Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-09-08
The Wonderful Mother.

The winter Of the year 1909 was one of
extreme cold. Never was a colder winter
known in Europe. In France many people
froze to death in their beds, not only among
the mountains, but even in the villages and
cities. The hottest fire was not sufficient
TO keep room warm.
Sparrows and crows and jackdaws some
times fell down dead while flying in the
air. Large focks of sheep and cattle froze
in the barn-yards.
During this winter poor little Savoyard
boy was wandering the streets of Luneville,
in Lothringin. He was an orphan. His
older brother who had taken care of him,
was frozen to death.
The little Savoyard boy wandered about
from house to house, to get a little employ
ment or piece of bread. lie was glad to
blacken boots or shoes, dust clothes, clean
dishes in the kitchen, or do anything that
would give him sou. But when night
came on, his suffering became intense. He
had slept with his brother in a carpenters
shop, where the two had covered themselves
with an old footcloth on which they piled
shavings very high. But now he was alone,
and would certainly freeze in the carpenters
shop. The wife of hostler took compas.
sion on him, She showed him little sleep
ing-pace In one of the stalls in the stable
where the horses of a certain prince were
kept In this stall there stood an iron cage,
in which a large brown bear was confined,
for the beast was very wild and angry. The
boy lay down upon some straw, and stretched
out his hand to pull more. As he stretched
out his hand, he put it in between the wires
of the cage in which the beast was and
found that a large bear was there. Think.
ing it was better to get in where the straw
was, he crawled up to the bars. The bear
grumbled little, but did no violence. The
boy offered up a prayer which his mother
had taught him, and then committed him
self to the keeping of his heavenly Father
The bear took the little stranger between
her paws and pressed him near her warn
breast, against her thick skin, so softly and
so comfortably, that he who had not slept
for many nights with any comfort, now
forgot all fear, and soon fell into sweet
deep sleep.
In the morning the boy walked up with
renewed strength, and crept out of the cage
At night he returned 10 his strange mother
Beside the bear, there lay great man,
pieces CT bread which had been brough
from the table of the prince, but the bea
had eaten all she wanted and these wer
left. So the little Savoyard helped himsel
to all he needed. He then lay quietly dow
between the paws of his thick-clad mother
who pressed him TO her as she had don,
before, and he slept there as iu the warmes
featherbed.
In this way he spent five nights withou
anybody knowing it, On the morning o
the sixth night he oversight himself, so tina
when the hostlers went around with lantern
in early morning to attend the many horse
/, | in the Stahla thau W tha hnu 1v,per hat xua
. the paws of the great bear. The old bea
grunted a little, as if she was very muc
, offended at any one seeing her taking car
t of her little favorite. The boy sprang II
/ and squeezed through the cage, to the grea
D astonishment of the bystanders.
t This strange affair became widely knowr
aud created much wonder throughout til
: city. Although the modest Savoyard wa
: very much ashamed that anybody shoul
i know that he had slept in the arms of
l. bear, he was ordered to appear in the pre-
e ence of the prince, to whom he told his r.
e cent experience. The prince appointed
k day for him to come again. The boy cam
e and in the presence of the prince and pril
It cess, and many aople of rank, he was r
e quested to enter the cage where the grei
#" bear was. She received him as kindly
j. ever, and pressed him to her breast.
The good prince now understood that Il
l. bear had been the means of saving the poo
l. little orphan boy from death. No persc
d had taken care of him, none had shown al
e sympathy for him, and yet, in the Vel
10 coldest night of that remarkable winte
d this rough bear was the means of saving h
o life, the providence of God preserving hin
e The little Savoyard afterward led an homo
e able and useful life, nor did he ever forg
s. how God had spared him in his great nee
1t "The Lord that delivered me out of Il
t. paw of the lion, and out of the paw OF Il
n pear."-l Samuel xvii 81.
4, IL laid me down and slept; awake
/. for the Lord sustained me."-Psalm iii