The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1875-02-04

Sow, and getting deeper every minute
aud | dou believe any horse could paa
through ii.
! thought of tbo Hulc children waiting
youaer; Of their bitter disappointment ID
! did not come. Then said lam very
anxious 10 90, and sm willing to pay
well t5F being taken.
The landlord leaning ever ne bar ask.
ed:
How muchf
I told him how much ] was willing tc
pay.
lH 60 aud get ihe Stage ready, be said.
After oil Sc was only the higher price be
had been waiting for
Ia five minutes the stage was at the
door, IL was AN Ordinary bog wagon on
good strong springs, having q cotton
cover. open iu front, The horse was a
hali-starved jaded.lo0kiug beast took
all tlis in IS I stood on the porch waiting
for tbe driver. Getting impatient at fast,
asked:
Whcre IL the driyerf
The landlord, without speaking, point
ed 10 au ilI-clnd boy standing at the
horses head. looked closely at him.--
He might be, thought, fifteen years Old,
or he mightnol be more than ten, Eli,
eyes. were clear blue, aud he, hearing my
question, turned them full upon mine, a
frank, boyish mile irbuking the dislrusl
my words implied aud lighting up every
feature Of his delicate face. Ills COM
pIexion was like that Of girl, his mouth
small aud tender, bis baIr yellow, his zig.
ure slight aud sinuous.
! looked at him, standing there shigeI-
ing with the cold, and ihought of the
driving storm, alorg the snow-coyered
mountain road we were to travel togelb.
er, and asked
Are YOU not afraid to gor
The landlord interrupted:
1t don't matter if he is afraid, lie be.
longs 10 me. lie shall 60,
No, said; he shall rot go, it he is not
quite willing
am not at all afraid, the boy replied,
aud | AIN quite willing to 20. have
gone often and often, through worse
storms than this.
There was an earnest, manly grace
even in the way he shook the gathered
flakes from his tattered cap, and in bis
voice there was such hearty, CHEEKY
ring, that from that moment | trusted
and loved tho 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
cruelest storm of wind and snow that !
ever saw.
The boy sat on the front seat, waiting
to be spoken to, looking straight ahead
When we were quite clear of the strag.
ging huts of the miners on the outer.
most limits Of the town, | asked him bis
name ................
They call me Lewis shiylcy, he ans
wered.
How old are you, Lewis? was my next
question.
Fourteen, next April, sir.
DO YOU live at home with your father
aud mother?
That man yonder is all the fathe. OF
mother | have, and his stable loft is the
only home have had since he took me
from the poor house. That was better
than the stable though, for they taught
me something there.
There was no complaining chords in
the tones in which these bitter words
were said, and while he was speaking La
was drawing the long whip gently across
the horses back, brushing off the snow
that had fallen oa il.
Have yon been driving on this road
long; inquired.
Going on three years, II will be three
years in March.
Is it cold ont rhere2 Colder than il
here, mean!
think 1t il, be replied; the wind and
snow cut so, but don't mind IT, sirl--
We get used to rough weather up in these
bills.
wish YOU would come m here; m,
coat will cover rs both,
No, can't he said. must watch The
road now We have TO go pretty clos,
to the precipice, sometimes.
How close2 asked.
Within few inches can't see nov
five yards ahead, the snow falls so heay
lily.
DO you think it il safe, then to go ony
Quite safe, sirl aud / don't mind tn
cold. Bat bic teeth chattercd as he sale
it, and ruddy glow was all gone from BIZ
checks.
did not talk more then. There we're
| discovered, wide cracks in the bottom
Of the stage, through which the wint
poured merciIessly ! was chilled thro
to the heart iu less than an hour afte
starting, do not know how fsr we ha,
gone, or bow long We had been upon tb
road, when / heard the boys voice
CHEEKY sud bright, asking:
How are you nows Feeling preu,
comfortable, sirE
nodded my head, aud erept elose
into the corner. Bat be WAS wiser thar
. !, and would not ,el ne have The sleep
coveted
You are IN q hurry 10 get home, b
said, for want Of something better 70 say