The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-09-22
THE DOUBLE RESCUE.


murmured the young wife with q shudder,
as screening the pane with her hand from
the bright freight she attempted, but in
vain, to penetrate the storm and darkness
without. God grant he may be near" and
with this heartfelt petition she turned from
the window, seated herself and took up her
knitting.
Cheerful, homeIlke was the aspect OF that
humble apartment Near the fire, whose
brisk blaze filed the room with q ruddy
glow, sang the waiting tea-kettle; while q
neatly spread supper table occupied the CEN
tire of the floor.
Slowly and distinctly the tall clock at the
back part Of the room told the hour of eight,
The young woman put aside her task, and
once more went to the window. The tenn
pest had not in the least abated, but ragged
with the fury Of thousand uncaged lions,
and seemed still increasing. Fearful indeed
was that evenings elemental warfare over
that bleak Canadian plainl
yet he comes not-my husband. MercI-
full Heaven befriend me ~ Tears gathered
In the eyes of the gentle devoted wife
Then Hope repeated her whjsperings, and in
Imagination the young wife beheld the stur-
dy form of her beloved nobly breastino the
storm, and step by step nearing his home in
safety. Already she seemed pouring for
him the fragrant steaming beverage, and
listened to his expressions of thankfuIness
for surrounding blessings. About noon of
that day he had left home on foot intending
TO transact business in village five miles
distant and return by nightfall
at that time no signs of an Immediate
storm were apparent, but as the day drew
near its ,close the clouds began to gather
thick and heavy, and the snow to fall in
huge, feathery fakes. Faster and faster it
descended, till all the air seemed filed by
one mighty avalanche. Three hours had
passed, and the storm-god in all his terrible
fury was yet abroad.
at length calmness could be maintained BY
the waiting wife no longer. Hope and trust
had died within her bosom,
Vainly did she endeavor to persuade her
self into the belief that the fierceness Of the
storm had prevented her husband from leav-
Ing the village-she would not be deceived.
He would never voluntarily abandon her
thus TO loneliness and awful uncertainty.
No, the assurance was all too undoubted.
that the cold and the tempest had overpow-
cred him on his way, and he had sunk amid
the drifting SHOWS to perish
Suddenly she pa ussd, while every feature
speaks desperate resolve. See, she hurried.
ly envelopes herself in cloak and hood, and
now with firm steps moves toward the door.
Upon what is she determined? Surely she
will not expose that frail form to the strife
that RACES without
But yes; she lifts the latch, and uneloses
the door. On the instant a furious gust
drove portion of the snow, which had ac.
cumulated against the panels, to the oppo.
site side of the room. Unable to compete
with Its rage, the agonized wife shrank back
and applying her whole strength to the door
forced it again to its place, between herself
and the rough element without.
She waited but moment, however; the
next she had rushed forth, closed the door
behind her, and was plunging wildly down
the snow-filled path.
The storm was over, the clouds were be-
ginning to break, and let down the ravs of
the moon, whose broad dice had lust risen
above the horizon. But while the snow had
ceased to fall. the cold had grown more In
tense, and the wrath Of the wind was moth.
ing spent
Onward tOiled the solitary female through
the binding, suffocating snow, which was
constantly being hurled against her; and
ever and anon a blast, fiercer than the 9TH
ers, compelled her to halt for a moment and
bury her face in the folds of her cloak.
1t was dreary waste over which she had
to pass; no cottage window sent forth a
cheering CLEAN only snow-covered plain
and barren trees In the distance could be
seen.
And now, when nearly mile Law between
her and home, the wife felt herself exhaust
ed and benumbed by cold to a degree that
she could proceed no further The sharp
winds pierced her garments as if they had
been but robe of muslin, and put to the
torture every fibre of her frame. Her lin bs
refused longer to obey her will, her breath
was gone, her very hearts blood seemed
turned to ice. She tottered, and fell, and
the same blast that bore her down wrapped
her in a shrOud of snow
But exerting herself to the utmost, she rose
TO her feet again, for her last glance had
rested on dark object a short distance in
advance, ard the possibility of it being him
she sought nerved her to make one more ef-
fort. Fixing her eyes upon the object which
had attracted her attention, she struggled
forward, and reached it just as her last rem
nant Of strength was expended.
1t was indeed her husband He had con-
tended with the elements, until chilled,
wearied, and almost breathleSs, he had sunk
down in the path In order to recover himself
for further effort. No Thought Of DeriSh-
ing had passed the strong mans mind but
no sooner did muscular action cease than the
lethargy which, but for timely breaking,
would have ended in death, was upon him.
All sense OF suffering fed, gay coIors hoated
before bis sight, and the sound Of the angry
blast seemed sweetest music.
How long he had remained thus he knew
not, when suddenly the voice of his wife ex-
claimed, ''Thank God, we die together 70
sounded family in his ears and the same
instant he felt her prOstrate form and encir
cling arms. These quickly aroused them to
a sense of their situation, and that sense
warmed the congealing life-current, and
sent it lightning like through its channels.
The knowledge of the danger-the certain
death-to which his idolized companion was
exposed, and from which he alone could !
save her, at once raised him above the power |
of fatigue and cold. Starting to his feet, he |
folded her insensibe form to his bosom and |
bore it toward their home as If she had been /
the merest infant.
The blast to him was but zephyr, the |
snowdrifts but unresisting air. He paused
not until the cottage was reached, where the !
wife was preseutIV restored to animation