Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1874-04-04

FOR DEAR LIFE.

C New Years eve some thirty wears oco
: and we were keeping it right merriiv
a at the old manor, house of Stor Aswan,
] the home of my childhood, as it had
been that of my forefathers for many
5 generations. The p~leasantest spot in
2 all the world, L thought, and still think,
mat quaint Norwegian homestead. with
ITS buff walls and birchbark roof, which
succeeding summers had rendered YER
dant with an evergreen thatch of moss
and llchens, Just now, however, this
was not visible, for snow lay thickly
T npon it, as it had laid for weeks pasf,
not only there, but upon all the country
round.
1t was the hardest winter there had
been for fifty years-so the old folks
said-and they foretold Its continuance
for some weeks longer.
All this, however, did not affect any
OF our party, who were all Morse men
and maidens born, used to the cold,
full of health and spirits. I, Ella
Bleorn, daughter of the house, was the
widest of that mad circle who had as
sembled at Stor Aswan that Christmas
tide to do honor to my betrothal to Erie
Jarl, the lover of my youth, ere long to
be my husband. As soon as the birch
trees put forth their first green ~tassels,
IN the early springtime, | was to leave
my old home for a new one so now.
surrounded by kinsfolk and neignbors,
we were keeping this last anniversary of
my slsterhood in goodly fashion.
80 IN dancing, f~easting and merry
making the week sped, until u few hours
more would see us all scattered in vari-
GUS directions, to meet again we knew
not when and where. For the last day.
therefore, we had reserved the CHIEF
pleasure, the browning point of all our
enloyment-a sleighing and skating
party to Stor Aswan, a mountain.en-
clrcled lake some ten miles further
north, the same IRON which our home
stead derived its quaint Runic name.
This was to be O1r vail or greeting to
the New Year-our welcome to the in
coming guest.
Brightly daHned the oventfuI morn
ing, clear as ones heart could desire.
Blue was the sky as sapphire, whilst the !
ireshly-fallen II sparkled and shone {
as though strewn with living gems. All a
nature seemed rejoicing like ourselves I
at the advent of another year, and one c
already so full Of promise. Without. u
the sleigh bells tinkled and chimed Il
merrily, making the frosty air ring again c
the gayly caparisoned horses paved q
ami shook their heads, impatient as X
their owner to be off. At length we Ct
started, Eric and I as hosts being the c.
asst of the party for of course he was CO
ny charioteer. CO
OF that day I shall not speak we at
all young and in wild spirits, and IL
'ome of us in love. I, blue-eved. gold. y'
n-haired Ella Bieorn, was the acknowl- W
dyed belle and queen of the party, sa
nd Eric, my lover, the most stalwart III
.outh. OF the countryside. But all IN
even the p~leasantest, must come WI
o an end. So when the shades of even to
ng began to fall heavily, merging earth,
ky, and water into one gray leaden
loud, we began our journey home
Yards. Tired out with my exertions, in
S soon as we started | nestled down an
mongst the soft furs in the sleigh, and II,
ocked by its easy motion, soon fell fast II,
How long | slept | know not, We
mt when | awoke it was showing fast. co,
nd the darkness so intense that we Sr
onld not see n hands breadth'beiore us 0o
j called to Eric, who was driving. and 00
sked if all was well. To which the an. fo,
wer came back, half deadened by the w,
mex atmosphere, CAN we'll, but for M
sake try to keep awake" nj,
SO | aroused myself and sat up, know IN,
that sleep in that bitter night air Il,
hight mean death. OF any other fear 2tI
had no thought, when suddenly | sf
card another sound come up with the ~,
linda ong.drawnhollo moan. Twice no,
r thrice it came at intervals, this weird ~
olse, each time nearer and more dis.
met. The third time the ponies also FRI
card it, for they sprang forward with II,
II impetus that almost shook Inc out ba
{ the carriage. frightened, I said to tn
lric, "What, oh what is this ?" And ex
he answer came back, short and stern, ow
The Salten wolves - me
Then began that terrible chase "for Gu
ear life which, though we should I'll
9th live Tor twice our allotted s an. an
re could never forget. Swiftly we sped du
long, our steeds impelled by a terror wi
S great as our own, until they appeared re.
lmost to fly. Breathlessly we heark. str
ned, hoping even yet to leave the enc is
~ behind. Butno, they travelled with en-
s, gained upon us, nearer and vet near egI
Their cry growing perceptibly from hi
n uncertain vague voice of the dark is
into the Enthusiastically wolf-like ste
ote. We knew from the direction from Wit
hence it came that they were tracking thi
s by scent; so now our last poor chance vi
~ IN the darkness Of the night and orr fin
to Stor Aswan. Eric still held
le reins, and I covered down at the
1ttom of the sleigh, and prayed more %o
than [ had ever yet done in loo
y life "for an increase of the snow -
or aught, even q miracle, if it a
light only save u.s." ~
On and on, for a time that seemed in m
rminable, yet might in truth have UU
but a few moments. Then the
orm ceased, the moor emerged from
II shelter, and we saw half a mile in As
If rear a dark line coming swiftly and m
down upon us. In the middle l.
a white plain, with no nook or cor '
II visible wherein we could take re-
ge, and still nearly a leagno from
our case looked hopeless enough.
II pursuers seemed to think, as
ely now caught sight of us for the =
time, and lifting their black muz-
rs from the ground gave vent to a tn
wi of savage exultation. / could >.
We screamed, too, when I heard it, and
: fright was driving me half wild: it 1-nH
IS 50 unutterably horrible to perish
us. But Il glance at Eric, so calm and
gave me new courage. I felt No.
at, come what might, we should at 81
lst die together. b AlIe
Faster and faster we flew, like hunted Lun
death behind us coming on s sed
few yards more and he would and
i'm us for his own. Already I could ffei
the rapid breathing of our foes, b p9t
, their fierce eyes and white teeth. 70 b.
and cleaning in the moon, am
ht. Prompted by Eric, 1 threw out
} bearskin rug which protected me w
the cold For a moment they sum
used, smelt at it, then on with fresh