St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-10-24

he has told me of the horror that ap.
palled him when he found me senseles.
and his baby gone. For three days he
was kept upon this terrible rack of slls,
pense, only when | regained conscious,
: ness to he plunged in deeper and NOR,
overwhelming grief.
For | refused to he comforted,
What endure life with this terrible
agony soaring into my brain, could
far better have resigned him to death
and the grave. might with Il 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 ticnd to imagine him in the
power of this monster, The thought
was uncomfortable. The sooner | WAS a
maniac the better.
They hunted for him far and wide,
sending hither and thither, upon this
trail and that. Charley remained by
my bedside torn with conflicting ag-
Ouy.
6 was q season of horror and despair.
: ,at': had elapsed, and l was sink
ing into rapid decline. Mamma was
on heT way out to me, but | felt she
would never see me alive. ! did strive
for Cha'ley's sake at this late hour to
live, but my health, already shattered.
had received terrible shock. Moth
ing but miracle could save me. lay
day after lay i'll an apathetic stupor.
from which they feared to arouse me
lest it should turn to frenzy.
Let me see if | can recall that soft
beautiful cvent'dc; the very air was
laden with balm and healing. \ gen
tie wind stirred the broad leaves of Il
gourd vine had planted in the early
spring.
An overwhelming sense of my un-
wOrtlincsS assailcd me. 1t seemed as
if the Spirit of God had touched my
heart and filled it with Il premonition
of something sweet and holy and infin-
itcly merciful. If were indeed destin-
ed to die then and there. could at
least he perhaps forgiven. '.Charley." :"
| said. striving to reach his bowed and
grief-stricken head Charley. have
been IA wicked. hardened, rehcllious
creature. | have sinncd against God
and against you. have dared to doubt
His wisdom and mercy. Charley, the
good God has taken care of our little
one; somewhere his little bones lie
bleaching; hut dearest and best. our
baby is with the blessed saviour"
And you will live ?" said Charley
imploringly.
AN, love-" | answered. that |
think. is impossible"
He bent his head again and IL strong
tremoI shook his frame.
suddenly thought | heard faint
football. 1t was like the ghost of van
iShcd memory. hut il stirred Il host of
emotions about my heart. The string
was pulled. the latch moved. Yes. it
WAS. indeed. oh. it ,rds my pretty. sad,
Young Indian Squaw. Her blanket.
drtier than ever. hung loosely about
her; in jhr pouch at her back nestled
her halN. She glidcd in her old noise
less WAY /" her familiar nook 10y the
fire. looking upon me with Il singular,
Wild ycarning.
'Chickaniimny. papoosey. shake
said the plaintivc. musical voice.
| burst into il torrent "f mcrcitul
tcHlS. For the first time the fountains
of my heart were unScalcd. | stretch
ed forth Ia her my hands.
"\laS. poor mother" | said. Il am
. all unable to help Nour baby now: but
give him t" me. All babies seem near
and dear to me now.
She said again. sadly and trembling
/ ly. "Chirkaminny, papo0Sey, shake,
and took from the pouch in the blanket
Il child: Il child, sadly thin and hunger
stricken, and oppressed with dirty
SwathcS OF un>aVnry linen: hut his ewes
were large and beautiful. and his hair
shnnc golden i'll the light of he setting
sun. and his mouth was like that of the.
Young god of love. The sight of him
sent such a tide of joy to my heart that
! gaspcd for breath. and thought it must
/ end in death: hut ! got him in my
arms. hugged him to my htart-mv
and gracious God in heaven. he wis
mine again, He was i'll, and she had
brought him to me tn cure, the poor.
pretty. gentle savage, We doctorcd
each other. my boy and |, with the great
medicine of love.
Charley washed him from head to
foot, and hadc him 90 to the big we'd
ding trunk for his little toilet. his dear
| little embroidered gowns that never
thought would be disturbed again.
| Then. strong with the dclirium of hap
pinc>s. flew from my bed: got down
on my knees and embraced the feet of
that Indian woman. Charley took the
watch out of his pocket. motioning to
her to hear it tick, and placed ii in her
hand, all the time raining tears down
Oh her coarse black hair | gave her
the very orange blossoms | was married
in, and IL pretty pearl necklace all in
| liligree of gold.
She remained in her old gentle digni-
| ty, quite silent and calm, then glided to
the door. ''Iou will come again to-
morrow 2 | said, ycarningly stretching
out to her my happy hands. Her lips
quivsred family; she looked ut lis all,
baby, Charley, and me. then went away
quickly, without il gesture or mulmur
vanished into the soft. black, infinite
night.
''She will come again tomorrow"
said, turning to my baby.
''Fll get her the handsomest blanket
her big eyes ever saw" said Charley.
''lf she was a tritle clean, she wouldn't
he bad-loOking woman -
But although more treasures awaited
her than any Indian pony could carry,
she never came again.
God knows the mystery or the sequel
of it all. We only waited for mamma
to come, and for baby and myself to get
strong, then we went back to my old
home i'll the East. had many little
babies after that, but never one quite
Malcolm. Charley made fortune, and
still goes to and fro. West and East.
The railroad makes it handy, suppose,
but | never had any desire to travel.
Oh yes, l was going to say something
about the Indian question. Well. |
certainly think those great fiendish In
! dian monsters shoulI ha punisb.d but