Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-12-16
MARK AND TOTTY'S WONDERFUL
ESCAPE.

summer sunlight lay warm and bright on
ali the green New England hills, and
rrept in waves of glimmering gold over
The white, sanded floor of Deborah Hunt
er's tidy kitchen. Debbie herself sat Just
beyond the doorway, with huge basket
Of newly -ironed clothes beside her, from
which she was asserting variety of lit
lie garments, pausing now and then to
darn hole or sew on a button, and
singing softly TO herself the while; for she
was a happy wife and mother, and her
smile was bright and her heart cheerful,
despite the endless duties that kept her
wiling hands ever busy.
Out in the garden, in the shadow of the
elm trees, where the Haunting tulips and
sun.howers bloomed, and the bees made
homely music, Mark and little Totty
we're playing, and chattering like a pair
Of parrots.
And presently they came toddling in,
Mark leading his chubby little sister by
the hand.
"Mother," he said, "may we go down
to the wood and gather some Strawberries?
Father likes 'em with cream, you Know!
Please let us, mother! Ill put Totty' S
4 shoes on, so the briers can't scratch her
feet and Ill take good care of her. Moth.
4 En- may We goy'
i Debbie smiled and nodded, and Mark
ran off for Totty's shoes, and after consid-
Il ersble grunting and Juggling succeeded
q in getting them on her chubby feet. Then
81 he clambered up on the dresser and got a
81 little tin kettle, and off they started, hand
"a in hand.
Now, Mark, take good care of your
B sister," called his mother, land don't go
u near the pond And come back soon, for
81 think We shall have rain before night. y
n And the midsummer afternoon waned
slowly The sunshine danced and glim-
& mered amid the green elm branches, the
bees hummed about their hives, and hens
cackied lazily in the barn yard; and the
breeze, growing stronger, tossed the pur-
pie liz .boughs till the air was heavy
with t2Sr sweet perfume. Debbie worked
on, sirWng softly to herself, and the sun,
light grept stealthily across the sanded
floor did disappeared at last beyond the
| doors. y Her work was done; all the little
garmeAs ready for the coming Sabbath.
She rdSe and put her basket aside.
WHAT can make them stay so?" she
thought, looking out again, and finding
the sky well-nigh overcast, and the great,
black thunder.cloud rolling rapidly up
before the rising wind.
The poor mother, now thoroughly fright
ened caught up shawl and throwing il
over her head closed her door and ran
DOWN toward the wood. calling her
children as she ran. But there came no
answer, no sound but the roar of the gath
ering storm and the angry booming of the
thunder.
She searched and called in vain; they
we're nowhere 10 be seen, and, half frantic
with anxiety, she ran back again and met
her husband. Just returned from his labor,
at the door.
"Oh, Nathan, ;" hecried, " the children
are gone-lost in the wood. What shall
we dogr
He turned without word to the huge
Newfoundland dog that stood behind
him.
"Gyp," he said, "the children are gore
come, we must find themr'
4 And Gyp trotted soberly after him, fol
lowed by the poor, distracted mother. A:
/ they reached the wood the storm brokt
upon them in all its fury. The clouds
rolled up in great masses, blotting out the
waning daylight, and the lightning blazec
and famed in every direction, while thu
4 thunder ratified from hill TO hill, and tn,
winds tore and shrieked amid the trees
B like pack of demons. And presently
the rain began to pour down in great
4 drenching sheets. Poor Deborah wrun,
her hands in agony.
oh, my childrenr' she cried; "my
poor little Totty, what will become .
hertt
The father hurried on, followed by Gyp
on and on, till they were In the very hear
Of the wood. But no trace of the children
appeared.
Gyp,' said the father, turning to hi
dog again, cant you find the children
Come, good dog. try!"
And Gyp, with his nose to the ground
went of like an arrow The parents fol
lowed, needless of the pelting storm. Oh
and on, into the heart of the wood ant
round to the shore Of the pondi Their
me poor. fellow stopped, with peculiar
mournful cry.
The father and mother FASTENED up
There, in the yielding earth, were it'll
footprints, the unmistakable impress q
Iotty's chubby shoes, and broken flowers
ana presently, away out upon the yellow
angry waters Of the pond, fKey espie
Il Marks little cap.
4 As she recognized IL the poor mothe
uttered piteous cry.