The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1880-01-14

off on an expensive travel, but he found
opportunity for his engagement upon the
staff of an exploring expedition which
would combine healthful recreation
with an equally healthful occupation.
The expedition was bound for the
Western wilderness, and we mead not
tell of the parting between the mother
and the son. She kissed him and blessed
him; and then hung upon his neck with
more kisses and then went away to her
chamber and cried.
Philip wrote home often while on his
way out; and he wrote after he had
reached the wilderness. His accounts
were glowing and his health was i'm
proving. Three months of forest life
and forest labor, of which Philip wrote
in Il letter that had to be borne more
than a hundred miles to nearest post,
and then followed months of silence.
Where was Philip? Why did he not
write?
One day DIR. Walsh came home pale
and faint, with newspaper crumpled
and crushed in his hand. Not imme-
diately, but by-and-bye, he was forced
TO let his wife read what had been seen
in that paper. She read, and fell like
one mortally stricken. 1t was a paper
from far distant city, and it told the
sad fate of the exploring party under the
charge of Col. John Beauchampe, how
they had been attacked by an over
powering body of Indians, and how
those not massacred had been carried
away captive.
Poor little womani Poor DIR. Walsh
But the mother suffered most. Her
head, already taking on its crown of
silver, was bowed in binding agony,
and her heart was well-nigh broken.
The JOY had gone out of her life and
thick darkness was round about her.
And so half year passed. One day
the postman left letter at the door.
The hand of the superscription was IA
miliar. Mrs. Walsh tore it open and
glanced her eyes over the contents. Oh,
joy! Oh, rapture! Her boy lived, was
well, and was on his way home to her.
When DIR. Walsh entered the room hs
found his wife f.inting, with the letter
clutched tight in her nerveless grasp.
By and by. when the great surge had
passed, husband and wife sat down and
read the letter understandingly.
"Thank God! found true friend,
or ] should say, true friend found me, :"
wrote Philip, after he had told of his
safety and his whereabouts. But for
the coming of this friend / should have
died ere this. He heard of me by name,
and when he learned that / was from
Ellsworth, and was the son of Silas and
Mary Walsh, he bent all his energies for
my release. He spent thousands of dol
lars in enlisting and equipping men tol
! the work, and with his own hand struck
down my savage captor and took me
thenceforth under his care and protec-
ton. God bless him, And be you ready,
both, to bless him, for he's coming
home with me-"
Upon their bended knees that night.
the rejoicing parents thanked God for
II his goodness, and called down bless
ng upon the head of the unknown
preserver of their son.
/ And in time, radiant and strong, their
Philip came home to them-came home
n bold and innocent maH-fitted for the
battle OF life-came home knowing
enough of life's vicissitudes. and pre-
pared to appreciate its blessings.
Aud with Philip came a man of
middle age-a strong. frank faced, hand
some man, with gray eyes and curling
| hair. '
This said the son, when he had
been released from the mothers rap
tured embrace. " is my preserver. Do
you know him ?''
The doctor looked and shook his head.
He did not know.
But the little woman observed more
keenly. Upon her the light broke over
poweringly.
"Is it hep she whispered, putting
orth her ha nds-" it James AM
mertonp" ..- -.. .-... g.. ..t
Yes" said the mana stranger now
no more. Il am James Ammerton
J and thank God who has given me an
opportunity thus to show how CRATE
fully remem ber q ! your kindness To
me, my more than mother"
And he held her hands and pressed
them to his lips, and blessed her again
and again, telling her, with streaming
eyes, that she, of all the world, had
lifted him up and saved hin.
That evening Mrs. Walsh, sitting by
her husbands side and holding one oi
his hands, said to him:
"Once upon a time, a pebble was
kicked about in the waste of sand: a
brushed away the dirt from the surface
he applied his chisel, and broke through
the crust, and behold-a diamond pur'
and brightn"