The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1881-11-12

After five years of unalloyed happi-
ness, my wife became the mother of a
beautiful boy; and it seemed as though
| had nothing more to desire, no greater
boon to ask for.
sick, and it seemed for months as though
we should lose him. He finally rallied,
and partially recovered, though my ply
slclan, after many mysterious hints that
L can understand now, told me, that if /
wanted to see him grow to years of ma
turity, | must leave New York, and find
home upon some western farm.
can't tell you, sir, how / dreaded to
inform my wife what the physician had
said; it seemed terrible sacrifice to ask
her to make; and it was only after months
of hesitation that / ventured one day to
breach the subject to her. To my great
Joy she saw the necessity, and at once
consented to leaveNew York-our friends.
acquaintance, culture, ease and luxury
for the discomforts of pioneer life.
In closing my business in the city, an
opportunity occurred which enabled me
to secure what was termed fine tract
OF wild western land, and to it we came.
| built this house, and surrounded my
home with such comforts as we could
procure; for here we determined to re-
main and rear our child, who was fast
growing to be noble boy.
When Benny was four years old, he
was a child that any parent might have
been proud of; and when we saw his
ruddy cheeks, and the perfect picture of
health that he appeared, his mother and
myself both felt that no sacrifice we had
made for him had been too great. He
was the apple of our eyes, sir, the
breath of our life; and had grown to be
the idol of our home, our household
god, to the exclusion of all things else.
Three years ago this fall, when Benny
was almost five years old, one dark No
vember day, was in the field where [
had couple of men at work, and late in
the afternoon Z CHANGED to look up. and
saw the little fellow, accompanied by
his pet rabbit, coming toward me from
the house.
L went to meet him, and, taking him
in my arms, told him it was too cold for
him out there, and to run back to his
mother. L was busy at the time, and
thought no more Of the matter until just
before dusk, when [ returned to the
house and my wifi met me at the door
with the inquiry:
where's Benny?"
Before the question had fairly left her
lips, felt a chill go over me like an
ague fit; cold hands seemed to clutch my
heart, cold lips to whisper in my ear,
Benny's deadi" / turned towards my
wife, and saw that as she looked into my
face hers grew ashy pale, while she
waited for my answer. My tongue fairly
cleaved to the roof of my mouth, and 1
could not have answered word had my
life paid the forfeit. At last she seemed
to read my thoughts; for, Selling my
arm with grasp that I can feel to this
day, she gave such wall of anguish as
mortal ears never listened to before, and
fell to the floor insensible.
l can't tell you why I thought SO, but,
from the moment my wife asked for the
child, L had persentiment that Benny
was dead. Ithashed upon me like light
ming, nor could get rid of it, though it
weighe d me down like an incubus.
We were alone In the house at the
time, and [ picked her up from the floor,
and carried her to the room there, and
laid her upon the bed. Then 1 sum
moned assistance, aud went out of doors
to find that it had grown bitter cold, as
well as very dark. L instantly dispatched
my men to rouse the neighbors and then
returned to the house to endeavor to con-
sole my poor wife. AS [ entered the
door the sound of my steps appeared to
rouse her to consciousness, for she sprang
towards me, and, throwing her arms
about my neck and looking pleadingly in
my face, cried:
lyon will bring me back my darling
boy, won't you, Paul?"
/ promised her that I would; and she
bestowed on me hundred kisses, muir
muring all the time:
"Thank God he's safe then; thank
God he's safe, then"
Perhaps you can imagine, in some de-
gree, my feelings. No person ever ex-
perienced such feelings as / did when [
realized what had promised, for knew
that the boy was dead as well as l know
it now; and all the while she lay at my
feet, moaning like some dumb creature
IN pain, and L trying to console her with
assurances that l knew in my heart were
false. But what else could / do?
When the neighbors came in they car
ried her to her room, while 1 went out
to search for our child. In less than an
hour all the settlers within five miles
were hunting, with torches and lanterns,
over the prairie for the boy. AS for me,
where l went, or what l did, [ have new
er known; for l had one thought con-
stantly on my mind, that our boy was
dead, and I had promised to bring him
back to his mother alive.
Well, sir, we searched all night, not
withstanding the fact that about three
o'clock the next morning the snow be-
gan to fall. | never saw it snow faster.
for by daylight the ground was covered
more than five inches deep; and we had
not found the child. We kept up the
search, and before noon fifty persons
were engaged in it; but we found no
trace of him, and at last it was reluctant
ly given up. Then / knew I must re-
turn to my home alone, and tell..my wife
the truth.
What passed after [ reached the
house, | do not know, for the next two
days are but as hideous dream. only
remember that my wife met me at the
door and said to me: eff you had only
told me the worst, l would have tried to
be brave for your sake, my dear hus-
band;" and then-weD, sir, l knew
nothing more for forty-eight hours.
When L awoke to consciousness, I rose
from the bed, partially dressed myself,
and went out and stood bareheaded be-
meath the leaden-gray November sky;
and when l felt the wintry wind, and saw
the ground white with snow, and real
II IL I