Litchfield enquirer., 1877-08-09
Uf3JL IT It4.l4 P .5@8EEt sttfaftt
 FAITHFUL uMT0 DEATH-f

fg.s ,sslSrAf flF v = Gt1 " D@ftA '-i1ah S hs ofhSFifei Burfis cl sarily on5tllA hearth. the gfaAt lbgse craGkie and flare up the wide chimney, mp which 1t was my wont Ito say you could drive, a coach.and- four. ! T draw my cliair nearer to 1t with a shiver. ssWhat aLnIg Issay, sa1 is. Es7 l ''Is it still snoaing?" asksfmy wife,, who sits opposite to me. her books and work on the table beside her.
 sa Fast You can scarcely see yard be- | fore you. l" # Az8" E+s E.
 Heaven help any poor creature on the moor to nightl" says she.
 | "Who would venture out? It began l showing before dark, and all the people about know the danger of being benight- ed on the moor in snow-storm." H ..
 ''Yes. But have known people frozen Ito death hereabouts before now.
 t My wife is Scotch, and this pleasant Ehouse in the Highlands IS hers. We are l trying Winter in 1t for the first time, and { find 1t excessively cold and somewhat dull Mentally I decide that in the future we will ,allls4ssr~ee ie-ssitia our presehce .dssrings the shooting season. Presently I Isgoi the aindow and look out 1t has Tceased showing. and tn ough rift in the fcfotlis see Star 's.e -hf g-5a 3+ as "H is begining to clear tell my wife, land also inform her that it is past H.. As she lights her candle at aside-table l hear q whining and scratching at the front door 2's7 lsIsiH 'ai'aA9i ! h95f''~114 ''.'E
 ssThere is Ladiie loose again, says she Would you let him in, dear?" al la.. Lf did not like facing the cold wind, but could not refuse to let in the poor animal. l Strangely enough, when 1 opened the door and called hlm he wouldn't come. He ruhs up to the door and looks into my face with dumb entreaty; then he runs l back a few steps, looking around to see If I am following; and finally, he takes my Il coat in his mouth and tries to draw me I out q7at~ l ''Laddle won't come in" call out to T my wife. "On the contrary, he seems to w.,nt me to have game of snow-ball with lim!'o oraa|4 ."af @5@s4 'E
 T She throws a shawl round her and l comes to the door. The; collie was hers 1 before we were married, and she is almost as fond Of hlm. I tell her, as she is o1 Jack, our eldest boy. '
 | s'Laddie, Laddie!'' she calls; "come in, I sir, He comes obediently at her cali, but refuses to enter the house. and pur- I sues the same dumb pantomine he has all 1 ready tried on me. af'4iA4 7'i .''&H l II shall. shut him out, Jessie,"I say. .A night. in the snow won't hurt him, and prepare to close the door.
 Jaa ''You will do nothfng of the kindr' she l replies ananxious look; ''but you will rouse the servants at once and follow him. Some one is lost in the snow. and Laddie knows it. |"
 F.. I laugh Really, Jessie, you are ab
 surd .I9I IIaddie is t 8 sagacionsj animal, nc doubt. but I cannot believe he is as cleyel as that. How can he possibly know whether any one Is lost ill the snow ol fl not?" F h.#" Iaits Fa ,--. T Because he has found them and come back to us tor help. Look at him now, J , 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 eentreaty in his eloquent eyes, Why won't you believe mel" he seems to ask. ...-...
 Come" she continues; you know you could not rest while there was a pos
 sibiIIty of 8 fellow creature wanting you assistance, And am certain Laddie if not deceiving us.
 What is a poor henpecked man to do? grumble and resist and yield; as have often grumbled and resisted and yielded before, and as I, doubtless shall do again
 ''Laddie once found a 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 te
 take with US. In the meantime l rouse the servants. They are all English, witl the exception of Donald, the gardner, anG can see they are scof6ngly skeptical O.
 of Laddie's sagaclty, ,,- and lnwardly dis
 gusted at having to turn out of then warn beds and face the bitter winters night. '.Dinna trouble yoursels," I hear old
 Donald say ba'sThe mistress is righ
 enough. Auld Laddie is cleverer thar
 mony Christian, and will find something in the snaw this night '''
 Don't sit up, Jeesie," I say as Vt start; i've may be out half the night ol
 this wild-goose chase" Gn.I-.a. . f5-s. .
 Follow Laddie closely, lis the only an
 swer she makes. pNi" 17# if@1"1' '+''i- g
 The dog springs forward with joyou.
 bark, constantly looking back to see if we are following, As we pass through the
 avenue gates and emerge on to the moor
 the moon struggles for moment through
 the driving clouds, and lights up with { sickly glsam the snow clad country befor,
 us. its like hunting for needle in a
 bundle of hay, Sir" says John the coach | IudL, GO eA1Ah bo w
 should find anybody on such night al
 this! Why, in some places the snow Il more than couple, O feet thick, and i
 goes again reason to think that duml
 animal would have the sense to come home
 and fetch help.'' gang ~.-.+ ; t1a-lt
 ''Bide wee, bide wee,'' says old Don
 ald s'I dinna ken what your Englisl
 dugs can do; but collie, though it hasns been pleasing to Providence to give tho
 creatuf the gift O speech. can do mony mair things than, them thathwa derids a it." .sd.sT T aaf..5r, ~sT ..gF,.tt as..- ''I ain't deridin' of 'em,''' says John
 'I only say as how if they be so vel! | clever Fee never seen it.n a77di y.ln3 to nt ''Ye wulls though, ye wul, ' says olt
 Donald, as he hurries forward after L ad
 die, who has now settled. down into
 swinging trot, and IS taking his wa, straight across the lonliest part of tn bleak moor. The cold wind almots cut
 into our faces, nearly blinding us, M,
 finger tips are becoming numbed, icicle
 hang from my moustache and beard, ant d my feet and legs are soaking wet, ever sl through my shooting-boetss and stou . leather leggings. II, # Gin srst -..x fe
 The moon has gone in again. and th
 light from the lantern we carry is barelI
 sufficient to show us the inequalities Il
 the height of the snow, by which we ar guessing at our path. I begin to wish had staid at home. "Lhananae propose :, mais la femme dispose" sigh to myself and begin to consider whether l ma venture to give up the search (which
 have undertaken purely to satisfy m. wife, for I am like John, and won't be lieve in Laddie,1 when suddenly hear of -l nonol1 xu1,
 has all the time been keeping close t
 Laddie. drop on his knees and begin dig ? ling wildly in the snow with his hands I've all rush forward. Iaddie has stoppe'
 at what appears to be the foot of a stunt
 ed tree, and after scratching and whinnin il for 8 moment. sits down and watches
 leaving theifest to usa t 'Whati is it that ap
 pears when weI have shovelede away tn : snow? A dark object. Is 1t g bundle Q rags? We raise it carefully and tenderly . wrap 1t ID one of the warm blankets wit Atn S al