Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-12-29

1
one on II.
For moment, Leon paused He
knew she had not come there all alone,
but that probably somewhere along that
lonely country road she had parted from
her burden. The nearest house was four
miles off, and in different direction
from that by which the ass had come,
for Leon saw her footprints in the snow.
He might have TO walk far ere he should
| find those whom she had carried, but If
he did not go-if he waited till daylight
it might be too late for help to reach
those whom cold and snow had perhaps
overcome He opened the gate, then
fastened it securely behind him, and
gently turned the ass around. To his
surprise she made no objection, but
somewhat wearily retraced her footsteps
! in the snow.
They did not have to go far, however
A few yards from the house the road
turned, and crossed little stream where
was a bridge; beyond this was hollow,
and then came woods. AT the entrance
to these woods was one of those way
side shrines which you often see in
France, where was an image of the Vir-
gin with the infant Savior in her arms;
beneath this, on the white snow, lay
something dark, and when she reached it
the ass stood perfectly still. Leon came
up to her, and, STOPPING down by this
dark mass upon the snow, saw lying
there young woman, unconscious, with
baby in her arms.
What was the boy to dor His stout
arms could not lift the inanimate form
There was no one but his grandmother
and Annette within call, and they would
be but little help to him. Yet some
thing must be done. Leon felt her.
She was not quite cold, and the baby,
wrapped in the mothers cloak and
clasped to her breast, was still warm.
Leon tried to make the ass kneel down.
She did it readily enough, as if she were
accustomed to it, and understood the
need now. Then he laid his warm check
against the girls and breathed into her
| lips and called to her, and strove in
every way to rouse her.
She stirred, but did not open her eyes
The baby, however, awoke and cried.
That cry did more to fully arouse the
mothers consciousness than anything
else, and to Icons JOY she murmured:
Hush, my darling" Then he called
the baby from her arms. She opened
her eyes then, but half understandingly,
and with great difficulty obeyed Icons
words when he told her to rise. She
could not stand, but Leon got her upon
the saddle, and, putting one arm around
her to hold her firmly there, he guided
the ass down the road and over the
bridge to the gate. They arrived there
safely, though many times on the way
Leon thought they would not.
He ran into the house and awoke
Annette and his grandmother 1t was
some time before he could make them
understand, but at last they did. Fortu-
nately there were still hot embers on the
hearth, and Annette heated little milk,
which they poured down the poor woman's
throat. This brought her to herself
enough for them to lead her into the
| house, where the warmth soon revived
! her. Leon put more wood on the fire,
which soon gave out good heat, while
Annette and the grandmother warmed
blankets and put about the woman and
child, and rubbed the mothers cold
limbs. When they had quite recovered,
and had partaken of bread and milk,
Mere Maturin would not allow them to
| speak, but put them in her own bed and
left them to sleep.
The first red stIeaks of dawn were
seen in the eastern Sky before Leon had
quite satisfied his grandmother and
sister on this wonderful adventure.
Then he went back to bed, and did not
wake till the Christmas sun streamed in
at his window, and he heard Annette
calling out her greeting to him from the
| foot of the stairs.
Their strange visitors slept till quite
late in the morning, and had not yet ap-
peared when the father and mother came
home. You may be sure there was
much to tell and hear about this odd ad
venture of Icons, and then Pere Ma
turin held up a letter from LOUIS,
Christmas letter. which made the chill
dren dance with JOY. In the midst of it
all their visitor came into the kitchen
from the inner room, her baby in her
arms, and looking quite bright again
after her rest. She was very small, so
tiny that Leon wondered that such a
stout boy as he was should have had so
much trouble in lifting her on the ass,
and she looked very young indeed. Then
she told them her story.
Her husband was a soldier. He had
met her at Toulon, her native place, and
married her there. She had continued
to live at her fathers till he died, leav-
ing her little money. Her husbands
regiment was ordered to Algeria soon
after, and, as she had no relations in
TOulon or anywhere else, he thought it
best TO send her and her child to his
| ~, Dit haA ftat,
home some time before he left, and said
he knew his father would meet her at
St. Malo, as he had requested in his
letter. But when she reached there,
after long journey, she did not find
him, and, being a stranger in the place,
she thought the best thing she could do
would be to hire an ass and take the
straight road to her husbands home.
The landlord at the inn in the town
where she had stopped to inquire the
way had told her that she could not fail
to find the house; but the snow had
come on and hidden the path, and she
grew wearied. They wandered out of
the way many times, sometimes finding
the road and then losing it again, till,
worn out, she had fallen from the ass
right below the shrine in the road.
"When looked up and saw the gentle
face smiling down upon me, thought" >"
said she, Heaven would have pity on
me and my baby, and said my prayers,
and had just fallen asleep, when the
good God sent you, Leon, to wake me.
And now, dear friends, will not trouble
you more; if you will kindly tell me
where the Pere Maturin lives l will go
and find him, and my Louis and l will
bless you always in our prayers"
"Pere Maturin! Louisp they all ex-
claimed, and then followed such explain
ing, and laughing, and crying, and kiss
ing as never was known before. At last,
when all was quiet, the father read
Louis letter to them, and it was the one
they ought to have received long before,
telling them his Marie was coming to
them, and would they love and care for
her and the baby for his sake?
Oh how hannV thew all were tOUather