Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-11-28

out in the snowrp And not few brave the
storm 10 20 and comfort the poor mamms
whose children arc really lost TO her.
Blowl blowi bowl But overhead the all
| Is clearing. A shout goes up as a star peeps
| up through the clouds, and the storm is over
| The voices of the men, as they break into
parties and leave the road 10 the right and 10
the left, are heard In every direction. And
the moon comes out, just as we saw 1t on the
billie.
BIZ, seven O'Clock What a hopeless task
Il seems Any drift might cover them, and
willing hands might pass them by without a
sign.
Stlll they Work on, Wandering far ont owe,
the helde, stopping at a farm house DOR here
and there, gaining helpers everywhere. The
snow still drifts With TIE wind; but the search
never Rags,
"harkl vast a shoutl No. Listen again"
"Bow, WOW, WOW ~
Creeping slowly through the snow, lifting
one paw wearily after another, comes = dog.
No one seems TO know him, and afoHnd his
neck is swung hunters pouch.
Did say no one knows himt That was a
mistake. we know MIN we'll, don't wet His
name WAS Hector and he left the little house
on the Mill thee hours ago. The dog is lifted
upon one of the oX-sleds. IL seems to give
him new life TO hear a human voice once more,
and he tries to spring up and lick the face OF
the man who pats his shaggy sides. Then he
is down once more In the snow, whining and
barking furiously.
!" cried the CHEEKY voice of one Of
the men, " What have VIC herel A shot
pouch, as | livel' he cried, working az the
strings that bound It.
Sure enough, and, stranger stlll, in the
pouch money and a request for food. The
little message from nowhere was eagerly
passed from hand to hand.
vi know the dog said one, Rhc had lust
come up. 4" pve met him hunting on the hills
yonder. He belongs TO the young fellow who
lives with his mother in the old Barnes house."
VINO are theytn asked a dozen at once.
DON'T know. They came from the other
summer"
Look at the dcg. No longer dropping and
weary he springs back and forth from sled to
sled, whining and crouching at the feet of the
ihen.
"What is it, my dogl We can't 90 up the
mountains tonight; but you shall have your
fill, and full pouch to carry home, my brave
old fellow.n
so the men say; but Hector does not mind.
Leaping through the snow, he looks back,
whines, and nearly speaks. What a pity he
cannotl
Suddenly a man shouts, "Can It be the
Can IL bel Is there any doubt Of itl See
how the dog answers. Tumbling, bounding,
barking ioyously, and the sleds move creak-
ing on. Through the drifts, out of the road,
over fences, slowly go the crowd of men, the
oxen and all. Now to the left. What great
domes are those far out into the fields by the
Noodsf There are two of them, and on the
Hindward side the snuw has been swept away.
There we see plain enough. They are hay
stacks, and where the hay has been pulled
away in as large armfuls as poor little Joe
could take-there in the little hay house
which he had made, where Hector pokes his
great black nose, and where papa stoops and
,nters-there they are, wet, hungry and near
y frozen, but safe And a shout goes up
which is carried back to the lingering search
,rs, back to the farm houses, and over the
telds to the listening ones at home. Safe
rom all the dangers of that terrible day
safe once more In loving arms-on papa's
,reast.
But they kept Thanksgiving the next day
It Upper Highlands Whatl Some one In
he narrow circle of the little township actual
y wanting foodi
SO they questioned, and this is the way they
answered. At early daybreak on that Thanks
living morning the sleds and oxen were out
gain. OF toward the hills they swing along,
Up, up as far as the oxen could go, then on
oot as best they could, up to the old Barnes
ouse. And they would not listen for mo-
nent to any answer but "yes."
Such laughing time as they had coming
OhA W Iuc oltub, anu Lueu buCu II Jolly rue
cross the intefvale and up the long streets. |
md many were the kisses old Hector got
light on his big black nose as he rushed into
his yard and that, barking for the people to |
Ook out and see his dear young master and mis- |
ress, who owere coming down TO spend Thanks |
living with them.
And the dinner they had at Bessie's home
Tot in the dining-room, for, although the
7arm sunshine of the Indian summer, which |
ad been bundled up in the haystack to which |
hey had wandered in the binding storm, had |
ept the children safe, yet the doctor wouldn't |
ct them go down stairs even for Thanksgiv- |
1g dinner; and so there was a table up. stairs, |
here the children lay in their low beds, Just |
bout big enough for mamma and papa and |
larry and his mother. But they were so |
rowded that they mad to put the plum pud- |
ing on the bureau.
But, after all, Hector was the hero, and he |
ore his honors modestly, as all heroes should. |
lie would sit at the foot of Joes bed and fold |
lis paws and wait patiently with a delicious |
iece of turkey on bis nose until Joe counted |
hree; and then he would go over to Bessie's |
ed, and once | saw her give him a piece of |
Ihite meat with cranberry sauce all over it..
1t certainly was the thankfulest Thanks |
living you ever knew in all your life. 1t was |
thankfulness that didn't end when the tur-
ey and plum pudding we're eaten, and when |
he sun went down that day, for in the spring |
road was opened up the mountain side, and |
he little house on the hill was no longer |
)nely.
Hector is lying in his own familiar corner, |
nd Harry, with his arm upon his mothers |
boulder, is looking down into the valley, |
'htch once had seemed so lar away.
Hector, old boy, wasn't that just glorious |
now storm after allln
Hector sneezed.-N. Y. Independent.