Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-11-24
sat on .Clear the Track" all the evening,
telling her largest doll the greatest stories

sat on "Clear the Track" all the evening,
telling her largest doll the greatest stories
of what was going to happen on the NOR.
row. It was nine o'clock. Joe was
sound asleep, with his skates under the
pillow; and Bessie, with aClear the
Track" tied tight to the trundle-bed, still
clasping in her plump little hand the
! iroa neck of one of the swans,was dream
ing of a coast so long that it looked Al
| that time as if it would last until morn
ing.
| At ten o'clock there was wind and colo
enough, but still no snow; and the
village went to bed-the children IL
dream of skates and sleds, and the Older
ones to wonder where the money wa:
coming from to buy them.
But the next morning There was nc
doubt about it then, for the snow was
whirling past the windows at q uemend
GUS rate.
':What do you think about school to-
day, mother?" asked papa.
Breakfast had been eaten and the clock
hands were slowly moving around toward
starting time.
"No school to-day, think" said nam
ma, looking out at the drifting snow and
the leaden sky overhead.
sob! mamma" and Bessie sat down on
"Clear the Track and came very near
crying.
Il was going to drag Bessie all the
way to school and ali the way home
again, y said Joe, with very deep groan
s'and now you've spout it ALL
And he put his head against the corner
of the mantelpiece and wouldn't be com
forted.
at doesn't seem TO me- said papa, las
If we could have heavy storm ut this
tlme-only the 9th Of November. Don't
you think, too, mamma, that the clouds
look light over there?"
moment.
''Poohp' she said with very wise look
There's blue sky enough to make a
Dutchman's jacket.
"Where2" asked mamma.
Bessie looked again.
"Well, don't see now; but it's there
really and truly
will you promise to come home al
noon if the snow keeps on?''
ooh! yes" they promised over end
over again, and Joe, Bessie, and CLEAR
the Track were soon ready to start.
"Keep in the road! Don't go across
the felds!;' called mamma out of the
window.
Two kisses were thrown back. with the
answer, Gall right. Good bye."
The school house was a long distance
away; for, as the village wasn't rich
enough to have school all to itself, the
next village had joined with them
In supporting one, which was built half
way, and the children had nearly mile
to walk.
sob, why did l let those children go2'
said mamma to herself, the minute
they wore out of the ward. The
little brightness all disappeared from tn {
sky and tue wind whistled around the
house, rafting the blinds and whirl1ne
the snow this way and that into every
crevice and corner it could find.
"Why did I do it2'' she repeated 8
hundred times that morning, as the hours
went on and the storm went sweeping by
At eleven o'clock she could stand it No
longer. Calling Jane, the maid, she
told her to go at once to the store and
tell her master to send for Bessie and
Joe without delay.
1t took poor Jane five minutes Just to
so from the side door to the gate, and
half an hour to reach the store. The drifts
across the road ran from fence to fence,
and even the teams were struggling along
an inch at time.
Say I will go at once said papa.
A neishbor was passing in sleigh, and
they agreed to push on together.
How it did snow! As on the hills, so in
the valley. The roads were almost i'm
passable. The horse plunged and reared
as the hugh snow-drifts arose before him
and the binding storm dashed into his
face.
"They couldn't have gone further than
the halfway house, any way" said the
neighbor, trying to keep papa's courage
up. The halfway house was where 1t.
tie old woman lived all alone, and sold
apples and candy to the children as they
passed on their way to school,
The horse struggled on.
"Blees ye, sir, the childers is gone back
two hours ago, ach wild stick o. ca 1dy.
SO smilin' and happy" said the little Old
woman. Shure, they didn't go on at all. %
1t was then past two o'clock. and two
hours more it took them to travel that
short distance back again. And when
they reached home the horse was helpless.
"Well, mamma," cried papa, cheertully,
making believe he wasn't nearly wild
with anxiety, fare the children up stairs
or playing in the barn2"
White and trembling, mamma answers /:
'What! Haven't you brought them p:
And Mamma gives up then. while Jane
and papa lift her upon the lounge, trying
to bring back the light into her eyes once
more.
BY five o'clock brave, strong men were
out with heavy ORLEANS. But the women
shook their heads. Eight hours out il
the storm, and nothing but wee bits of
children, too. And they take their own
babies into their arms and think: "What
if they should be out in the snowr' And
not a few brave the storm to 90 and com
fort the poor mamma whose children are
really lost to her.
elbow! blow! blow! But overhead the
air is CLEARING shnrt rroaa IN 90 q e+o,