Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-02-05
from any neighbor until t sought it N.Y.

self the noNt day, and had to look for
ward TO a night-how horrible did not
toresee, or | could not have endured it.
What follows l could scarcely credit
myself, If l did not bear on my hand
tangible proof of it in well-defined
scar; and, even now, l could not bear
to write of that nights experience had
not my children's laughter and my low
ing husbands care long since banished
all unnatural gloom from my life.
While had been sitting alone on the
lakeshore, toward the evening, l had
heard distant shot; it scarcely reused
me. A sportsman, | thought, had wan
dered from his encampment on the
opposite shore, had seen some game in
our wild woods, killed it, and his canoe
had long since carried him away. In
the gathering darkness | CROPPED my
way back through the familiar little
path and reached my own door. l
alone should pass the threshold in the
future; their feet were still; the busy
feet that had toiled for me, followed me,
and had been ever near me! | was to
60 on my rugged path alone! Heart
sick and overcome, | stopped at the
door, and, leaning my head against it,
sobbed in uncomfortable despair. Tired
out as length, had grown quiet, and
was just about to lift the latch, when a
faint moan, as of an animal in pain,
and close to me, startled me; then a
death-like silence reigned.
knew had not been mistaken. l
felt that | must forget myself and help
the poor creature in distress. "It is
very good for strength to know that
some one needs you to be strong.' No
longer hesitating, hurried into the little
cabin, struck light, and went in the
direction whence the moan had reached
my ears. thought of the shot l had
heard. 1t was quite possible o poor,
wounded deer was lying in the bushes.
Yes! could now see its skin-unmis-
takably a fawn-spotted dun.color. II
lay quite still-perhaps that moan had
been its dying gasp!-and so | came
quite close to it, leaned over, and, par.
alyzed with horror, saw my mothers
face, only young and very beautiful, a;
hshe must have looked when girl
Deathly pale, dead, possibly, she lay
matted hair all about her face and
clothed in doeskin. Just then she stir
red; it was not death. All wonder
ceased within me, every feeling fled be-
fore the thought that this being, what
ever, whoever she was, might be saved
to live.
| dragged her the few steps into thu
house, laid her on my hemlock-boughs
untouched by me since'the sickness Wis
tied us. Then found a wound in thu
poor creatures side and bound it up
bathed her head, and, in the quiet, nov
again felt startled at seeing my moth
er's image, young andfair, before me, anC
when at length her great eyes opened
| felt it must be that sister lost to m,
till now, and sent back in this sad houl
to take my mothers place. l Leaned
forward, in an access of tenderness, Il
welcome her, when a look of fright, al
animal-like, wild terror took possession
of her face, and low sort of snar
broke from her human lips.
The start she gave caused a fresl
flow of blood; dimness passed over he
, eyes. Again stanched the wound, ant
prepared nourishment in case sh
walked. Too busted in these ways TO
further speculation, only with strang
weight at my heart and WEAKNESS o
body, suddenly felt the CLEAN of eye
! watching me. Such strange eyes! NJ
human expression about them;
!. stealthy look in them now
Gently as | could | approached he
. side. She trembled and tried Il
hide her head when | offered her m
! carefully prepared food. moved ava
and studiously avoided any appearance
;, of watching her. Yet / was intensel
conscious of her every movement.
. could see her eying eagerly with
= wretched, famished look a raw veniso
steak that had been forgotten and la
q, on the table close beside her. Suddenly
! like beast of prey, her feeble han
stole toward it, and in a moment sh
, had torn it in pieces and devoured it.
= Horror filled my heart. Could thi
= creature be hSmanP l sat still in tn
corner, where, myself unseen, coul
:, watch and restrain her if necessary, an
soon-weakness overcoming her-afte
9 this last effort she lay tossing in an un
. easy sleep.
Oh! was so weary and so very lone
ly The dreadful night was almost q
> an end. | went to her side, threw my
! self on the bed beside her, and pu
4 my arms about her neck. Again he
:. wonderful eyes opened full in my face
l fixed them with my own. | ca
= ressed her, called her by the endearin
y names of old. | besought her to be ger
tie and to love me. told her she wa
> my own, the only creature left for m
:, to love and care for! One short secon
: it seemed as if soul looked out of he
i glorious, deer-like eyes, then, with
groan as if she gave the struggle Owe
:. and with that low, fearful growl AGAR
. she fastened her white teeth in my hanC
!, Shrieking with the pain, | fainteC
7 When | came to myself dawn was strug
Cling in at the window; leaf-shadov
tlickered on the floor. Fearful pain
= my hand reused me at length, and
~ consuming thirst drove me to the woot
g toward the spring to allay it.
- l struggled through the underbrusl
: and there, close to the water, discerne
,f a confused mass. There lay my poo
"a sister, dead, her head pillowed on
" wildcat of the woods, shot by the san
d hand, probably, that had wounded h,
" fatally.-Appleton'S Journal.
I Shipping Bees.
rs Mr.. N. LEvERING, whose apiaryis
t. the Cahuenga, recently shipped fol-
! e s,.ko loI E., NJ H.,