The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-08-14
VOLUME XII.

Presently we came down to the creek,
where every angle of rock and every
elbow of gnarled tree was flecked softly
with snow, and the creek, which had
crossed dav or two before on my visit
| to Farmer Dobson's, ran below, gray
and far, an unfamiliar stream, with
downy, treacherous banks shutting it
ina strange white fantasy. Over it
two stout planks, crossing few inches
apart, served as a bridge. They were
rounded and slippery-looking tonight,
and one of them had a slight warp, as
if weather-strained.
surveying it.
"Its dangerous crossing that" he
said. 81 declare, Jennie, don't like
the look of it,
The night was gray and soft and still,
and all about us fell the snow, which
seemed to be creating itself out of the
feathered and shadowy underbrush and
the white quiet atmosphere. The scene
was so strange and weird that felt
moments hesitation; the next instant
the imp which had possessed me all tho
evening set my blood dancing with
mischief.
"I promised to be home tonight"
said I, eluding Abijah's OBTAINING hand;
and with a mocking, dancing step I
skipped upon the plank.
Ab;jah stood still on the margin and
looked at me. Job stood still also one
moment, and. holding up his lantern,
looked at Abijah.
Then he lid, sarcasticaHy, "By your
leave, Mr.. Plummer this is a bridge
for two, and if you've no mind to be
getting over, I'll step along myself"
And it was Jobs hand that, touching
me timidly. steadied my fool-hardy
steps, and Jobs lantern that fiickered
over the phantom banks beyond and the
deep creek below that treacherous
plank. Halfway cross l felt strange
CULVER, as if the heart of the thing were
being broken, and my own heart leaped
up with sudden terror, q despairing cry,
a whirl of darkness and chaos, and I felt
the bridge totter and crash, and thought
was being swept away into annihila-
ton. Some strong arm graeped me then,
not tenderly, but with a clutch that
reused every faculty, and, trembling,
conscious, struggling for life, I found
myself clinging to the slippery edge of
the other plank, with Job holding me
fast by my raiment, as we hung for a
moment in peril together, while the Ian
tern foated away below in the debris.
Job speedily regained some sort of
footing, and slipping, sliding, by slow
and painful effort we reached the other
side.
I believe I laughed then when I came
to myself, shook out my snow-encum-
bered garments, and looking down, saw
Jobs faithless lantern cleaning like a
fitful FREELY away out of reach, and felt
sure that Abijah Plummer was still
uotobino IN tho Ofnav side
Job stretched Out over the brink,
looked down at the useless lantern, and
shook his fist, perhaps at the invisible
Abijab.
sob, oh, job" I said. taking his
hand, I'm sorry spelled beautiful
tonight" I did not laugh now. 1 was
full of q strange excitement.
"Who had right to spell such q
word but you, Jennie ?" answered Job,
gravely.
"But 1--we lost the books. job"
"I've lost something too" said Job.
We stood still for a moment and
looked at each other. Aud there was
that in Jobs face which never shown
but once in any hum an face, and which
all men and all women know when they
see it.
Then Job reused up aud said, lightly,
" Will you get along the rest of the
way without Abijah Plummer ?"
All the rest of my life" I replied.
Since then Job has often said to me,
softly, as we sat in the twilight, They
can't say 1 didn't win a prize at the
snellinp match"