The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-12-23

Then we set ourselves to search out
side the gates, holding u lanterns care
fully to the ground, and all at once in
the deep clean snow we saw the print Of
little feet amongst, larger feet. Away
down the road we followed them, always
tracing them easily amongst mems feet
and horses feet for full two hundred
yards away from the house. There we
found the mark of where our little man
had set himself down to rest, and there,
alas! we found one of his little boots,
with a sock in it, and from that point
forward could trace the little footprints
still, the mark of the boot and the mark
of the wee naked toes now side by side.
Some fifty yards or SO, however, from
where we found the boot there were signs
of his having wandered from the road in
to the deep snow; there were signs of
trampling there by other feet, and there
all trace was lost. Not another footmark
could we find beyond this point, nor any
footmark that indicated that he had turn
ed to go home again. It was clear that
our little man had first wandered out
side the gate, had been at once confused
by the snow, and lost his way; had wan
dered on and on, further away from home
1--WE fancied hsw the poor little thing
cried, heartbroken), and had at last lain
down overcome with cold, and-slept.
And all this while the poor mother
was with us. But now at last by main
force she had to be taken home, and I
with her, while the search was continued
without us.
At every neighboring house people
called, hoping to gain some clue, but
gaining zone. At every house, as o
as it was known what the trouble was
which sent these white faces from neigh
Dor Gordon's to break in upon their hap
| by Christmas eve, some stout-hearted fell
low was ready to rise and JOIN the search
ers>
How wearisome was that search, and
how eagerly conducted; or how much
more wearisome the terrible waiting at
home, to me, to Helen. and to the aged
men who had with difficulty been kept
at home, I need not tell. God forbid
that / should eyer again be witness to
such agonin& distress as that OF my
poor ~sisters She sat and swayed herself
to and fro, moaning How, and refused to
be comtorted. Then she left us, and by
and-by I found her kneeling at her bed
side-better, l hoped, tor the tears which
had come, but little short of crazed with
grief.
And so the two weary hours-seemiRe
a whole night rather-wore away, and a,
last we heard our friends at the gate
again, talking low, as if in consultation
and then we heard quiet tgood-n1ghts,'
and beard Kitty led slowly away, anG
heard the footsteps of two or three com
ing into the kitchen, quietly and no
speaking to each other. And we looked
into each others faces with dull, leader
eyes, and no one rose to go out and ash
the news.
1t was like a house into which deatl
and quiet. The very dog shared in tn
gloom, and allowed any one who Like
to pass and repass without a bark or mo
ton, as if it knew the house had lost it
| treasure, and that there was no need t
| keep watch and guard any more.
Then came in my husband and Edwin
The news was o 0 told. They ha,
driven along the south road for about al
: hour, till they had overtaken a poo
woman whom they questioned as t
whom had passed her. It proved to b
4 our poor Frenchwoman, and as Edwi
8 talks French fuently, they soon learne,
from her that no n had passed her VIII
}, could by any possibility know anythin
t OF the child. The poor creature had I
It stay and rest so often that she had mad
hardly any progress on her journey, an
= was already longing tor any place wLe1
' she could stay that night. She 500
# gathered from Edwin that the lost chill
IS was he whom she had tondled in til
v morning, and then she forgot her ow
care and eagerness to pursue her wa,
and begged to be taken back to help j
It the search. So they had brought b,
It with them, and she was wandering abe,
d alone with a lantern, not content till ST
e had looked for herself into all the place
where we had all looked before her.
I The sad summary OF it all was that I
one of all who had been searching, ha
d gained the slightest trace of poor, 10
BERTHE.
= CHAPTER Ill.
MARROW ESCAPE OF MADAME GUILLOT
l hope the reader will never make OF
. to ST. IN SO sad a circle as that whit
II gathered about the ire when the scare
was stayed. The big Christmas tr
a. stood in its pride, decked with all j
ID fruit of toys aud presents and loving i
m scriptions. Tables greaned under Ii
k, jolly Christmas cheer that waited for t
oven.
* You are not to suppose that search W
abandoned. We were sitting only VIII
we could decide what to do next. N
S, one of us but felt it would be more e
ar durable to wander searching,even AGAR
I'd hope, amongst the snow through all t
III livelong night, than to sit there nursil
our own sad thoughts.
es We might have sat in this way perha