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


aiose shiverlng from the dreary break
fast, and hunted up the landlord Of the inn.
He was easily found, and was no better or
warmer looking man than his accommoda-
tions promised him TO be. 1 paid his ex-
travagant charges, and then informed him
that wished to reach as quickly as possi-
BILE the nearest railroad station, and TO take
the first train for the east.
"The nearest station is at Ilum; Ilium
is twenty-five miles distant; You cannot
get there before night, If at all. think
you won't get there at ALL"
All this was spoken relectively, and with
deliboration.
"If can get there by ten o'clock to-
night. can make the eastern expressf
"You can, but 1 doubt II you can get
there at ALL"
"Wby7" asked.
lie was not a man TO waste words. He
only said;
1.-THE stage won't go on account OF the
Storm
care you sure of thatP" ventured to
ask.
"Quite sure" and he closed his lips with
a
"Who owUs the sIageH"
II do" he replied. "Aud 1 won't let it
go, because the road lies over that noun
tain yonder; ii runs close TO the edges Of
precipices several hundred feet high, 1t is
rough and slippery, the snow is deep now,
and getting deeper every minute, and
don't believe any horse could pull through
| it,"
thought of the little children waiting
for me youder; Of 'helr bitter disappoint-
ment If did not come. Then 1 said: "I
am very anxious TO go, and 1 am willing TO
pay well for being taken"
The landlord leaning over the bar asked :
GLOW much7"
told him what was willing to pay.
"Ill go and get the stage ready" lie said.
Alter all it was only the higher price he
had been waiting for.
In five minutes the Stage was at the door.
1t was an ordinary box wagon on good
strong springs, having cotton cover, open
| in 'front.' The horse was a half-starved,
jaded-looking beast. / took all this in as
stood on the porch waiting for the driver.
Ceiling impatient at last, l asked:
"Where is the driver?"
The landlord, without speaking, pointed
10 an i'll clad boy standing at the horses
head. l looked closely at him. He might
be, thought, fifteen years old, or he might
not be more than ten. His eyes were clear
blue, and he, hearing my question, turned
them full upon mine, a frank, boyish smile
rebuking the distrust my words implied,
and lighting up every feature OF his deli
cate face. His complexion was like that of
girl, his mouth small and tender, his hair
yellow, his figure slight and sinuous.
looked ut him, standing there shiver-
ing in The cold, out through the driving
storm, along the snow. covered mountain
road we were 10 travel together, and asked {:
"Are you not afraid TO goH"
The landlord interrupted:
at don't matter if he is afraid. He be-
longs to me. He shall co."
"No," said "he shall not go, IL he is
not quite willing"
~ am not at all afraid" the boy replied,
"and am quite willing to go. have gone,
often aud oflen, through worse storms than
this"
There was an earnest, manly grace even
|
from his tattered cap, and in his voice there
was such a hearty, CHEEKY ring, that from
that moment loved and trusted the boy.
jumped into the stage, took the back
seat, drew my great frieze coat close about
my legs, and We drove Off from among the
gaping, sooty crowd of miners into the
lonely mountain road; into the cruelesi
storm OF wind and snow that ever saw.
The boy sat on the front seat, waiting IA
be spoken TO, looking straight ahead.
When we were quite clear OF the strag-
Cling huts OF the miners on the outermost
limits of the town, ! asked him his name.
"They call me Lewis Shivley," he said.
"How old are you, Lewis7" was my mex
question.
Fourteen next April, sir"
"Do you live at home, with your fathel
and mOtherH"
"That man yonder is all the father o.
mother l have, and his stable loft is the on
; ly home 1 have had since he took me from
3 the poor-house. That was better than tn,
: stable though, for they taught me some
: thing there"
There were no complaining chords in th
|
and while he was speaking he was drawing
the long whip gently across the horse
|, back, brushing of the snow that had falIel
i on it.
5 "Have you been driving on this roa'
long?" 1 inquired.
1 "Going on three years. 1t will be thre
i years in March,"
= sis it cold out thereH Colder than i
It here, mean"
4 ~ think it is" he replied ''the wind an
II snow cut so, but don't mind 1t, sir w
d get used to rough weather up in these bills.
It ~ wish you would come in here; IN
y coat will cover us both"
n "No, can't" he said. al must watc
i the road now. We have 10 so pretty clos
d to the precipices sometimes"
= "How close" 1 asked.
@ "Within q few inches. 1 can't see mo-
= five yards ahead, the snow falls so heavily.
l. "Do you think it safe, then, to go onf"
d "Quite safe, sirI and don't mind th
i cold" But his teeth chattered as he sal
a II, aud the ruby glow was all gone from b
1t cheeks.
rs did not talk more then. There were,
10 discovered, wide cracks in the bottom
,r the stage, through which the wind poure
=, mercilessly. was chilled through to Il
y. heart in less than an hour after starting.
f. do not know how far we had gone, or no
lt long we had been upon the road, when
m heard the boys voice, CHEEKY and brigh
" asking:
1 allow are you now, sirH Feeling prett
$, comfortable, sir -
es nodded my head, and crept closer in
"a the corner. But he was wiser than /, an