The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-03-24

to find that il had grown bitter cold, a.
vol IS very dark. Instantly dis
patched my men to rouse the neighbors,
and then returned to the house to en-
deavor to console my poor wife. AS ].
entered the door, the sound of my steps
appeared to rouse her to fconsciousness,
for she sprang toward me, and, throw
ing her arms about y'neck and looking
pleadingly into my face, cried s7
g You will bring me back my darling
boy, won't you, Paul ia - %
1 promised her would, and abe be-
slowed upon me hundred kisses, muir
muring all the time
Thank God he's safe then thank
God! he's safe then"
Perhaps you can imagine, in some de-
gree, my feelings. No person ever ex-
perienced such as did when realized
what had promised, for / knew that
the boy was dead as well as / know it
now (; and all the while she lay at my
feet, moaning like some dumb creature
in pain, and trying to console her with
assurances that knew in my heart were
false But what else could I do2
When the neighbors came in, they
carried her to her room, while INVENT
out to search for our child. In less than
an hour all the settlers within five miles
were hunting, with torches and lanterns,
over the prairie for the boy. AS for me,
where / went or what did have never
known, for had one thought constant
ly in my mind-that our boy was dead,
and had promised to bring him back
to his mother alive.
Well, sir, we searched all night, not
withstanding the fact that about o'clock
the next morning the snow began to fall.
L never saw it snow faster, for by day
light the ground was covered more than
five inches deep, and we had not found
the child. We kept up the search, and
before noon more than fifty persons were
engaged in it but we found no trace of
him, and ut last it was reluctantly given
up. Then knew that must return to
my home alone and tell my wife the
truth.
What passed after reached the house
1 do not know, Tor the next two days are
but hideous dream. / only remem-
bered that my wife met me at the door
and said to me, IF you had only told
me the worst, L would have tried to be
strong for your sake, my dear husband, {"
and then-well, sir, I knew nothing
more for forty-eight' hours. When /
awoke to consciousness, rose from the
bed, partially dressed myself, and went
out and stood bareheaded beneath the
leaden-gray November sky; and when 1
felt the wintry wind and saw the ground
white with snow, and realized that 1t was
the winding sheet of our darling boy, /
felt that could almost follow the advice
of Jobs wife, Course God and die"
Standing in the yard / noticed that
large flock of crows had gathered in the
field yonder, nearly half mile from the
house. watched them for some time
without seeming to heed them. 1 saw
them flying swiftly athwart the heavens,
jostling each other in their haste then,
when they appeare to have reached one
particular spot, they would soar high in
the air for an instant and swoop down,
almost touching the ground, to rise once
more, mounting higher and higher in
a circle until, flying over my head, they
would again dart back to the field, all
the time uttering their harsh cries which
seemed TO bid me "Search."
So strongly did become impressed
with this idea, that started toward the
place, bareheaded and half clothed as 1
was, and so weak that / could hardly
stand.
1t was long time before / reached
the spot over which the crows were how
ering but, as 1 approached it saw by
the side of dry, withered stalk,
crouched as though for protection from
the rude blast, rabbit. Imagine my
feelings when recognized it as our dar-
ling boys yet, nearly dead from hunger
and cold. The instant saw it knew
that l had found our boy--that Benny
was there. lifted the half-frozen
creature carefully to one side and,
kneeling, quietly removed the cold snow
from the body of our darling. lremem-
Der taking him in my arms and kissing
his cold lips; but how 1 reached the
house can't tell; only know that 1
laid him in his mothers lap. and that
she looked up in my face with sweet
smile and said: 81 have been waiting
so long for you to bring dear BenLy
back to me, Paul. ("
When 1 again returned to conscious
ness, Benny had been buried two weeks,
and was told that the physician said he
had undoubtedly dropped dead from
aneurism of the heart. Had it not been
for those crows, sir, his little body would
have lain upon the cold ground, un-
buried, until spring.
Now, sir, you know why / didn't want
the crows shot. don't often speak of
this, our great sorrow but / feel that
an apology was due you for the uncere-
manner in which interrupted
your shot, and perhaps there was some
thing in your face that told me that you
would understand the motive that
me in spelling your antici-
pated sport. And now, with your per-
we will return to the other
room. My wife will be glad to talk
with you, for it is not often that we see
gentlemen from the East 80 far west rs
this.
1 thanked my host for his story, and
assured him that ever after would re-
spect crows for his sake nor have
killed one since.
We returned to the sitting room, and
spent delightful evening in converse
ton with my charming hostess and her
husband and the next morning, after
of delicious breakfast, /
hoco 49,, 49,. e~.o.I. H. o~l