Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-07-25
CONTINUED from hrst psge.J

took him out into the bitter winter night.
Poor old Dobbin ?" said |, stroking his
cold neck. half resolved to relinquish nv
purpose.
But when | looked out at the cabin.
standing alone and deserted in the ghost
ly Wilderness Of the storm, felt that
could not re-enter II, remembering the
dear soul that had gone forth never to re-
turn, and the cold beloved clay that lay
over yonder bv the frozen Notipecago
So led him out and sprang into the
saddle. On one side Law the main road
that led to Pere Marquette. and on the
other bride path which supposed not
knowing, led straight to DIR. Jones house.
Poor Dobbn walked reluctantly away,
and under the saddle-cloth | could hear
his lungs heave ftfuly with his laboring
breath. But | urged him on. for a super
stitious dread of what was behind drove
me like goad. On and on we went in
10 the pine wilderness, along the winding
track that grew narrower and darker
and strangely like the paths had some
times seen made by straying herds through
brandy places, where the foot of man
had never trOd.
Strange" | said aloud, lancying that
dreadful melancholy of the wOni. 1--WE
ought to be there. Whoa, Dobbn"
The weak, sicky, stumbling creature
stopped, and, taking my dead parents
last gitt--a rare and costly watch-trom
my bosom, touched "A spring and held it
to my ear. The tiny strokes, like the
efn ting OF a grasshoppsr, told me that
The hour was twelve Again | touched
the spring and the fairy strokes counted
thirty minutes.
go on. Dobbin.'
The poor, faithful animal groaned and
lifted his feet YEARLY. The snow was up
to his breast. chill aud clammy, and he
slipped at every step; aud the sharp,
iutting boughs almost thrust me from the
saddle. Not rod further on we came to
the end OF the patb-an impossible bar
rier of bushy jumpers aud infant pines.
Nothing remained but to turn back
and for another hour the sick horse tOiled
through the huge drifts; and at the END
of that hour he stopped before another
inaccessible obstruction OF body pines
and dwaried cypress. knew then that
| was lost.
| gave my horse the rein, and. SILVER
ing and spritless. he wandered amlesslv
and iutilely on. The storm had constant
~ increased, and the great snOw-tlakes
came whirling down, swarming like milk
white wasps, and their touch stung like
needles of ice. There was a roaring and
a rolling of the heavy wilderness. and a
rushing and rocking among the tall
ghostly pines that stood like phantoms
hooded and armored in snow. and sense
OF insidious and fatal cold seemed creep
ing through the storm. My limbs seemed
frozen. and my fingers were slifiened
round the bride rein.
Poor. sick Dobbn 90 said again |
aloud, as the spant animal stopped with
moan that almost made me weep.
But that groan was the groan of his
death agony. He sank upon his knees,
gasped family, shivered with "A lessening
convulslon, rolled heavily upon his side,
and died.
Fortunately, my dying horse did not
fall upon me. dropped the useless rein,
and, loosening my numb feet from the
stirrup, labored on through the snow, I
knew not whittier.
Lost in the painless willis of Michi-
gan pine-forest, without guide or compass.
with my dead horse behind me, and the
death-cold snow to my waist, and still
falling like an inverted sea OF frozen
foam!
Again took my watch, and touching
the magic spring, held it to my ear.
Ting, ting, ting. The tiny musical
stroke sounded strange and sweet in that
horrible place. 1t reminded me of a
summer when had sat with Alexis on
that flowely margin of a shorn meadow.
and listened to the sharp metallic hum of
the rowing grasshoppers. All, nv faith
less loved Alexis Three o'clock Al
most tour hours before the dawn. Aud
when the dawn came, where then would
! be I? | was lott was freezing-I was
dying
toiled back through the rising snow to
my dead horse. and laid down in the fatal |
downy drifts with my head upon his
shoulder. 4 strange, slumberou, sensa-
ton crept along my nerves, and closed |
my eyes. The sweet, deadly spell of the |
insdlous cold was upon me. Delicious
visions went and came. There was love,
there was ecstacy, there was heaven in
the deadly lullaby of the rolling wind.
Then, through the slumberous sweet
ness and ineif4ble rapture. Alicia seemed |
to wander by, in her golden. git,ering
robes of silver tissues. And then melodi- |
Gus and unreal, like voice from heaven,
thought heard the tones of Alexis.
tried to speak, but could not Twas
tranced in delicious deadly letharey
But the electric tones seemed nearer aud |
something fell upon my face warmer than
the unpily wing snow. What. "a tear What, |
the voice OF Alexis here in this storm
bound wilderness, where | was lost and |
dying
But it was not rapturous vision of my |
freezing, falling senses.
The light of lantern flashed over me. |
Strong arms were around me, and | was
upborne and carried swiftly away; and
felt tears and kisses on my face my curd-
ling blood grew warmer. and nv senses
seemed 10 throw of the lethal spell.
GU torgave me, my angel, and |
would not listen! You spoke to me in my
shame aud remorse. and turned away.
/ was blind. was mad. | was weak
miserable villain, Mary ] am unworthy
of pardon from You"
You have saved my live, whispered,
with my cheek upon his shoulder as he
bore me from drill to drift. land love
you, Alexis"
Il have learned a mans lesson. Mary