, 1882-03-17


what to do. And as | sat another mo-
ment listening, | once more heard the
cry, fainter and more faint. | threw
myself of my horse, with an exclama'
ton:
BE it ghost, or he it robber, Anthony
Hunt Is not one to abandon child to
die without trying 10 save it.
But how was | to save it? how find it?
The more I searched about, the loss
could my hands light on anything save
the sloppy earth The voice had quite
ceaaed now, so had no guide from that,
While | stood trying to peer into the
darkness, all my ears alert, flood OF
sheet lightning suddenly illumined the
pain. At little distance, Just beyond
kind of ridge or gentle hill, | caught
glimpse of something white. 1t was
dark again in moment, but | made my
way with unerring instinct. Sure
enough, there lay poor little child.
Whether boy or girl l could not tell. 1t
seemed to be three parts insensible nov,
as | took 1t up, dripping with wet, from
the sloppy earth.
my poor thing" I said, as I hushed
it to me. "Well go and find nanny.
You are oil safe now"
And in answer, the child just put out
its feeble hand, moaned once, and nestled
close to me-
With the child hushed to my breast, l
rode on. Its perfect silence soon showed
me that it slept. And, sir, thanked
God that he had let me save it, ana l
thought how gratiied some poor mother
would be! But was full of wonder, for
all that, wondering what extraordinary
fate had taken any young child to that
solitary spot,
Getting in sight Of home, I saw all the
windows alight. Deborah had done it
for me, thought-to guide ne home in
safety through the darkness. But pres
emily 1 knew that something must be
the matter, for the very few neighbors
we had were collected there. My heart
stood still with fear. l thought of some
calamity to one or other of the children.
1 had saved q little one from perishing;
but what might not have happened to
my own.
Hardly daring to lift the latch, while
my poor tired horse stood still and mute
outside, went slowly in, the child in
my arms covered over with the flap OF
my long coat. My wife was weeping
bitterly.
Whats amiss?" / asked in faint
voice. And it seemed that whole chorus
OF voices answered me.
"Dolly's lost"
Dolly lost! Just for an instant my
heart turned sick. Then some instinct,
like q ray OF light and hope, seized upon
me. Pulling the coat off the face of
the child | held, | lifted the little
sleeping thing to the light, and saw
Dolly.
Yes, sir. The child I had saved was
no other than my own--my little Dolly.
And know that Gods good angels had
guided me to save her, and that the first
flash Of the summer lightning had shone
just at the right moment to show me
where she lay. 1t was her white sun
bonnet that had caught my eye. Ny
darling it was, and no other. that had
picked up on the road.
Dolly, anxious for her doll, had wan
dered out unseen to meet me in the after
noon. For some hours she was not
missed. 1t CHANGED that my two elder
girls had gone over to my nearest neigh
boris, and my wife missing the child
just afterward, took it for granted she
was with them. The little one had come
on and on, until night, and the storm
overlook her, when she fell down fright.
ened and utterly exhausted. l thanked
Heaven aloud before them all, sir; us l
said that none but God and his holy
angels had guided me to her. It's not
much of a story to listen to, sir; am
aware of that But ] often think OF it in
the long night, while lying awake; and 1
ask myself how could bear to live on
now, had run away from the poor lit.
tie cry in the road, hardly louder than
a squirrels chirp, and left my child to
die
"Yes, sir, you are right; that's Dolly
out yonder with her mother, picking
fruit; the little trim figure in pink
with just the same sort OF white sun
bonnet on her head that she wore that
night, ten years ago. She is girl that
was worth saving, sir, though 1 say it,;
and God knows that as long as my life
lasts L shall be thankful that came
home that night, instead of staying in the
town.