
where could be seen the white. thread
nKe Mno OF the great river, and still be-
yOnd the canada woods melting away to
meaSufeless distance of airy blue. In
the foreground was vulgar old woman
WAddlin1 along and snatching here and
there teacup full of water from the pud-
dies formed by the melting snow; and
nifty vigorous men in awe-struck attitudes
N9F 4zing at her, and when she moved
ollow wed after.
as this grotesque performance
it had in it touch of the old
- Aish grandeur belonging to the an
81 Qperstitions The same strange
at through all TIME has shone
man faces as souls reach after
~ ~ u Infinite unknown shone from
- = OF some of these men. There
wsssaszsa vlsages among them. Burly
g hunter with dark, poetic ewes
ave been match for handsome
g. meas or the heroes of Hellas, who
s:esz 1871 the hight of birds and believed
@@z0rtune-woman at Delphos.
z8 the simple faith of these modern
y pers was not rewarded: after the
- - pattern, the oracle gave ambiguous
IcpQnses. The old woman proclaimed.
J. ita her eyes swapping venomously, that
bnono was "a big black haste standin'
Oyor the sWate child" She announced.
aE1A swing Of her right arm extending