Connecticut western news., 1878-11-27

Mister have you seen my father, anywheres ?'' .' ...
 I started in surprise to see in that lone ly wintry place the figure and face of a pretty little boy, about ten years old, suddenly standing out against the sum- set sky. =..- .-. t
 "Your father? No, my boy" said I. But what are you doing here, miles away from any house, all alone at this time of day" ..,- ...s.
 "Why, you see, sir, said the boy, as cheerful as 8 chipmunk, my father told me to stay till he came back. He went down this morning to Woodstock to get news of mother, who is very sick. If she's no better, he'll come up tonight and take me home tomorrow, but if she is better, he'll want me to stay here with him, and help get out some more stone." yt=-. -E.a .E@G ? -
 "But, my boy" said I, sthere's a heavy snowstorm coming. Look down there toward Shandaken. Look at the queer colors in that sky. If you stay here tonight you will be covered in with drifts till next summer, and never come out alive. Have you got food ?" ''
 6 Enough for tonight" said the brave little fellow. sl -s.-l . s..., ;.
 ssAnd are you not afraid of" I stopped short. was going to say bears, for I had seen plenty of their tracks that day. ai .a...- -... Afraid? No! Fathers sure to come. He told me to stay,a and I'm going to do it." v=-s .3-' 70 .-sss .-'.
 went into the little cabin and found tiny stove, few armfuls of chips, a pitcher of water, bit of bread and cheese, and pair of tattered blankets that was all. My heart sank. Fuel, to be sure, was plenty, but how was that heroic little fellow to bring enough to keep himself from freezing if his father did not come. r'E.
 It seemed almost certain death for him to remain there in the lonely pass through such a storm as was close at hand. It was growing dusk in the high valley light hurries, forerunners of the tempest, were beginning to sweep down from the heights and long lines of white clouds were filing through the gorges.
 ~ "Come with me, my boy" I cried. "Come at once We may get across tc the head of Plauterkill before the storm bursts, and we shall be more sheltered in the woods. See how dark it grows all of a sudden" E.a-.s ,' 1~-. 4asl ',
 CT must mind my father" said he. "He told me to stay, and I'm going to stay He'll I,e sure to come. "'s97' z '.,
 "Wbo knows," thought I, "but your father may be drinking all this time in the old tavern at Woodstock? Yet so sharp boy would have learned already not to trust such father as that"
 "Look here, my little man" I said "you've got to come with me. If you won't, I shall carry you. must not leave you here. Come along You've got to go P @ '-~ .'..@ '% 7s"
 As I started forward to take hold oi him the boy gave a shout of laughter, and springing through the doorway vanished among the woods in a twink. ling. I drew long breath of wonder I and ran as fast as I could in the direc. | tion in which he had disappeared, but though searched the mountain-side fol nearly half an hour, so cunningly hao he hidden himself away in the bewilder
 ment of rocks and fallen trees, that my search was vain. He knew too we'll, al the caves and fastnesses of Overlook and was laughing at me, safely hidde1 away in one of them, like little Puck or mocking mountain sprite. The pow dering drifts that were flying about haG already hidden his small footsteps. Th' twilight was nearly gone, large fake' of snow began to fall thickly, and a1 ominous roar could be heard in the top, of the pines. The storm was upon me I thought it best to take care of numbe
 one, as I had lost the half one, but was sorely troubled and could not bea
 to leave that boy behind. Yet, thougl my conscience smote me, hurried on a
 fast as possible through the pathles
 woods, often straying out of my cours
 in the whirling tempest, till reached,
 hardly know how, the charcoal-burner at the top of the pass. There I go warm and rested little, and then go on little further to Plauterkill Falls
 where I spent what YVES left of the night
 Next morning I started early to ge
 back to my work, though it was 8 yer
 hard tug, and the storm was not muc
 abated. But I did not want the boss t think that I had been carousing owe night. I valued my character a gres deal, and meant to keep it up. I trie to persuade the people at Plauterkin t , go over for the boy, but they would nc
 go out of doors that day, they said, fc Jones's boy, or any other boy. H might take care of himself. , Our numbering was stopped for
 while by that storm, and our gang wei , sent over to Rondout to ship timbe 7 and from there back to Glenn's Fall , and never knew what became of tn, l boy. I always blamed myself for n, , staying with him for the night, or
 a least till his father came, and for n t cowardice In caring more about losir
 my place, or possibly my life (for I can e mighty near be1ng lost in that storm n than for the safety of that fine, man t little fellow, whose bright face hauntt me for many day. We'll, time we e on. was married to the very girl f 1t whose sake alone I took to the woo, s that day I tried to gain some educatic