The Benton weekly record., 1880-09-17
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IN GRACE GREENWOOD.


In the city OF Hartford, Conn. lives the,
hero Of the true story ! am about 10
relatc--btlt no longer little. !" rs the peril
ous adventure which made him t:mOtls in
his native town happened several years :.
/ ago.
| Our hero WAS then Il bright, active boy of
| fourteen-ti.e son of mechanic. III the
severe winter Of, 1885, the t;sthcr worked I'M
| a factory about ]; mile from his home, and :.
every day the boy carried him his. dinner
across d piece of meadow land One kcens
| frosty day he found the snow on thiS.neui 5
ow nearly two feet deep, and, no traces Of :.
the footpath remaining. Vet he ran Oh :ts
fast as possible plnnging through drifts,
keeping himself warm by vigorous eScr-4.
! else, and by brave cheerful thoughts,
| When in the midst of The meadow, fully
halfa Il mile from the house, he suddenly :
felt himself going down, down. ~
| He had fallen into q we'll He sank,
down: down, into the dark, icy water -
but rose immediately to thesurtace. 'rheres>
he grasped hold Of Il plank which had fall-,x~
| Ell into the well as he went down. One
end of this rested Oh the bottom OF the we'll
and the other rose about four feet bovc the
/ water. The poor lad >houicti for hatp ul4-
It'll he was almost speechleea bjt all in :
vain, as it was impossible to make fiinlself .
heard from such Il depth, ana at such a dis
tance from any house. So Mt last .he con-
ii, laI ~,
| save himself, md beginut once, Ms he was
getting extremely cold III the water So
he went to work.
/ First he drew himself up the plank, ana
braced himself against the top Oft ana
the well, which waa OF brick and quite
| smooth, then he pulled: off his coat, and
taking out his pocket knife he cut Oft his
boots, that lie might go Is work TO greater
advantage. Then with his feet against ons
side of the well and his shoulders against
the other, he walked lis way Ap, bs the
most fearful eSertion. about half Of the .
distance TO the top: Here he was obliged
to pause, to take breath, aid gather ny HIS
energies for the work yet before hin. Far
harder was 1t than nn he;lnlI gone through,
for the side being from that point covered
with ice, he must cnt with his knife grasp
ing places for his tfngcrs,~s slowly and care,
fully, all the way up,
It was almost :: hopeless attempt hat lit
was all that he could do, And here the;
little hero lifted up his heart to God and :.
prayed telvently for help, fearing that he
could never get out alone. Doubtless the
Lord heard his voice calling from Tie deep
rand pitied him.. lie wrought no miracle
to save him, but he hreathed into,llia lieark
a yet larger measure Of ealmnesss and eo,u~
own deliverence.
After this, the little hero cut his way up :.
ward inoll by inch. Flis wet stockings
froao to the ice and kept his feet from slip
ping, but his shirt was quite worn from. ::
his shoulders ero he reached the top. He. :.
did reach 1t Mt last-aIld crawling out into
the snow laid down Il moment to rest
painting out his breath in little white clouds
on the clear frosty air. lie had been twt,
hours and Il half III the we'll. His clothes
soon froze to his body, but he 40 l0ngee
suffered with cold as, full of JOY and
thankfulness, he ran to the factory, where
his father was waiting and wondering.
The poor man had to go without his din
ner that day, but YOU may be sure lie cared
but little about that, while listening witt,
tears in his eyes to the thrilling story his
son had to relate to him. He must have
been proud Of the boy that day, as he
wrapped him in his own warm overco,tt,,
and took him home to his mother. <sn.7
how that mother must have wept aud
smiled over the lad, and kissed hm and
thanked God for him.
have not heard Of the hero forsome
years, but trust he has grown up into q.
brave, heroic man, and hope he will new
er forget the heavenly Friend who did not /,
forget him in the hour Of his~great need ~
There is al old saying, that truth lies at
the bottom of {, well. / trust that this
brave boy, found and brought up. from
there this truth~--'GOd helps those who
help themselves