The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-01-03
HerOiSn.

The winter of 1869 (says Canadian la.
| dy in her journaD was unusually severe, and
the ice on the st. Lawrence particularly
thick however, while the river beneath
was rushing toward the sea, the ice was
waiting in allegiance in the middle of the
stream until the narrow fastness between
Montreal and st. Helen's should burst and
| allow the whole mass to break into pieces,
and then in stupendous confusion to hurry
down toward Quebec.
On st. Helen's there was quartered a
small detachment of troops and while the
breaking up of the ice was momentarily
expected, many of the soldiers, muflled in
their great coats, with thick, storm gloves
on their hands, and with piece of fur at
tached to their caps to protect their ears
from being frozen, were on the ice, employ
ed in attending to the road across it to-
Montreal.
After short suspense, which increased
rather than allayed their excitement, a
deep, laundering noise announced to them
that the process have described had COM
menced. The ice before them wrthed,
heaved up, burst, broke into fragments,
and the whole mass. excepting small por-
ton. which, remaining riveted to the shore
of st. Helen's, formed an artificial pier
with deep water beneath it, gradually
moved downward.
just at this moment of intense inter-
est a little girl, the daughter of an artil-
leryman on the island, was seen on the ice
in the middle of the river, in an attitude
of agony and alarm. Imprudently and I'M
observed, she attempted to cross over TO
Montreal, and was scarcely half way when
the ice, both above, below her, and in all
directions, gave way. The child's fate
seemed inevitable, and it was exciting
various sensations in the minds, and vari-
Gus ordinations from the mouths of the
soldiers, when something within the breast
OF a young sergeant of the regiment, who
happened to be nearer to her than the rest,
distinctly uttered to him the monosyllables,
"Quick, march !" And in obedience there.
to, fixing his eyes on the child as on
parade benderole, he steadily proceeded
toward her. Sometimes before him, some
times just behind him, and sometimes on
either side, an immense piece of ice would
pause, rear up on end, and roll over, so as
occasionally to hide him altogether from
view. Sometimes he was seen jumping
from piece that was beginning to rise,
"'i' NhSAi INV u NhltC DCul, carefully CluI-
bering down a piece that was beginning to
sink. However, onward he proceeded, un-
til reaching the little island of ice on
which the poor child stood, with the feel
ing of calm triumph with which he would,
have surmounted breach, he firmly
grasped her by the hand.
By this time he had been fioated down
the river nearly out of sight of his com
rades. However, some of them having run
to their barracks for spy glasses, distinctly
beheld him about two miles below them,
sometimes leading the child by the hand,
sometimes carrying her in his arms, some
times "halting," sometimes running dou-
ble.quick :" and in this dangerous predic-
ament he continued for six miles, until, af.
ter passing Longeuil, he was given up by
his companions as lost.
He remained with the little girl floating
down the middle of the river for a consid.
cradle time; at last, toward evening, they
were discovered by some French Cana.
dians, who, at no small risk. humanely
pushed off in a canoe to their assistance,
and thus rescued both from their perilous
situation The Canadians took them to
their home. AT last, in due time they re-
turned to st. Helen's. The child was
happily restored to her parents and the
brave sergeant quietly returned to his
barracks.