The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-12-09

DeduGllu 10y, dull 1G Se0uloQ DIS GUOUgn
I had nothing more to desire, no great
er boon to ask for.
Shortly after this our child was taken
sick, and it seemed for months as though
we should lose him. He finally rallied,
and partially recovered, though my ply
sician, after many mysterious hints that
[ can understand now, told me that If I
wanted to see him grow to years Of ma
thrifty I must leave New York and find
home upon some Western farm.
can't tell you, sir, how I dreaded to
inform my wife what the physician had
said it seemed a terrible sacrifice to
ask her to make, and it was only after
months Of hesitation that ventured, one
day, to breach the subject to her. To
my great JOY, she saw the necessity. and
at once consented to leave New York.
our friends, acguaintances, culture, ease.
and luxury for the discomforts of a pio-
neer life
In closing my business in the city, an
opportunity occurred which enabled me
to secure what was termed fine tract
Of wild Western land, and to it we came.
l built this house, and surrounded my
home with such comforts as we could
procure for here we determined to re-
main and rear our child, who was fast
growing to be noble boy.
When Benny was 4 years old, he was
child that any parent might have been
proud Of and when we saw his ruddy
cheeks, and the perfect picture Of
health that he appeared, his mother and
myself both felt that no sacrifice we had
made for him had been too great. He
was the apple of our eyes, sir, the breath
Of our life and had grown to be the idol
Of our home-our household god, to the
exclusion of all things else
Three years ago this fall, when Benny
was almost years old, one dark No
vember day, I was in the field where
had a couple of men at work, and, late
in the afternoon, CHANGED to look up,
and saw the little fellow, accompanied
by his pet rabbit, coming toward me
from the house.
1 went to meet him, and, taking him
in my arms, told him that it was too
cold for him out there, and to run back
to his mother. I was busy at the time
and thought no more of the matter until
just before dusk, when returned to the
house and my wife met me at the door
with the inquiry:
Where's Benny %
Before the question had hardly left
her lips I felt chill go over me like an
ague it, Cold hands seemed to clutch
my heart, cold lips to whisper in my
ear, "Benny's dead" turned toward
my wife, and saw that as she looked into
my face hers grew ashy pale, while she
waited for my answer. My tongue fair
ly cleaved to the roof Of my mouth I
could not have answered word had my
life paid the forfeit. At last she seemed
to read my thoughts, for, Selling my
arm with a grasp that can feel to this
day, she gave such wall of anguish as
mortal ear never listened to before, and
fell to the floor insensible.
can't tell you why I thought so, but
from the moment my wife asked for the
child L had presentiment that Benny
was dead. It flashed upon me like
lightning; nor could I get rid of it,
though it weighed me down like an in
cubus.
We were alone in the house at the
time, and I picked her up from the floor
and carried her to her room there, and
laid her upon the bed. Then I sum-,
moned assistance, and went out of doors
to find that it had grown bitter cold as
wellas very dark. I instantly dispatched
my men to arouse the .neighbors and
then returned to the house to endeavor
to console my poor wife, As entered
the door the sound Of my steps seemed
to rouse her to consciousness, for she
sprang toward me, and, throwing her
arms about my neck and looking plead
ingly in my face, cried:
"You will bring me back my darling
boy, won't you, Paul ?"
promised her I would, and she be-
slowed upon me hundred kisses, MUIR
muring oil the time:
"Thank God he'ssafe, then. Thank
God he's safe, then"
Perhaps you can imagine in some de-
gree my feelings. No person ever ex-
perienced such feelings as I did when I
realized what I had promised, for I
knew that the boy was dead as we'll as I
know it now and all the while she lay
at my, feet moaning like some dumb
creature in pain, and trying to console
her with assurances that I knew in nv
heart were false. But what else could I
do?
When the neighbors came in they
carried here to her room, while I went
to search for our child. In less than an
hour all the settlers within five miles
were hunting with torches and lanterns
over the prairies for the boy. AS for
me, where went, or what I did, I have
never known, for I had one thought con-
stantly on my mind-that our boy was
dead, and had promised to bring him
back to his mother alive.
Well, sir, we searched all night, not
withstanding the fact that about 3
o'clock the next morning the snow be-
gan to fall. I never saw it snow faster,
for by daylight the ground was
covered more than five inches
deep, and we had not found the
child. We kept up the search, and be-
fore noon more than fifty persons were
engaged in it, but we found no trace of
him, and at last it was given up. Then
I knew that I must return to my home
alone and tell my wife the truth.
What passed after I reached the
house I do not know, for the next two
days were as hideous dream. only
remember that my wife met me at the
door and said to me, 6 IF you had only
&o1l 4,