The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-08-18

their faces. Painfully over the hurri-
cane-swept summit they fought their
way, staggering in the terrible gale,
and falling repeatedly in the heaping
drifts.
At every three or four steps they were
obliged to turn their backs to recover
breath. Their icy garments clung about
their limbs, and the volleying snow
stung their cheeks and loaded their eye
lids.
Benumbed, blinded, and bewildered,
they kept up the desperate struggle till
within a quarter of a mile from their
expected relief, and then the aged grand
mother dropped helpless to the earth.
Heroic in the face of death, the faith
ful Mary tore the cloak from her own
shoulders, wrapped it about her mother,
and plodded on with her boy, hoping to
find assistance.
Half way to the house, where assist
ance would have been gladly given, lit
tie Charley succumbed to cold and the
terrible fatigue, and sank into his wind
ing-sheet of snow.
In vain the mother strove to lift him.
Only God knew her silent agony as she
left him there and spent her last strength
battling forward through the storm to
bring help.
There was a light shining from the
window beyond. Her eager but stumb-
ling steps pressed toward it-straight
on over a stone wall deeply hidden in
the snow, over the garden fence, then
over the wood-pile buried in the drift,
and here exhausted nature gave way.
She fell into the soft snow beneath, and
struggled in vain to rise.
Her wild shrek as she went down
was heard in the house; but they
thought it only the wall of the wind
Once more the cry came, and they
opened the door and looked out and lis.
tened.
1t could not be a human voice, the
blast was high and made all kinds o.
sounds tonight, and they shut the dool
again. Poor Mary was too late, but bel
love had done its best. She had held
out long to save her mother and her son
but they had already passed into hand:
more merciful than any she had founC
upon her way. And there, not ten fee
from the window, with the beams of the
friendly lamp falling where the brave
woman lay, death ended the three-folC
agony.
The snow drifted smoothly over hel
in her last sleep, and the storm howleC
on, needless of the three travellers WHIT
had made their last journey.
The next morning was tranquil anC
cloudless, and the road-breakers wer,
stirring betimes. The snow-plough re
vealed the grandmother's icy body, ant
one of the startled laborers remembers
seeing two persons with her the day be
fore. They searched for the others
sadly suspecting the truth, and Char
ley's body was soon found, and then hi
mothers, beneath the drift in the plac
where she had so narrowly missed de
liVerance.
. Before that day closed, three stark
icy bodies lay side by side in the villag
poor-hOuse, where idle curiosity nigh
come and stare at them. The poor hat
reached the home of the poor, although
they sought it not.
Yet even in death their poverty wa
remembered against them. The keepe
: of the poor-house provided a large
, rough box, intending to bury them al
in one grave; but some one erie
'Shame," and enough human feelin
was aroused to prevent the insult O
such pauper obsequies. The bodies wer
placed in separate collins and received
Christian burial.
We will not judge those who denie
shelter to this hopeless family in thei
} need, but we know that the time
coming when both those who have com
out of great tribulation, and those VIII
turn away from the poor and fatherless
. will receive their just recompense.