St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-07-11

PRESENTLY, starting up, he exclaimed
III haven't stayed till plum daylight y
"Oh, John. come and kiss baby afort
you go, he looks so sweet. Sammy
Sammy! wake up, honey, and kiss
! pappy."
Bless his sleepy eyes! Pappy's little
man I'll bring him some candy when
| come home again.
All day Nancy went about with such
a light, CHEEKY heart as she had not
carried i'll her bosom for many dav
singing snatches of old hymns, and
thinking happy, hopeful thoughts OF
him who, all those long hours, was
working his rudder against the strong
current of the Missouri.
That evening the stars shone brightly
down upon her, when she knelt by the
little window, and asked Gods blessing
on her husband and his good resolu-
tiOns.
But she was awakened, a few hours
afterward. by Il rush and confusion, Il
shower of glass and hail across her bed :
and catching her baby in her arms. she
sprang up, frightened and bewildered.
1t was a terrible storm; one long to be
remembered by all who felt its terrOrs.
The deatcning roar of the wind and hail
almost drowned the loud thunder clans.
\ binding flash of lightning showed
the trees almost bent to the ground.
and the house rocked to and fro like n
cradle. She suddenly felt new, strange
feeling. as if she was flying. floating.
through the air. She thought that she
was dizzy, and caught hold of the bed
y terrible craSh-She never knew how
it all happened. Her baby's cries
aroused her. The wind and rain chilled
her through. She started to spring up.
but something held her down. A shock
of pain darted over her, and putting
out her hand, she felt great beam
lying heavily across her limbs. 1t
seemed as though it was crushing her.
Something struck her. then another.
and another How they stung. oh /.
was her child unshcltered from that
pltIlcSs storm His screams grew loud
er. oh. she must reach him, She
could see nothing through the thick
darkness, but she knew that he was not
far off. What if he. too, was fastened.
crippled? She stretched her arms :;
every movement made her pain more
cNcruciating. She strained every nerve ::
she could almost reach him. What if
he WAS free and could come to her 7
'!Oh. Sammy, Sammy she called.
''comc to NANNY" The child ceased
CRYING. She heard him move. His
warm body touched her hands that were
cropping i'll the darkness She caught
him in her arms and hugged him to her
breast. She felt of his head. his arms.
his feet: sound and whole. How thank
tlll she was for that. But how those
cruel hall>toncS must have bruised him.
She rested him on the ground and
crouchcd over him: she could move
Just enough for that. The frightened
child ceased crying. and put his arms
about her neck. If she could only find
something to cover them from the storm.
She reached around. but could touch
only cold mud.
Oh. that terrible pain She had al
most forgotten it III her anxiety for her
child. 1t grew more and more intoler-
able. 1t seemed as though the hail
stones , ,1ss struck s.. through into her hr.iE" lie
afraid To die Visions of eternity, of
the heaven of her faith. rose before her.
Should she dwell with God and the an
| gels forever. Was it possible that
there would never he any end! No.
she was not afraid of death. But her
child, her husband how could she
leave them? Not yet, No. no. when
life opened before her. She must live
to help John keep his promise God
would spare her for that How long it
would he until morning. How could
she bear the pain so long? Oh! it
would he terrible if John should come
and find her lying there. cold and stiff.
] la n al II bnr
had loved her So long. 1t seemed 50
many years since he first told her that
he loved her: it was on the mountain
side. in dear old Tennessee How far
away it seemed. How dreamy and he
wiIdcred her thoughts were. How still
the baby was. Yes. she could feel his
heart beat. She no longer felt the pelt-
ing of the storm had it ceased
Her Thought was answered by Il rush
of wind from Il new direction. She felt
the great weight lifting off from her
She was free. Then something struck
her
The train went snorting into Win
throp just at daylight John jumped
off, and was the first to reach the ferry.
He had never seen Atchison so quiet
With the exception of those who had
riScrs who were hurrying up the street =.
thc town seemed asleep; but as he
passed Commercial street. he saw man
who was riding Il mule, coming down
i'll great haste, who cried out, .How
d'y John y
"Why, jake" he replied, ..is that
You ! | allowed you was half way to
Denver aforc now"
1--WE started yesterday, hut we had a
powerful storm on the prairie out here,
last night. We Glanced to be right
near to Il house and they let us in; but
it sent our old wagons rolling over and
over across the prairie, like patch of
tumhle-weeds, and our oxen all STAN
peded; I'm Oh the hunt of EN-"
at don't look like it had reached
Atchison."
"No, | reckon it just took streak
John hurried on down the river. The
} road ran SO near the bank that the
steady swash of the water seemed un-
der his feet The birds were singing
in the trees, and the sunshine came
creeping down the bluffs overhead.
How eager he was to get home that
morning. His heart was full of new
plans and purposes. He could keep his
promise, and he would he would never
make Nancy's heart ache again, by
breaking that promise. He stopped
suddenly-had the storm reached Sum-
ner? The tall buildings along the
wharf were leaning roOfiess, one this
way, another that; as if the wind, COM
ing over the bluffs, had reached lust
low enough to unroOf them. He has
tened around the foot of the hill there