The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-11-18

year. Indeed, she thought they all had
more cause for complaint than thanks
giving.
Half blinded by tears, she started up,
and, going to the window, looked out.
IL was frosty, starlight night There
was no snow on the ground. but here
and there patches of ice were forming
over the pools of still water left by the
heavy fall rains.
"Why don't papa comeP'' said Tip
top, fretfully.
"He will come soon," said the mother,
| soothingly, and, in obedience to an old
habit, began absent-mindedly humming
Greenville. the one tune she knew. and
by whose aid she had year after year
hummed the Gates babies to sleep
is papa at the shopP" asked Dear,
in the first lull in the humming.
mo; he went down to the cotton
mill with load of bobbins, and he
ought to be here by this time"
MAY l go a little way and meet
himP" asked Dear.
Yes, Remembering that Dear had
been in the house all day only first
light n candle and make the tea. and
put more wood in the stove, and bring
me Tiptop's nightdress, and unite the
| boys shoes, and wear your hood, and
don't be gone long
! Dear had closed the outside door.
ready to start on run, when she heard
old Fans whinny in the direction of the
barn. Papa has come, and is unhar-
Messing Fam" thought she. feeling n
little disappointed that she could not
meet him and ride home. Instead, she
turned to the barn.
At the stable door stood old Fan,
steaming as if she were having vapor-
bath. Papa had load home,"
thought Dear, as she went up to pat
Fan. But what was that she stepped
onP A thillP Yes, a broken thill, still
hanging to the harness. Startled,
Dear glanced around the yard. The
wagon was not there, and now she saw
that only part of the harness was on
the horse, and that was trailing on the
ground.
Before this in her heart had time to
take shape, Dear opened the stable door
and let Fan in, and, carefully closing
the door, ran for the street. The road
over the top of the hill lay like three
narrow foot-paths, with straight ridges
of turf between, and along these narrow
paths Dear sped with flying feet. strain
ing her eyes to see she dared not think
what.
at the brow of the hill she paused
and looked down. The road wound
like brook down the long hillside,
turning to the right and to the left,
with here and there steep pitches and
many bars, till it was lost in the dark
ness. far down toward the valley AS
far as her eyes could reach there was
nothing unusual to be seen; but at her
feet lay broken harness strap. Up
that road Fan had come, and down that
road Dear must 60
On and on, over bars and pitches,
scarcely touching the ground, loose
stones hit by her feet flying before her.
till, suddenly, halfway down the steep
est pitch, she came to a place in the
road where the stones and the gravel
had been plowed up as if by the plung-
ing of horse.
Here lay the wagon-seat A little
farther on lay two or three planks across
the road, and at the foot of the steep
pitch lay, on its side, wrecked lumber
wagon, which had run backward till it
capsized; and across the steep gutter by
the roadside lay load of plank which
!
! over. Here was part of the broken
reins belonging to the harness, with the
ends under the load of plank.
The wagon was her fathers, Dear
knew that; but where was her father?
She stood and looked on either side, up
the hill and down into the valley.
Nothing moved there was not even
wind enough to bend the tall dead
/ hxyt 81 4
was to be heard in all the still night but
the pnrling and babbling of the little
brooks that had quilted deep channels
in the waterways on either side of the
road. Dear could bear this silence no
longer.
Papa, papa, where are youP' and
the wild cry went up the hillside and
down into the valley, bringing no an
swer.
80 papa, papa! what shall l do?"
she called again, and as she listened
with straining ears. she heard, or
thought she heard, a low moan near her.
She dropped on her knees. Papa,
papa, are you hereP' 1t was PRAYER
now. Surely she heard sound as il in
answer, and it seemed to come from
the plank that had slid over the gutter
In an instant Dear was over there
peering among the planks She could
see nothing, but she could hear a sound
plainly now. She tried with frantic
haste to raise the planks. but there was
not strength enough in her small arms
for that, and almost without thought
she darted, not up the hill to her
mother, but down into the black valley
at the foot of the hill, where cart-path
leading from the woods intersected the