The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-08-25

The cattle sold, went about my pur-
chases, and soon had no end OF parcels to
be packed in the saddle-bags. Tea, sugar,
rice, candes-but l need not weary you,
sir, with telling of them, together with the
calico for shirts and night-gowDs, and the
deane Tor the chidren's new frocks. Last
OF all, went about the doll-and found a
beauty. 1t was not as big as Dolly, or halt
az big; but it had fllxen curls and sky-blue
ey es and by dict of pulling wire you
c uld open or shut the eyes at will
''Do it up carefully" | said to the store
keeper. "My little daughter would cry
sadly if any harm GENES to it."
Tne day was pretty well ended before all
my work was done and just for mo-
ment or two, hesitated whether / shou d
| not stay 10 the town and start for home IN
the morning. 1t would have been the more
prudent course. But 1 thought of poor
Doly's anxiety to get her treasure, and of
my own happiness in watching the rapture
in her Delighted eyes 50 with my par
| GELS packed in the best way they could be,
| | mounted my horse and started. Ii was
as good and steady horse as you ever
rode, sir but night began to set in before
| 1 was we'll a mile away from the town ; il
| seemed as If 1t were going to he an ugly
| night, too. Again the thought struck me-
should turn back again and wait till
| morning had the price of the cattle, you
! see, in my breast pocket; and robberies,
aye, and murders also, were not quite un-
known things on the prairie. But had
my brace of sure pistols with me, and de-
| coed to press onward.
The night came on as dark as pitch, and
part of the way my road would be pitch
| dark besiues Bat on that score ] had no
| fear l knew the road well. every ioch of
| it, though | could not tide so fast as |
| should have done in the light, l was about
six miles from home, | suppose, and knew
| the time must be cloae upon midnight, wht
III storm which bad been brewing broke.
! The thunder roared, the rain fell in tor
rens the best could do was to press on
ward L. It.
All at once, as l rode on, cry startled
| me II faint, waiting ind, Ike the cry OF
cAid. Refining up, sal still and li-ten-
ell Had been mistaken M, there II was
again. Blu in wat direction ! could not
tell. | couldn't zee thing. It WIS, as i
have said, as dark as pitch. Getting off
my horse, felt about, but could fiDd moth
| ing And while | was seeking the cry came
again-- faint moan of a child in pain.
Then l began to wonder am not super
slirious, but | asked myself how it was pos
sinle that a child could be out on the prai-
| rie at such an hour and in such night.
| No real child it could not be.
Upon that came another thought-one
lefs welcome. Was it a trap to hinder me
on my way and ensare me There might
| he midnight robbers who would easily hear
OF my almost certain ride home that night,
and of the money should have about ne
] don't think, sir, | am more tmid than
other people not so much so, perhaps, as
some but | confess the idea made me uh-
easy. My best plan was to tide on as fast
as | could, and get out of the mystery into
| safe quarters. Just here was about the
darkest bit of road in all the route. Mount
ing my horse, | was about to urge him on,
| when the cry came again. Ii did sound
like child's the plaintiye wall of a child
noary exhausted.
"GOd guide M !" said, undecided what
to do. And as / sat another moment lis
tening, ! once more heard the cry fainter
and more faint. | threw myself off my
horse with an exclamation.
"Be it ghost or be it robber, Anthony
Hunt is not one to abandon a child to die
without trying to save It,"
But how was to save it how fad it ?
The more ! searched about the less could
my hands light on any thlng, save the siDp-
by earth. The voice had quite ceased now ,
|
trying 10 peer into the darkness, 81 ears
alert, food of sheet lightning suddenly H.
lumiua cd the plain. At a little distance,
Just bryend kind of ridge or gentle hill,
| caught glimpse OF something white Ii
was dark again 10 moment, but made
my way with unerring instinct. Sure
enough, there lay poor lit lie child.
Whether boy or girl could not tell. 1t
seemed to he three parts insensibe now,
rs took it up, dripping with wet, from
the sloppy earth.
"My poor little thing =" ssij, 80
hushed it to me. 1--WE will 60 snd fad
nanny. You are safe now"
And: in answer, the child just pat out il
feeble hand, moaned once, and nestled
C ose to me.
With the child hushed to my breast
rode on. It's perfect silence showed me
that it slept. And sir, thanked God thai
He had let me save it, and | thought how
grateful same poor mother would DE Bl
! was fun of wonder for all that, wonder
ing what extraordinary fate had taken any
young child 10 that solitary spot.
Getting IN sight of home, l saw all the
windows allght. Deborah had done it fol
me, | tn ught, to guide me home in safe
" through the darkness. But presently
knew tnat something must be the matter
for the very few neighbors we had were
gathered there. My heart stood still viii
tear. Thought of some calamity to ont
of the children. had saved a like ont
from perishing, but what might not hAvt
happened to my own.
Hardly daring to lift the latch, while my
poor tired horse stood still and mute out
side, went SLOWLY in, the child in my arm
covered with the flap of my long coat NJ,
wife was weeping bitterly.
"What's amiss?" | asked in faint voice
: And 1t seemed that whole chorus o
u voices answered me
l "Dolly's lost !"
i Dolly lost Just for moment my bear
u turned sick. Then some instinct, like
J, ray of light and hope, seized upon me
u Polling the coat off the face of the child
- held, lifted the 1T lie sleeping thing to tn
: light ana saw Dolly
8 Yes sir. The child had saved was n
oiher than my Own-my little Dolly. A"
a knew Gods good angels had guided me I
l. save her, and that the first fl ash of the sun
/ mer lightning had shone just az the rigs
= moment to show me where she lay.
e was her white sun-bounet that had caugh
$ my eye My darling it was, and none 9th
II er, that had picked up on the drenehe
u road.
q Dolly, anxious for her doll, had wandere
~ out unseen to meet me in the afternoon
I, For some hours she was not missed.
~ CHANGED that my two elder girls had goa
- over TO our nearest nelghhor's, and m
- wife, missing the child just aiterward, TOO
- it for granted she was with them. TIL
u little one had come on and on, until nigh
W and the storm overlook her, when she fe
~ down eXhausted I thanked Heaven alOu