National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1877-04-08
DEARER THAN LIFE.

~, ni,,,sn ~ .1,,,,, - 49, -, 20
oo'n ehuivh anu s'iOVi- nUuse IN 'he i'tiie pAek-
uous mass, score or more Of sturdy boy. AMI
rec, rosy checked sf''' :" oil ages from ''f 10 az
The sharp Canadian winter had just Get in
in real earnest, and the ehildren's merry rOdos.
Mn az nsit wa ri,n dsii.b, ,hsr - -. -,
merrily and noisIly hOnswArds
Inside the schcol-hcuse q tail, "a 'r-hAired girl
was standing ny The Blackboard. ea'Ienfi,x h.r
boots yI,h a ,han,h,,.I s,rIo,s -, a., -. -
to contrast strangely With her dinp'ei cheeks.
htehly -cuiying lips, ana bright spArslbE eyes
SUDDENLY, picking M piece OF ehak. shs
Nf9ts upon the blAeAposri the one word u AIS
end turning toward The teacher, tail. grave
looklhg man oi iour or hvc.ana- thirty, who vas
standing ~ his desk she exclaimed, so ends
~ i,sl gay o. tehool Mo! Arc yea not Slai,'
MT. Lester 2"
,hs MY thouia re 'sal aiss na,e; u,s
isee tnssed ns no mn sd i.Hs,gs h,. ~, D.,
Sub. tndast, H., -, -, !, -" " ISL f1Il-
dr,S ,j;,,.p stat .,. - ~, ~ Us, A.
any o,h., ..hnis, ~ s.so,i e., AZ 1879 ls
,,.,, v'i ~ NJ aoH.n, $500; e.. ..aes, hAi
nn, - M ~ "a, Tsm usaer We %
fsrc ''' " ' "P '"'O 'ne 'eAeAets
eyes. I have ss,s n.,r thin, that, Al,
hail No. \ b.Sa - go, 10. ~. ~ ~
ali thai w., ~, sbsLo hssss Ss .SIss.
i,icnaS Miss nais -, "AsNs A4S Ph1t
M ,amrss w. h.r, ,,-.. 49, -.--
,a III course W We hsve nsTer been enemies,
inni, ~, ~. $500, ~ ~ sf W se1esr-
merfy sSaant ianr Suddenly rssi.h.n ~ 80
ees, m ,s tuh away home nor; l hare lsts
u,a,a ~ hsis ~" saPpts,. hna ,he IN ast
Lester"
D,,e" o'e' '"u "eif' h'N"ass W y0n- MIS-
And the worn. crave look e,me barr N h,,,,-.
assr ea ss nna eItooea nkuIe shssed CUT ths
a. ain 10 his d.,t sna has.n rrs,.s,s. ~. ss
and papers.
teacher 81 ',hn ,iiI.s. sciia, =, .rI ~ reea
small settlement on The western shere Of spirit
accused him Of having eaiied her ar lie n g !,
troublesome OF his scholars.
she was merry, williul girl: the I.eiied and
lodged belle Of the settlement; Just little Ia Of
coqueue, yet true as steel mott ;hstaninK
frank and fearless, and, az Is ci'en the case IN
lhe C0iOnhs, good shot, and splendid horse
woman
On the afternoon Of the day before Christmas
aweek after the breaking up ofthe school, Rst-
ert Lester, who had started that ncraing "a a
skating expedition up the lake (which ihoars
not over 4 mile or two broad, was nearly twenty
miles lcnr,) was slowly skating homewArds aicur
the eastern shore, when, On turning a-0usi !
the road from that viIare to le neTt se ,tien.r,
runs for some distance close TO The lake sbore h.
came suddenly upon an empty sleigh, lying "a
Its side on the snow-e covered ruld.
picked lo6K in her usually laughing eye-. .iosi
Minnie Dale, who looked mp slddeniy. As thS
ringing OF his skates upon the Ice Iros.Ainei ais
approach
MIR Lester r. she exclaimed, faInf. erinsNn
flush rising TO her forehead as she recognized
him. ~ am so Giadi IL am On a d :, you So.
My horse hoted-seared ny deer whieA rla SD
denly across the track He seefnei 20 jump rishf
out OF HE harness, and has carried aESy tae
shatts with him
II zee, said MT, Lester. coming closer. All sx-
aiming the overturned sleigh. which. having
been made for Mlnne's own special use. was veTy
small and light, and proved, upon examluA;laS
TO be almost IN nlured, with the eNFeytisn Of the
broken shafts, which had snapped Of close 10 The
body Of the sleigh.
well, Miss Daie," he eaet!uued, restoTn % the
sleigh 10 an upright position, AMI pashiag Il De
fore him, over the hard snow, towards tae ir5Isa
lake; "the best plan can think OF viii be Tor
you to get into the sleigh, and let me Pash Y0a
along before pac over the lee. VIM ySa come
he added, holding out a hand to guide her dssn
the bank.
THANK you. But will II not bsve-y hard work
for yous" asked Minnie, as she took his oterr1
hand.
mot NJ ALL" was the briet. earnestly Spoken
reply; and very carefully Robert Lester hlaiei
the dainty little fur-clad figure into the tiny
sleigh, and wrapping TIE warm rugs arouai her.
be started on nj an easy, swinging pace oyer the
Smooth frozen surface Of the lake, On the seven
mile journey which lay before them
II vas nearly suneown when they sthrtet, but
neither Of them felt any uneas er At the an
proach Of evening as the moon was nearly fab:
and they were gliding merrily aiong. Minaie's
clear, pure voice keeping time to the ring OF The
skates with the Canadian hoatman's hymn. usea-
suddenly, sharp and distinct, . sOand, ssmefhin 2
between bark and cry, echoed through the
stiilnesso OF the woods behi1d them
"Wolves" exclaimed Mamie, turning half
round 10 the sleigh and looking up into her CON-