The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-12-06
Selett StoEg.
FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH


"What a night?" I say.
Ts it still snowingP asks my wife, who
sits opposite to me, her books and work
on the table beside her.
Fast. You can scarcely see a yard be-
fore you
Heaven help any poor creature on the
moor tonight says she.
who would venture out2 It began
showing before dark, and all the people
about know the great danger of being
. beniShted on the moor in snow
storm
Yes. But have known people frozen
10 death hereabouts before now"
My wife is Scotch, and this pleasant
house in the Highlands is hers We are
trying winter in it for the first time,
and find it excessively cold and some
what dull. Mentally decide that in fu-
ture we will only grace it with our pres
encs during the shooting season. Pres
emily 90 to the window and look out it
has ceased showing and through rift in
the clouds see star.
at is beginning to clear" I tell my
wife, and also inform her that in is past
IL. As she lights her candle at side ta-
BILE l hear whining and scratching at the
front door.
There is Laddie loose again. says she
TWOuld vpu lat him in dear 2N
did not like facing the cold wind, but
could not refuse to letin the poor animal
Strangely enough, when | opened the
door and called him he wouldn't come
He runs up to the door and looks into my
face with dumb entreaty then he runs
back few steps, looking back to see if
/ am following; and finally he takes
my coat in his mouth and tries to draw
me out.
Laddie won't come in l call out to my
wife. On the contrary, he seems to want
me to go out and have a game of snow
ball with him.
She throws a shawl around her and
comes to the door. The collie was hers
before we were married, and she is al
most as fond of him, | tell her. as she is
OF JACK, our elu6bJ DOy,
'Laddie, LaddieP she calls come in,
SIR He comes obediently at her call, but
refuses to enter the house, and pursues
the same dumb pantomime he has al
ready tried on me.
4 shall shut him out, JESSIE say. "A
night in the snow won't hurt him, and
prepare to close the door.
You will do nothing of the kind ? she
replies with an anxious look, but you
will rouse the servants at once and follow
him. Some one is lost in the snow, and
Laddie knows it,
laugh. Really. Jessie, you are alb.
surd. Laddie is a sagacious animal, no
doubt, but cannot believe he is as clev-
er as that. How can he possibly know
whether any one is lost in the snow or
notP
Because he has found them and come
back to us for help. Look at him now
] cannot but own that the dog seems
restless and uneasy, and is evidently en-
deavoring to coax us to follow him he
looks at US with pathetic entreaty in his
eloquent eyes. why won't you believe
me2' he seems to ask.
Come she continues; you know you
could not rest while there was possibil.
ity of fellow. creature wanting your as.
Bistance. And am certain Laddie is not
deceiving u.s.
What is poor hen-pecked man to do?
grumble and resist and yield as have
often grumbled and resisted and yield
ed before, and as l doubtless shall do
again.
'Laddie once found man in the snow
before, but he was dead Jessie says, as
she burries off to fill flask with brandy
and get ready some blankets for us to
take with us. In the meantime | rouse
the servants. TLey are all English with
the exception of Donald, the gardner,
and l can see they are scofingy skeptic-
al of Laddie's sagaCity, and inwardly dis
gusted at having to turn out Of their
warm beds and face the bitter winters |
night.
'Dnna trouble yoursels,' | hear old |
Donald say. The mistresss right enough. !
Aud Laddie is cleverer than mony
Christian, and will find something in the |
snaw this night
Don't sit up, JESSIE l say as we start
we may be out half the night on this
Wildgoose chase
Follow Laddie closely is the only an
sWer she makes,
The dog springs forward with joyous
bark, constantly looking back 10 see il We
are following. As we pass through the
avenue gates and emerge on to the moor
the moon struggles for a moment through
the driving clouds and lights up with a
Bickly geam the snow.Clad country be-
fore us.
It's like hunting for a needle in bun.
die of hay, sir says John the coachman,
Confdentially, to think as we should find
anybody on such a night as this Why,
in some places the snow is more than
couple O. feet thick, and it goes again
reason to think that a dumb animal
would have the sense to come home and
fetch help
'Bide wee, bide wee, says old Don.
aid. / dinna ken what your English
dugs can do; but collie though it hasn't
been pleasing to Providence to give the
Creatur the gift O. speech, can do mony
msir things than them that wad deride
it.
hAh q uCAlulh VI OLIy SAYS JUuu, |
l only say as how if they be so very
clever TIE never seen it,
'Ye wull, though, ye wull' says old
Donald, as he hurries forward after Lad.
die, who has now settled down into
staggering trot, and is taking his way
straight across the loneliest part of the
bleak moor. The cold wind almost cats {
rs in two, and whirls the snow into our
actes, nearly binding us. My fRger-tips
are becoming numbed, icices hang from q
ny mustache and beard, and my feet and s
egs are soaking wet, even through my
boots and stout leather leg
rings. {
The moon has gone in again, and the !
light from the lantern we carry is barely
sufficient to show the inequalities in the 8
height of the snow, by which we are
guessing at our path. l begin to wish I
1ad staid at home. tLjhOD1ne rroDose 8