Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-02-24
Lost In the Dark.

Lost in the Dark.
8 ny NARY C. BAnrLrrr
2 Mamie was four, and she had a brothe
e who was six. They each thought they kne,
: great deal We shall see.
/ One evening when the children were goin
to bed, Mamie spied light in a little house
some distance off, across the prairie.
: looked 81 like cunning, little twinklng star
only yellow"
"Why, mammal" she exclaimed, earnestly
'somebodies have come TO live in that house =
Yes replied mamma.
Have some little girls come to live in it p
Yes girls and boys"
I" ] don't want the boys, replied Mamie
grayely. 4" want just only the girls. When
are we going to see them 2"
" Sometime wheh Dandy and Bessie are
ready"
&" I could walk, said Mamie. with tos,
OF her golden curls. " | could walk Just as
easy"
"It's too far Say your prayers now,
dear; mother must 70 down"
Mamie knelt at the side of the bed and
murmured her little petition . She could
never quite understand how God could see
and hear her so plainly, when she could never
see Him. She and Jimmie had many inter
esting discussions upon this important sub
Iect in which, usually each came off yicto-
rious.
She hardly thought Of God at all tonight,
however. As soon as mamma had gone with
her lamp little voice called softly, "Jimmie." &"
W-h-a-t drawled another voice.
Are you asleep? ?"
Couldn't we walk over to that other
house 2"
Yes couSe we could"
Mamie closed her blue eyes with a salts
fled air, and went to sleep.
The next day the children were very busy.
They had many private consultations, and
secret sessions" at which mamma won
dered greatly but thought it best not to no
tce.
AT tea-tine, papa spoke of the great union
temperance meeting which was to take place
that evening, at the Methodist church. al
think we ought to go, he said, decisivey
L" both of us
" ! don't see how can" replied mamma
don't like to leave the children with Ann.
She wouldn't get them TO bed before nine
o'clock"
Couldn't we put our own selves to bed 2"
asked Mamie, family
"Of course they could" replied papa.
Wen see who'll have nickel, to-mor-
row. Get ready as soon as YOU can, mother"
Jimmie and Mamie looked at each other
Under such tempting circumstances was it
not better, after all, to be good
They watched the buggy, as Bessie trotted
proudly off with it across the prairie. Bes-
sic was an especial favorite with the
children, because she seemed to love them so
much.
" DO you want nickel very bad, Mamie 2"
asked half-repentant Jimmie.
NO, replied Mamie, 4" got one."
Come ON, then, while Ann eats her sup
per-"
SO the two children started off. Shun.
ming the paths which much travel had made.
they plunged into the tall grass, taking, as
they supposed, nearer way to that other
house"
" We must get there before the boys 90 to
bed, said Jimmie, anxiously.
" ! don't want the girls to be gone to bed"
answered Mamie, with spirit.
" Take hold of my hand wen run"
They tried it, but the treacherous grass
kept tripping them up.
"lf this was all pulled up" said Mamie,
then We could go fast, couldn't we ?"
Jimmie made no reply, he was thinking.
Can't you speak anything ?" asked Nan
ME, pettishly.
" DO you see the house yet ?" inquired her
brother, anxiously.
"No--yes do; there's light The girls
will be gone to bed, Jimmie. Let's go faster
But they couldn't They went along ST.
lently for some time, until Mamie perceived
al at once that the friendly daylight was
almost gone.
"oh Jimmie" she exclaimed "its all
darkening upl'
81 know that"
"Why didn't you tell me ?"
"Cause didn't want TO-" replied jim
mie, calmly. "l'll tell You what well do"
he added, reassuringy; " III hold you up in
my arms and you see If you can see our
house"
"What for :"
"Oh, just for fun that's ALL"
To hold Mamie up in his arms was a hard
thing for the little fellow TO do, nor did it
add materially 10 the height of the little
lady, who declared in disappointed tone
that their house nor no other house wasn't
there that she could see just only some
little teenty lights"
Lets go back and find it," proposed
Jimmie.
And not 60 to that other house ?"
No"
"Well." Mamie grasped his offered hand.
We can find it easy enough, can't we,
Jimmie ?"
"Oh, yes; we'll go right straight back
where il is We can do that easy enough of
course"
They tried to retrace their steps, but af-
ter walking half an hour they seemed no
nearer than before.
"Why don't we find the path, Jimmie ?"
"Pr'aps we SHALL" replied Jimmie, tight
enng his grasp of his sisters hand
Mamie walked slowly along rubbing her
sleepy eyes. 1t was growing very dark and
she could not see where she was going; be
sides, in spite of all her efforts to be brave,
the troublesome drops would gather in her
blue eyes. Suddenly she stumbled and fell,
not ON the ground, but upon large, dark
object, which seemed to be alive.
Jimmie helped her up in trice. The
large object moved uneasily for moment,
then composed itself for another nap.
"What was that 2" whispered horror
stricken Mamie.
"Only a cow" replied Jimmie. II saw
'em over here before il was dark"
Mamie was not at all afraid of cows in the
day-timei but to stumble over them in the
dark night was quite another thing.
al wish we didn't go to that other house."
she said, half-sobbing; "couldn't you tell
the way home, Jimmie ?"
"No," answered Jimmie, brushing his fat
little hand across his eyes; 81 don't know
where il is"
"Then we've lost ourselves"
Jimmie was silent for a moment then a
comforting thought occurred to him.
we didn't say our prayers, Mamie" said
he. Pr'aps If we said our prayers God
would show us the WAY home. You ask Him."
81 don't know what TO say"
"Why, just tell him we want to 90 home"
So Mamie knelt down in the tall grass,
taking care not TO disturb the repose Of the
sleeping cows around her.
"Please, God, show us the way to our
house. Must say anything else, Jimmie?"
Nothing else but amen; that's ALL"
Mamie said "amen," and rose from her
knees Now we shall find it, sha'n't we,
Jimmie ?" said she, hopefully taking his
hand again.