The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-05-17
The !Crow's Nest,
Some ono must 90 for the DOCTOR, said
Mrs. Bray. "

Ao O-oWs fe'' :
Some ono must go for the DOCTOR said
Mrs. Bray. g,
I'll co. said Johnny. Y
Whatl' said n1rs. Bray, half smiling;
three miles across the mountain, side, In
all this deep Snowl' *
Tve often carried fathers dinner to him
when he was III the maple-sugar camp >
said Johnny, and that's half a mile
further than DR.. Denton'a It's something
| of walk to be surc.' &
I should think So, said Mrs. Bray.
But think I'could goauicker than any
one clse,' said Johnny, asshe looked piti.
fully at the little babe in the cradle, whose
dimpled face was all fdshed with fever
81 love Willie, you know and-'
And heroa q great lump seemed to rise up
in his throat and check bib words.
Johnny and Willie were motherless
children. Their father earned his l,vcli-
hood by cutting pines in the forests, haul.
ing timber and doing odH jobs generally
whenever he could get 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 cbulu do.
Mrs. Bray was very kind to them, and
took the best possible care of the baby, but
there was many 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
1t was hls greatest ambition to obtain
good situation in the neighborhood; where
he could earn ii tie money and help and
support Willie.
For L know that my father is very poor,
said Johnny, 'and if could only assist
him know that mother would be pleased
up IN heaven
WELL SAID Mrs: Bray, after a little
hest a'lon, 4 think you had better CO.
30 Johnny put on his cap and tied his
faded worsted comforter about his neck.
An overcoat was an unknown luxury to
him, but his coat was warm and snug, and
he set off on brisk walk, that wae almost
a run, in the frozen March sunshine, over
the mountain side, that was white and
glitterlng with snow.
For all the dazzling sunshine, q tremend-
Gus gale was blowing, such gale as might
make mariners tremb)e on the decks of
great ships standing far out to sea, a gale
that shook the tops Of trees, ard made
them groan and creak as if giants in pain
were hidden within their huge, mossy
trunks.
And now Johnny found his way through
those lrackless woods, where there was no
path, except here and there thu paw-marks
of stealing fox, or wild cat, or the velvcty
tracks of rabbits, nobody could guess
| 40 not think that Johnny knew MIN
self. x...
He keeps his eyes 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 sort of guide = post to
him.
After long walk, crossing two or three
frozen streams, and getting over huge,
rocky chasm by means of a fallen tree
trunk--whlch groaned dsmally as johnny
picked his way across it, as If it had half
a MUD to snap itself in two and lie, 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,
the doctors sister; but III tell him, the
very minute he gets back. He can drive
around by tie road in his new CUTTER and
perhaps he'll be there before you are
Il hope 80, said johnny, wistfnlly, "be-
cause our baby ID SICK
You'd better stop and have bit of din
ner, said Miss Phoebe. tits most ready.'
'Oh, thank you = said Johnnie, but
couldn't stay must get back to Willie.
l can quiet HIN better than any one else
when he is aiIing and fretful.'
80 Miss Phoebe gave him drink of milk
and piece of hot gingerbread, and he
started back home again.
It was getting on toward sunset now and
Johnny was anxious to get home
i think perhaps it would be a shorter
cut, he thought, iii could get down the
railroad track und 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, upo which O
passenger train ran at s in the morning
gong south, and s in the afternoon going
north. There was freight train also, but
this had passed by long SINCE.
1T must be near noW,' thought he. q
shall hear the noise Of the train as it comes;
al d, besides, they always blow whistle at
the Great Gray Rock
He walked along swiftly and steadily,
his nose purple with cold. Suddenly he
stopped.
It's very strange that don't sec the
Crows Nest, he said aloud, as if he were
talking to the yellow sunset in the west.
The Crows Nest was long deserted
nest of sticks, and straw, and reeds, IN the
decayed boughs of lghtning-b blasted pine
tree, which, from its peculiar position,
could be seen for some distance away by
ANY one approaching from tho northern
side of the mountain. And just then
Johnny came around the curve of the
woods and saw, to. his amazemcnt, that
the old pine, decayed at the heart, and
tossed about by the tempesLuous March
gale, had split half way down and fallen, a
huge splintered mass, &C. oss the iron rails
| of the track.
| And this was the rcas IN that Johnny
had failed to see the familiar landmark of
tue Crows Nest.
What shall doe cried Johnny, aloud
'The train comes rushing around the bend
at g. and all the passengers will be klic..
On, If had red lantern TO signal, Dan
4