News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-06-01
we had to find shawls and blankets to

we had to find shawls and blankets tc
put on.
"Then Charity began to fret. We
tried to comfort her, but our hearts
were heavy. We put the lamp in the
window and lighted another, and then
we found the wood had all give out.
"Oh, that was an awful moment Il
we'd seen such a storm before, we'd a.
known better what to do, but say all
could couldn't persuade mother from
going out to get wood. She declared
she could do it-could fill the little box
that Eben had rigged on wheels for us
women folks, and bring it in. She was
a strong woman, and she put on pain
of Eben's boots and his coat, and then
wrapped herself well up.
"'As if [ couldn't find the barn 7
she said ; why, it's in a straight line,
and she opened the door and I held it
while she went out. Then / saw how
awful it was, and begged her to come
back, but she was off, and heard her
try to laugh as she went on and on, till
it was still again, except the fury OF
the wind.
"Charity was crying softly, all
crouched in heap by the stove, and I
felt like crying, too, but was so anx-
ious on mothers account that I could
not.
"Oh, Jenny where is Eben p she
sobbed, every now and then. What
did we let him go for? He will never
come home alive |! and had to comfort
her with heavy heart enough.
cat last the suspense grew beyond
bearing. Mother didn't come back. We
were shivering with cold-the fire was
dead out-and believe I nearly lost
my wits. I went outside and called to
her. No answer. I stumbled on few
steps further, the wind cutting me like
whip-cord, and still there wasn't a
sound only that awful shrek of the tenn
pest. L thought was going toward the
shed, but before knew it was almost
neckdeep in drift.
"How long was getting back to the
house, how 1 got there, never knew,
but the door was open, the doorway
half-flled with the driving snow, and
little Sally crying to break her heart in
the dark in the other room.
"I shut the door as well as I could,
for was stiff and blind and choked,
and went in to soothe the child, never
thinking of Charity, till all of a sudden
it occurred to me that I had not seen
her. No, she was gone she had prob
ably followed after me, and could not
hear her while was calling for mother.
eff ever mortal was in bitter despair,
I was that night Sally hanging round
my neck hindered me from going out
again after Charity, and well she did.
The cabin rocked, and every moment
the storm grew wilder. I must have
partially lost my wits, l think. began
cutting and breaking everything that
could be cut and broken, and made a
fire. Poor little Sally sat on the floor
bundled in comforts, crying for mother.
Where were mother and Charity
''Sally fell asleep before midnight,
but I sat there, burning whatever
could find to burn, IN the frantic effort
to keep just my fingers warm, and
listening to the clock till it stopped.
The cold had stopped it.
"Well, suppose I must go on and
tell the rest. Eben came home the next
day toward evening-the weather had
cleared by noon somewhat. Sally and
I were asleep, and it would have been
our last sleep in this world if he had not
awakened us. The snow had drifted IN,
splinters of broken furniture lay round
there was no sign of fire. His feet
were partly frozen, but when he heard
my story he did not stop to help him
self. 1t was quite night when he found
mother and Charity
"Whatl both dead ?" asked Rose.
"Yes, dear-both brought in dead.
Eben never got over the shock. We
left that country as soon as we could
Eben, little Sally and land came back
to the old place. All, l never hear OF
these Western storms without thrill
of the old suffering that came SO near
being fatal to us all, for Eben got home
almost by miracle. So there you
have the true story of blizzard, not in
the least exaggerated.
"And Eben-your brother?"
"He was changed man. He never
married, never spoke Charity's name
again. l never saw smile on his face
from that time till the day he died, ten
years ago." :.
"And then?"
"Maybe he saw them-I can't say, "
and grandma took up the knitting which
she had dropped on her lap. "There
was the most beautiful smile on his dead
face you ever saw in your life. =
Youths -ConapaniOn