Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-05-16
The Crows Nest.

I'll CO." said Johnny.
"Whatl" said Mrs. Bray, half smiling,
"three miles across the mountain-side,
in all this deep snow?"
"Pve often carried fathers dinner to
him when he was in the maple-sugar
camp" said Johnny; @and that's half a
mile further than DR.. Denton's. It's
something of a walk, to be sure"
II should think So" said Mrs. Bray.
"But I think I could go quicker than
any one else," said Johnny, as he looked
pitifully at the little babe in the cradle,
whose dimpled face was all flushed
with fever. II love Willie, you know,
and"
And here great lump seemed to
rise up in his throat and check his
words.
Johnny and Willie were motherless
children. Their father earned his live
ihood by cutting pines in the forests,
hauling timber, and doing odd jobs
generally whenever he could get a
chance. Their mother had died few
months before, and kind neighbor
had offered home to the children, for
the sake of the little errands and chores
that Johnny could do.
Mrs. Bray was very kind to them,
and took the best possible care of the
baby; but there was many a night
when Johnny lay awake, softly crying
to himself, with his arms around Willie's
neck, and thinking of the dear, dear
mother he had lost. And it was his
greatest ambition to obtain good situa-
ton in the neighborhood, where he
could earn little money and help sup
port Willie.
@For I know that my father is very
poor" said Johnny, "and, if I could
only assist him, I know that mother
would be pleased up in heayen!"
"Well," said Mrs. Bray, after little
hesitation, 81 think you had better CO."
So Johnny put on his cap and tied
his faded worsted comforter about his
neck. An oyercoat was an unknown
luxury % 80. - A1-:s coat was warm
and snug, and he set off on brisk
walk, that was almost a run, in the
frozen March sunshine, over the mount
ain-side, that was white and glittering
with snow.
For all the dazzling sunshine, q ire
mendous gale of wind was blowing
such a gale as might make mariners
tremble, on the decks of great ships,
standing far out to sea- gale that
shook the tops of trees, and made them
groan and creak as if giants in pain
were hidden within their huge, messy
trunks.
And how Johnny found his way
through those trackless woods, where
there was no path, except here and there
the paw-marks of stealing fox, or
wildcat, or the velvety tracks of rabbits,
nobody could guess.
He kept his eye steadily on the sun,
and now and then paused to look for
rude signs cut in the bark of the birch
trees, which served as a sort of guide
post to him.
After long walk, crossing two or
three frozen streams, and getting over
a huge, rocky chasm by means of
fallen tree-trunk-which groaned dis
mally as Johnny picked his way across
it, as if it had half a mind to snap it.
self in two and let him down among the
snowy rocks below-he reached the
doctors house, on the other side, and
left his message.
"The doctor isn't in" said Miss
Phoebe, tie doctors sister, "but I'll tell
him the very minute he gets back. He
can drive around by the road in his
new cutter, and perhaps Ee'l be there
before you are
II hope so" said Johnny, wistfully
because our baby is very SICK"
"You'd better stop and have bit of
dinner" said Miss Phoebe. sits most
ready"
ooh, thank you'll" said Johnny; "but I
couldn't stay must get back to Willie.
I can quiet him better than any one else
when he is ailing and fretful."
So Miss Phoebe gave him o drink of
milk and piece of hot gingerbread, and
he started back home again.
e was getting on toward sunset now,
and Johnny was anxious to get home.
II think perhaps it would be shorter
cut" he thought, @if I could get down
to the railroad track and walk on that as
far as the Great Gray Rock, and then
cross the ice-pond to the old road"
He scrambled down the steep and
frozen side of the bleak mountain, and
soon came to the single railroad track,
upon which passenger train ran at s
in the morning going south, and in
the afternoon going north. There was
a freight train at noon also, but this had
passed by long since.
at must be near now" thought he.
81 shall hear the noise of the train as it
comes; and, besides, they always blow
whistle at the Great Gray Rock"
He walked along, swiftly and steadily,
his hands deep down in his pockets, and
his nose purple with cold. Suddenly
he stopped.
cts very strange that I don't see the
crows nest" he said, aloud, as if he
were talking to the yellow sunset in the
west.
The crows nest was a long-deserted
nest of sticks and straw and reeds, in
the decayed boughs OF lightning
blasted pine tree, which, from its pecul-
lar position, could be seen for some
distance away by any one approaching
from the northern side of the mount
ain. And then Johnny came around