Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-12-24


"Then you know all that any one in this
world need ever care to know" said.
1t may have been an hour, or two hours,
but 1t seemed but minute after this that
the boy shook me roughly by the shoulder.
1--WE are to get out here" he said.
l was very stiff In all my joints, but
could get up and climb out Of the stage,
and no more. If / was cold 1 did not
know it; my limbs were numb, yet other
wise was comfortable enough. crawled
out and followed the boy into a miserable
looking shanty by the road side, In front OF
which we had stopped. There was rough
bar running across the room; there was
thick, black-haired, brawny looking man
behind it, aud there were two or three kegs
of liquor behind him. There was an iron
stove in the middle Of the room, a bench
along the wall, and that was all. The boy
asked for some brandy, drank a glass OF II
after handing one to me which drank, and
felt so much better for drinking that call
ed for another and got II; but the boy re-
fused to take the glass offered him. 81
have had enough" he saidS
We were going out, when the landlord
opened the door before us. Looking out
into the storm, he asked incredulously:
"Are you going onH''
"Yes," said the boy, 81 was told to drive
this gentleman 10 Ilium tonight, and I'm
going to do it."
"If you get there at all, it will be night
sure enough" said the landlord.
az will get there all the same," WAS the
boys reply.
"Let us stop here tonight" said Eve
can go on in the morning"
81 would rather take you on, sir! Thore's
no danger. 1 can't put my horse up here,
and my master would kill me if anything
happened 10 him."
That decided me TO go on. Besides did
not care TO talk. 1 was beginning 10 feel
cold again standing in the wind, so we 20.
into the stage. 1t was not showing any
faster than before, simply because it could
not. But The roads were heavier, and when
we tried TO start The jaded horse baked
and struggled through the drift, for the
stage had frozen fast where it stopped.
1t was three o'clock now, the light in the
west growing DINNER aud DINNER; the
gloom OF the mountains and the woods
coming nearer TO US, making their mean
ing felt in our souls, filling mine with an
aw full dread of the snow-covered road be-
yond. Ten miles to go yet, the night COM
ing quickly on, the cold growing more in
tense, the road rougher, more precipitous,
the horse evidently giving outi But The
boy took up the lines, the bright, frank
smile upon his face, The CHEEKY word upon
his tongue. "Good-bye," he said, 10 the
man in the doorway.
The man stood for all instant in the door
way looking after us. "Good-bye," he said.
We went on along the road that from the
beginning of time 1t was ordained we were
to go. 1 crept back into my corner.
"Do not go to Sleep" the pleasant voice
warned me from the front.
Thank you" I replied, cheered and
warmed by its hearty glow. ~ will not go
to sleep"
Then followed long silence, in which
had views of the falling snow, the white
hills above us, the white hills still beloW
US, in which heard sounds from cresking,
Grooming branches, from the wind sweep
| ing savagely past us. Then unconquera-
BILE drowsiness, fast coming darkness-then
night.
1 felt a hand on my face, then on my
| shoulder, shaking me roughly; sweet
Gu eering voice in my ears, calling me back
10 life.
"If you go to sleep now, you won't wake
up again." 1t said.
woke with n sudden start, for an in
slant, to a full consciousness Of time and
place. l was not cold, only sleepy. 81 am
quite awake" replied. "Have We far tC
go7'
"Five miles," and the voice was still thu
same CHEEKY voice that ] had heard from
the first. He spoke TO me oflen amer that
then 1 saw him as in a dream, fixing
blanket that he had taken from The horse'i
back, 10 the hickory bows overhead, 4
keep the snow from driving in upon me
for was covered with it to my knees. Al
God is my judge, 1 did not then clearly
know what he was doing, or would hav,
stopped him. did not feel cold, though
knew afterwards that was then freezing
and did not think he was cold. did no
think at all. was far past that. had be
gun a longer Journey than 1 had starte'
upon.
In that longer journey l dreamed G
home, of the wondrous Christmas miracle
the lighted tree; Of the glad faces of chill
dren whose voices heard. heard one O
them repeat with startling distinctnes:
"We are lost" was conscious that th
child who said II had thrown herself int
my.arms, and was lying there dull, heav
weight. But aside from that cry it was 81
bright and pleasant-this real terribl
journey through the snow, over the rough
dangerous mountain road, in that faro
/, December. The dream lasted long while
through all that night, and the day follow
ing, and the night following that.
When 1 aWoke from it was in a larG
, room, which 1 had never seen befor
There were piles of the soilest blanket
upon me, there was great wood fire blai
iLg on the hearth, and had never felt &
, warm and comfortable in all my lif
There were two strangers in the room,
a man aud a woman, whose faces were kline
! ly ones, but sorely troubled. When sli
; red and they saw recognized them, the
came and stood by my bed.
7 "Where am II" asked OF them.
r "At Ilium, in the house OF the Methodi
4 minister"
a "How long have 1 been here"
7 "Since night before last. You came
, the stage, and the horse stopped before OF
T door," the man said.
"What day is thisH"
alt is Christmas day." the woman r
v piled, taking my hand in hers.
"I have been i'll, thenf"
o "Yesr'
d "There was a boy brought me her