Connecticut western news., 1874-12-11

"1 had curious feeling come over me lust'now It seemed as if the little one was calling me, and I must go now we are going I am all right again. ] suppose it was nothing but fancy"
 It was still quite light when we ar- rived at the boarding house. What was our consternation to be met at the door by Ellen, the table girl, with the news that Baby was missing. Baby couldn't be found anywhere, and her ma had gone into fainting- fts.''
 Harry turned as white as ghost, but his habitual composure did not desert him. He walked hastily into the house to learn the particulars, not daring to trust himself yet in his wife's pres ence.
 "The little thing came down here, not long ago, said Mrs. White, the landlady, whose ruddy color had all disappeared, "with 1iddy's old sun bonnet on, and when I asked her where she was going
 'Baby's going up mountains, to tic
 "'It's nice long walk you'll have, my little lady, said I, humoring her, for you know she often pretends ill play to be going on long journeys, and I never dreamed it was in the child's head to attempt such thing and"- "What time was that ?" asked Harry.
 "Well, 'twant much past three I should think"
 Three hours," said Harry, his lips whitening, and he looked slowly round. Where's Ponto ?" he asked, mo- ment after.
 "Mr. White lent him to Dr. Le Roy, over the bridge. He went to the pond, today"
 There was another silence that seemed minutes, but was scarcely second.
 If we only had Pontor' said Har- ry; but we must do without him."
 "There's the doctor P said voice as slender, sunburnt man entered.
 "Did Ponto come home ?" asked the doctor. "I lost him don't know which way he went, either; neither whistle or gun would bring him back"
 As soon, as he heard how matters stood, he volunteered to join in the search for Baby, for it is needless to say all the men about the house had been hunting for an hour.
 So we organized party, with lamps and fireworks, which Fred Vincent, one of the boarders, had brought with him from the city.
 After Harry had said few soothing words to his wife, who was in very deli cate health, we all set out, hoping every moment to hear the familiar bark of Ponto. Which way to go was hard to determine, but we kept in the road for some time, each man going off on a separate trail wherever there were paths, guided back by some signal of shout or rocket.
 An, sir, what night that was Can you imagine it? In the midst of ravines, precipices, mighty boulders, from whose surface 8 fall would have been certain death to child, we groped our way, surrounded by the chill and gloom of mountain atmosphere, amidst danger on every hand. Now and then we sent up into the darkness stream of fire that showed us Assures at our feet, and mass upon mass of drowning, threatening rocks; some times we slipped on the wet stones, catching at rough, shaggy projections to save ourselves from falling; shout ing, suffering both mental and physical tortures, seeingin every cleft the vision of the dear little child, seeing also the white, set face of the father, whose babe was his earthly idol.
 At times we thought we heard cries, or some form that seemed human was seen, then all would be silent again.
 We looked at our watches. Two hours had been spent in fruit less search,
 Gould the baby feet have wandered so far? We paused moment to con- sider. She must have given out with weariness before this, provided she had not fallen down some jagged open ing that had proved a grave to her ten der body.
 With what trembling hands we re- connoitered each chasm. How we shuddered, as now and then one of the darkling depths defed our scrutiny, and kept the secret of it's charge with gloomy fidelity.
 "She couldn't have come so far," said the father at last, with broken voice; "we shall find her nearer home."
 He, at least, had not given up hope, but the rest of us had. Suddenly-and I shall not forget the thrill of that moment, to my dying day-we heard the faint bark of dog. his face, by the pale light of our lan- terms, seemed almost glorifed.
 The dog was some distance behind us, and in a direction to the left, or easterly we had been going west. Of course we turned immediately, every heart beating high, for as Ponto had left the doctor, guided, perhaps, by some mysterious intelligence, might he not have found the missing child?
 With careful steps we turned and re- traced the way. A dark shape, high up on boulder, his form just seen against the gray mists, disclosed by our lights, showed us Ponto, wagging his huge tail, and looking for all the world as if God had put human soul under his eyes.
 He came down to us at once, and, without word, began scrambling among the loose rocks. We followed, sure that we should see the little living form of Baby, or the cold and mangled | remains which?
 {" I wish she would cry," said Harry, in low voice, and knew of what he | was thinking.
 We'll, at last wes found her, and as always, she was making 8 picture of i herself, though fast asleep. The great dusty sun-bonnet, with which she had equipped herself for the journey, lay spread out all over the rock, attached | by one string to Baby's sweet, dimpled | hand. The curls streamed like rays of glory from her fair head and face, as the light of the lantern fell upon her.
 Harry seemed all at once to lose strength, and down he fell upon his knees. It is curious fact that though am his brother, I never remember seeing him shed tears before. We 1oI Is u4 o4