Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-09-13
Faithful unto Death.

The fire burns cheerily on thu
hearth, the great logs crackle anC
flare up the wide chimney, up which
it is my wont to say you can drive {
coach-andfour | draw my chair
nearer to it with a shiver. what {
nightl' | say.
SIS it still showing /? asks my wife
who sits opposite to me, her books
and work on the table beside her.
Fast. You can scarcely see yarc
before you
Heaven help any poor creature OF
the moor to-night!' says she.
sWho would venture out? 1t be
gan to snow before dark, and all the
people about know the danger of be
ing benighted on the moor in snow
storm
sYes. But | have known people
frozen to death hereabouts before
now
Ny wife is Scotch, and this pleas
ant house in the Highlands is hers
We are trying a winter in it for Tho
first time, and ] find it excessively
cold and somewhat dull Mentally
l decide that in the future we viii
only grace it with our presence dur
ing the shooting season. Presently
| 60 to the window and look out; il
has ceased showing, and through j
rift in the clouds | see star.
1T is beginning to clear tell my
wife, and also inform her it is pas
eleven. As she lights her candle al
a side table | hear a whining and
scratching at the front door.
There is Ladde loose again saws
she. Would yon let him in, dear?'
did not like facing the cold wind
but could not refuse to let the poor
animal in. Strangely enough wher
| opened the door and called him be
wouldn't come. He runs up to the
door and looks into my face with
dumb entreaty; then he runs back a
few steps, looking around to see if |
am following; and finally he takes
my coat in his mouth and tries to
draw me out.
Iaddie won't come in | call out
to my wife. 'On the contrary he
seems to want me to go out and
have a game Of ball with him.
She throws shawl round her and
comes TO the door. The collie was
hers before we were married, and
she is almost as fond of him, | tell
her, as she is of Jack our eldest boy.
sLaddie, Laddie,' she calls come
in SIR He comes obediently at her
call, but refuses to enter the house,
and tries the same dumb pantomine
he has already tried on me.
Il shall shut him out, Jessie,I say.
"a nightln 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,
aud prepare to follow him. Some
one is lost in the snow, and Laddie
knows it,
laugh. Really, Jessie, you are
absurd. Laddie is sagacious ami
NAL, no doubt, but | cannot believe
he is as clever as that. How oan he
possibly know whether anyone is
lost in the snow or notY
Because he has found them and
come back to US for help. Look at
him now
cannot but own that the dog
seemed restless and uneasy, and is
evidently endeavoring to coax us to
follow him be looks at us with pa
thetic entreaty in his eloquent eyes,
why won't you believe me 2 he
seems to ask.
Come she continues, you know
you could not rest while there was a
possibility of fellow creature want
ing your assistance. Aud | am GER
tain Laddie is not deceiving US.
Whist is poor hen. pecked man to
do? | grumble and resist and yield,
as | have often gramblod and resist
ed and yielded before, and as | doubt
less shall do again.
sLaddie once found man in the
snow before, but he was dead, Jessie
says, as she hurries off to fill flask
with brandy, and get ready some
blankets for US to carry with US. In
the meantime | rouse the servants.
They are all English, with the ex-
ception of Donald, the gardner, and |
can see they are scoffingly skeptical
of Laddie's sagacity, and inwardly
disguised at having to turn out of
their warm beds and face the bitter
winters night.
.Dinna trouble yoursels,'I hear old
Donald say. Aud Laddie is cleverer
than many o Christian, and will find
somethingin the snow this night
Don't sit up, JESSIE | say as we
start; I'VE may be out half the night
on this wild. goose chase
'Folow Laddie closely,'is the only
answer she makes.
Tue dog springs forward with a
joyous bark, constantly looking back
TO SEQ if we are following. As we
pass through the avenue gates and
emerge on the moor, the moon strug-
giles for a moment through the driv-
ing clouds, and lights up with q
sickly CLEAN the snow clad country
before us. lite like hunting for a
needle in bundle Of hay, SIR says
John, the coachman, confidently, to
think as we should find anyone on
such night as this ! Why, in some
places the snow is more than a
couple of feet thick, and it goes
against reason to think that dumb
animal would have the sense to come
home and fetch help
'Blde a wee, bide vice. says old
Donald. Il dinna ken what your
English dugs can do, but a collie,
though it has 20 been pleasing to
Providence to give the creatur the
gift o speech, can do mony MAR
things than them that wsd deride
it,
Il amt a deridin' of EN- says
John. Il only say as how if they be
so very clever Tue never seen it,
'Ye will, though, ye will, says old
Donald, as he hurries forward after
Iaddie who has now snttlej down