The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-03-11
THREE ADVENTURES.

life anew on n backwoods farm. MY
father had taken the contract to carry
the mail from L--, the town next
below us, up TO D, eleven miles
above. Between these two points the
mail was carried twice n week. The
sum received for the services was only
$i10.
The distance was upward of fifteen
miles, and 1O4 round trips of over thirty
miles each were made during the year
But my father had counted on my doing
the carrying part on horseback. l was
then in my fourteenth year.
Every Tuesday and Saturday morning
had to set Off for r. at six O'Clock
with the mail bag, and ride over the
county road to D.
This road ran through forest, and
had not been long built. There were
but three clearings and two watering
troughs in the whole distance. Woods,
woods, woods bordered the road on both
sides. Often did not meet single
team or person from the time / was fair
~ Oub vi I1-T-~- llll Itdtiltu
sometimes saw the tracks of bears in
the road, and sometimes my horse would
stop and snort, as the scent of some
wild animal was borne to him. Several
bears crossing the road some distance In
advance of me. / commonly arrived ut
D by eleven o'clock, but had to
wait there till half-past two for the down
mail, so that when autumn came was
always late homeG
The adventure of which am going
to speak happened to me that summer.
Above D, in the woods on the
river, n numbering firm had for the two
years previous been getting out spruce
and pine. They employed large num-
ber of men both summer and winter,
and did an extensive business. Their
mail came to D, and doubtless
checks and drafts for large sums were
often sent to them in letters and were
placed in my mail bag.
One afternoon, as L was going TO
l., and had left the town of
D four or five miles behind me,
overlook a woman dressed in soiled
calico grown, with an old dirty white
"cioud" on her head. She limped pain
fully, and had quite large bundle tied
up in a calico apron.
knew she was u Province woman.
AS came up to pass her, she cast u
most pitiful look into my face. She
looked young, not more than eighteen
or twenty years of ago.
so my good boy" says she, can't
yer give me lift on ther horse ?"
How far are you going 7" asked.
/" Doom ter l., -" and from ther
on to Barngour (Bangor) into sarvice. I"
DO you expect to walk all the
way ?"
go, yeusl but | wouldn't mind that
at all, eff hadn't trod on that stoob
up here. Me shoen are thin-soled, an
it stock right inter the hollow of me
foot, an think as it's in ther now,
for it hurts me that much l can hardly
bear pound on 1t. oh, this is u hard
wureld !" and concluded with heart
moving sigh.
My sympathies were stirred, and l
felt that ought to let her ride, for she
looked very tired, and had a wonder
fully pleading pair of dull black eyes,
1 had no thought, however, of riding
double with her. So got off at the
turn, and leading my horse to stump
beside the road, let her get on his back
with her bundle. Then unbuckling the
rein to make halter of it,. 1 threw the
mailbag over my shoulder and walked
along, leading the horse. My passenger
was quite talkative and very thankful.
She told about the trials and hardships
of a servant-girl's life with fluency of
expression that gave me little opportu-
nifty to speak. Every few minutes she
would say that L had better put the
"barg on the hoorse'' and not carry il
myself.
No, told her, would carry it; she
had her bundle to take care Of AS she
talked and held her bundle, my atten-
tion was drawn to the thumb of her
left hand. Its nail was gone. 1t had
apparently been jammed off, leaving a
peculiarly fresh pink-red scar. In fact,
the entire end of the thumb above the
joint was red, and looked disfigured and
peculiar.
Meanwhile she talked on, and among
other things told me her name was
Betsey Ellen McNally, and that she was