Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-08-09

TtdSSuTeu uOubeh66p6rb. Aunt D6DDy
found time 10 mold and salt her butter,
while our eldest sister prepared supper,
and little Dolly was sent to the barn to
feed the cosset lamb, whose hungry
bleat had not, for a wonder, betrayed
its whereabouts to the mutton hungry
marauders, who had unceremoniously
appropriated whatever they cared for in
that line.
As she opened the door, the little girl
heard something's rustic, then a half
suppressed groan, that made her shrink
back, trembling all over; and turning
her face toward the house, she debated
the question of meeting the sly jokes of
her brothers on her cowardice, or going
boldly into the now dusky barn. The
piteous bleating of her pet decided her,
and timidly she opened the great barn
doors, and slipped in, holding her breath
as she tripped across the wide floor slip
perry with hay seed to the corner where,
behind a pile of unhusked corn, poor
Glover all day kept her hungry vigil.
"Poor Glover !" crooned the child, set
ting down her basin of thickened milk
close to the little creatures eager nose,
"I'm real sorry nobody thought of you;
but we've had awful thieves round here
to-day, lammiel'' and she patted the
animals woolly coat in her pretty. conf
dental fashion.
She laid her curly head lovingly
against the lambs side, forgetful for the
moment of every thing, but the safety
of her pet, when suddenly a low voice
close to her ear said, in bantering tone
that was not at all calculated in itself to
inspire terror:
"Hoot, lassie! |"
Dolly started, and screamed aloud in
her fright, but the sight of the honest,
good -natured face looking out at her
from behind the corn rick reassured her
somewhat, and still clinging to her
lamb, she asked, timidly:
"Who are you? and what are you
here for ?"
The man pointed to his sleeve, all
stained and discolored with blood.
GA bullet has game clean through my
arm," he said, with the indifference of
one habituated to hardship and suffer-
ing; but the little girls face grew sud-
denly pitiful.
"Let me run and get Doctor Rogers
to do it up p she exclaimed; but the
soldier laid a OBTAINING hand upon her
arm.
"Nae leech for me-" he said. cts
naething but flesh wound, after a., an
a l want is a strip O. auld linen an
bowl O water; can max shift to dress
it my ainseP. But, my bonnie lassie,"
lowering his voice, and glancing appre-
hensively toward the door, "where are
the marines, noo?"
"They've all gone off to Bangor" was
the glad reply. "There amt one of 'em
left here now"
The wounded soldier mused for
moment, and then he said, gently:
" hae wee lassie O. my ain at home,
aboot your age, an t wad be sair blow
to her to ken that her daddy cam to his
death in this far off land. My wound
maun hae time to heal, an will We moo.
for little Janet's sake, gle me a hidin'-
place amang the barley riggs up yon ?"
" If father be willin'," began Dolly:
but the soldier shook his head deci-
sively.
"Na, ma, I'll trust uane but yersel.
A bit O. hammock moo an then, wi a
draught frae auld crummie doom there
in the byre, will keep me alive for the
next few days, till I can show my held
wi safety"
Dolly's tender heart was touched, and
she consented to the arrangement, not
only procuring the bandages and water
that the soldier had asked for, but big
bowl of bread and milk that, in the ex-
element and hustle indoors, she had
had no difficulty in abstracting unno-
ticed from the pantry; and when he was
comfortably ensconced in warm corner
OF the upper NOW, she thoughtfully
provided him with horse blankets and a
tattered old comfortable that had some
times served as q sleigh robe for the
boys in their winter evening rides.
"May the Father O. Mercies bless
you, my bairnie," was the whispered
benediction of the grateful man as he
received these welcome proofs of her
benevolent good will; and all that eve
ming the child pondered upon the in
compatibility between her soldiers
words and his profession.
" Father" she asked, at length, edo
you s'pose any of these soldiers from the
ships can be good men ?"
They're jest like the Amelekites, "
broke in Aunt Debby, sternly.
"Ain't you a leetle hard, Debby =?
seem the men are only doin' what
they're obleeged ter do"
Aunt Debby's gray head bristled de-
family.
81 don't believe in maxim friends
with unrighteousness." she said, with !
an air OF uncompromising severity. eff
one O. them Britishers was hungry, I'd
give i'm bread; if he was thirsty, I'd |
give i'm drink; an then-I'd Jest hand
i'm over to the authorities ter hang or
shoot as they see fit"
With a child's unquestioning conf
dence in the wisdom of her elders,
frightened little Dolly took it for grant
ed that death would be the penalty if |
her wounded soldier should be found,
and every doubt that she had ever felt
in regard to keeping his place of refuge |
secret from her family was now decid-
ed once for all. In spite of Aunt Deb
by's denunciation, she felt sure that this |
soldier was no "Amelekite," and she
made up her mind that, let come what
would, she would stand by him to the
last. ttr
The days slipped by, and the British
ships, after cruising about in the river
and doing all the harm that they could
to the American shipping, set sail one
fine morning, and disappeared down the
bay, greatly to the joy of the inhabi-
tants of the towns upon the shore.
Poor little Dolly just now was having
hard time of it. Aunt Debby accused
her of idleness and inattention, while
her father threatened to kill Glover, who,
he declared, ate as much milk as all the
family put together; and even her moth
ar rendered narvoue apd ;-,;Iol.Io r.