The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-11-23
FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH.

FAl1nfUL UN1O DEAIn.
The fire burns eheerily on the hearth,
the great logs crackle and flare up the
wide chimney, up which 1t is my wont
to say YOU could drive coach-and-four.
draw my chair nearer TO it with shIv-
er. .'What night" say.
"Is it still snowing?" asks my wife.
who sits opposite to me, ner books and
work on the table beside her.
Fast. You can scarcely see yard
before YOU"
Heaven help any poor creature
the moor tonight" says she.
"Who would venture out? 1t began
showing before dark, and all the people
about know the danger of being be-
nighted on the moor in a snow storm.
eyes. But [ have known people
frozen to death hereabouts before now.
Nv wife is Scotch, and this pleasant
house in the Highlands is hers. We
are irving a winter in it for the first
time, and | find it excessively y cold and
somewhat dull. Mentally [ decided
that in the future we will only grace 1t
with our pesence during the shooting
season. Presently L go to the window
and look out it has ceased showing,
and through rift in the clouds see a
star.
cit is beginning to clear" l tell my
wife and also inform her it is past elev-
en-. As she lights her candle at the
side-table | hear a whining and scratch
ing at the front door.
E.There is Laddie loose again" says
she. Would you let him in, dear?"
| did not like facing the cold wind,
but could not refuse to let the poor ami
NAL in. Strangely enough, when [
opened the door and called him he
wouldn't come. He runs up to the door
and looks into my face with dumb en-
treaty; then he runs back few steps,
looking round to see it l am following !;
and, finally, he takes my coat in his
mouth and tries to draw me out.
"Laddie won't come in" [ call out to
nv wife. "On the contrary, he seems
to want me to go out and have game
of SNOWFALL with him."
She throws a shawl around her and
comes to the door. The collie was here
before we were married, and she is al
most as fond of him, l tell her, as she
is Of Jack, our eldest boy.
"Laddie, Laddie!" she calls "come
in. sir" He comes obediertly at her
call, but refuses to enter the house, and
pursues the same dumb pantomime he
has already tried on me.
sI shall shut him out, Jessie" | say
GA night in the snow won't hurt him :
and prepared to close the door.
"You will do nothing of the kind ?
,, she replies, with an anxious look, "bu
! you viii rouse the servants at once, ane
follow him. Some one is lost in the
snow. and Laddie knows it.
| laugh Really, Jessie, you arr
absurd. Laddie is a sagacious animal
; no doubt, but / cannot believe he is a.
, clever as that How can he possibly
: know whether anyone is lost in th'
! snow, or not p
because he has found them, anC
come back to us for help. Look a
|, him now"
= ! cannot but own that the dog seem:
. restless and uneasy, and is evidentl,
: endeavoring to coax us to follow him
he looks at us with pathetic entreaty II
: his eloquent eyes. "Why won't yol
believe me ?" he seems to ask.
: Come" she continues; ''you know
YOU could not rest while there was
!, possibility of fellow-creature wanting
: your assistance. And | am certain
. Laddie is not deceiying us"
What is poor hen-pecked man t
: do? l grumble, and resist, and yield
u as have often grumbled, and resisted
; and Welded before, and as | doubles
a often shall again.
\ "Laddie once found man in tn
" snow before, but he was dead, Jessl
d saws. as she hurried off to fill has
u with brandy and get ready some blanf
: cts for us to take with us. In the NEAR
.Qe time rouse the servants.
! = They are all English with the exceE
e tion Of Donald, the gardner, and | ca
$ see that they are scoffingly seeptical {
y Laddie's sagacity and inwardly DISCUS
: : ed at having to turn out Of their war;
u beds and face the bitter winters night.
.sDinna trouble yoursels," | hear ol
Donald saw. 1.-The mistress is rigl
enough. Aud Laddie is cleverer tha
mony Christian, and will find som
I'd thing in the snaw this night"
IN "Don't sit up, Jessie, | say, as
a start "we may be out half the nigl
hs on this Wild-goose chase.
MS eFollow Laddie closely" is the on
re answer she makes.
es The dog springs forward with 70
ut GUS bark, continually looking back
m see if we were following. As we pa
ep through the avenue gates and emerl
nd on the moor the moon struggles for
Ia moment through the driving clouds al
re lights up with sickly gleam the sno'
e, clad country before US,
N, s.It's ike looking for needle IN
ey bundle Of hay, sir says John, &
in coachman. confidentially, ..to think
y, we should find anybody on such mig
ch as this. Why, in some places the snc
nd is more than couple o feet thick, al
st it goes agin' reason to think that dun
lot animal would have the sense to cor
ed home and ask for help.
ife aBide d wee, bide a wee, says 0
/? Donald. 81 dinna ken what your En-
an lish dogs can do, but collie, though
al has ma been pleasing to Providence
Of give the creature the gift o speech, c
ne. do mony mair things than them VI
Ith deride it.
art II amt deridin' of 'em, says job
re. II only say as how if they be 50 We
cry clever, I've never seen it.
ec- "Ye will, though, ye Wull, says
,ng Donald. as he hurries after Laddie, "
AL has now settled down to a swingr
is trot. and Is taking his way straIg
Jon across the loneliest part of the Die
moor.
The cold wind almost cuts US n tV
- and whirls the snow into our fac
ma nearly binding Us. Ny fnger-tips
-. becoming numbed, icicles hanging fr'
nj NV moustache and beard, and my +
s > and legs are soaking vet, even throu
8, srn nv shooting boots and stout leatl
:. lleggings.
The moon has gone IN again, and
in iight from the lantern We carry Is BAR
,elv sufficient % show us the inequalities
mo the height Of the snow by which vel
~ Guessing Ut our path. begin 70 "
20 ~ Aaa1 NE =