The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-12-30
Selected story.
Faithful Unto Death.

to say you could drive u coaoh.and four.
l draw my chair nearer to it,..with n
shiver, "what u nightl' / sny.
"fs it still snowingi' asks my wife,
who sits opposite to me, her books and
work on tho table beside her.
"Fast. You can scarcely sec yard
before you."
"Heayon help any poor creature on
the moor tonight says she.
"Who would venture oull It bagan
showing before dark, and all tho people
about know tho danger OF being be.
nighted on the moor IN snow storm"
"Yes. But / have known people
frozen TO death thoreabouts before nov" ="
My wife is Scotch, aud this pleasant
house in tho Highlands ia hers. Wo
are trying winter in it for the hrst
time. and find 1t excessively cold and
somewhat dull. Mentally, | decide
that in the future We will only grace It
with our presence during the shooting
season. Presently | so to the window
and look out, il has ceased showing,
and through rift in the clouds sec
a star.
ait is beginning TO clear" / tell my
wife, and also inform her it il past
eleven o'clock. As sho lights her
candle at the side table, | hear 3 whin.
Ing and scratching at the front door.
"There is Laddie loose again. says
she. would you let him in, dcail'
did not like facing the cold wind,
but could not refuse to let the poor
animal in. Strangely enough when /
opened the door aud called him lie
wouldn't come. lie runs up 70 the
door and looks into my uptarned
face with dumb cntreaty; then lie
runs back few steps. looking around
to soc if am following him, and,
finally, he takes my coat in bis mouth,
and tries to draw me out.
'Laddis wont come -, | cali out 10
mY wife. "0n the contrary, he seems
to want me 10 go out and hare game
of snow ball with him.
She throws q shawl around her, aud
comes to the dosr The collie was here
before va were married, and khe is
almost as fond Of hin, tell hor, as she
is Of Jack, our eldest boy.
'Laddie, Ladder ahe calls, "ccsno
in. sir lie comes obcdienlly at her
call, but refuses to enter tho house, and
purSues the sagne dull dumb pan,omine
be has already tried on me.
II shall shul him out, Jessie." say.
"a night ia tbs snow wont lslrt hiu., "
and prepared to close tho doa
"You viii DO nothing Of tho kind"
she replies, with an anxious look, "but
you viii rouse tho servants At once ard
follow him. Some one IL loa; IN tho
SNOW, and Laddie knows It.
laugh. Really, Jessie, you ere
absurd. Laddie ID sasacieus anilaAl.
no doubt, but cannot believe he i as
clever ss that How can he possibly
know whether any ono is lost IN TIE
snow or noi7
because he has found them, and
come back % MS FOR Lylp. Look at
him nOw."
cannot but own that the dog seems
restless and uneasy, and ia eyidcnsiy
sndeavoring 10 coax Us to follow bin;
he looks at rs with pathetic eutreaty
in hiseloquent eyes. "WHy don't yon
believe mel' he scens 70 ask.
"Come." she continues, ''yon know
you could not rest while there wae q
possibility OF follow creature wanting
your assistance. am certain - l.e
is not dsceiving us"
What is poor hen-pecked man to
dol grurnble, and resist, and yield;
as have ofton grumbIed, and rezisted,
and yielded before and as / doubtless
often shall again.
"Laddie eace found man in tie
snow before, bat he was dead" Jessie
says, as size hurried of TO Gil Aask
with brandy, and get ready scme blan-
kets for III to take with us. In tho
meantime ] rouse the servants.
They are all English with tho ex.
ception of Donald, the gardner, and
can see that they are scoii'ingly scep.
tical of Laddie's sagacity, and inwarilY
disgnsted at having TO turn ont Of
their warm beds and face the bitter
Winters night.
"Dinna trouble yoarsels," hear old
Donald say. "Tho mistress is right
enough. Aud Laddio is cleycrer an
msny Christian, ard will find some
thing in the snaw this night"
"Don't sit up Jessie" say, ~ we
start; "we may be out half the night on
this wild-goose chase"
"FoIlow Laddie Closely is all the
answer sho makes.
Tho dog springs forward with a
joyous bark, constantly looking back to
see if We are following. AS we pass
through the avenue gases and emerge
on the moor tic rit2on struggles for
moaleut through the driving clouds and
lights up with sickly gleam the snow
clad country before us.
"It's like looking for needle in a
bundle of hay, sir" says Jehn,. the
coachman, confdentiallyj "to think as
we should find anybody on such night !
as this. Why, in some places the snow
is more than couple o'feet thick, and
it goes agin' reason to think that dumb
animal would have the sense TO como
home and ask for help.
"Bi9e wee, bide wee gays old |
Donald. 81 dinna ken what yonr
English dogs can do, but collie,
Though it has ma been pleasing
to Providence to give the creature the
gift O speech can do mony mair things
thon xDad de4,;da II -