Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-02-01
Written for the Herald
A TALE OF A BLIZZARD.

1t was only young blizzard-a mere
amateur. 1t got up early one morning in
Manitoba, stretched itself, rubbed its eyes
and decided on trip east, travelling on an
unlimited ticket with stop-over checks 1t
was rollicking blizzard; full of fun. Some
people might have called it malicious; but
no, it was only mischievous. So after a pre-
liminary canter, which made the good peo-
pie of that district turn uncomfortably in
their beds and pull the coverings more snug
ly around them, with whoop and howl
our blizzard started on it's eastern trip
At first it went sedately enOugh-tor
blizzard but soon it threw off all restraint,
and wrapping itself in mantle of fine, driv-
ing snow and sleet that would penetrate into
every nook and corner, hurried hither and
thither, filling the air with wild, Internal
shrieks of joy at the destruction it was
causing; for little did the blizzard care how
badly life and property Jared, as long as it
had its sport.
Soon familiar landscapes were changed;
familiar objects to the eye obliterated; other
and unfamiliar ones formed. Here where
the sign-post stretched out its arms, pointing
to the tired traveller the way his home lay,
was but mound of snow. each moment
growing higher and higher; and the blizzard
chuckled to itself with tiendish joy as it
thought of the luckless traveller who should
be out that day. And a few miles down the
road one of the noblest men that ever lived
to do good for others was fast approaching
his fate. Turn, DR.. Groves, turn! Fly back
to the kindly shelter of the house passed an
hour ago. Fly, for the storm king is aroused.
Alas the fates have spun the allotted length
of thy thread of life, and she whose province
is the shears stands with them even now
poised ready to snap off and cut away an
other life. And good DR.. Groves, as his
horse trots briskly along, the sleigh bells
ringing merrily out ip the frosty air, of what
is he thinking? He smiles to himself as he
hears in imagination his little daughters
gleeful laugh as she finds the treasure her
father has brought her from the East. And
then the smile gives place to hearty laugh
as he recalls her last bright speech, and he
involuntarily whips up the horse that he
may shorten the time between himself and
his loved ones
Soon the air grows colder; the wind is
rising and the telegraph wires give out
loud .Eolean harp-like note of warning. \
few scattered flakes of snow drift aimlessly
through the air. The sun has disappeared;
haze covers the face of nature, but now so
fair. Again DR.. Groves speaks to the horse
and increases his speed. AS yet no thought
of danger has crossed his mind. And now
the wind comes in cold, fitful gusts, each one
laden with biting, penetrating sleet. 1t is
harder and harder to distinguish the road
And now the doctors heart begins to sink
within him. The deadly chill strikes in
through buffalo robe and furs; his hands be-
come numb and he no longer feels the reins
The storm redoubles; it shrieks and howls
in its derision of the impotent mortal who
has braved it. The horse has stopped. No
longer can he make headway against the ter
rible power that is opposed to him. Louder
and louder shrieks the wind but its uproar
is falling on ears that now hear it but faint
ly. Arouse yourself Doctor shake off the
lethargy! Think again of the wife even
now anxiously expecting you. Think again
of the child even now running to the door
every few minutes to listen for the sound OF
the sleigh bells. And now strange lights
are flashing before his eyes; sweet strains Of
music are ringing in his ears. With one last
effort he rises to his feet, but only, as his
benumbed limbs refuse to bear him. to fall
headlong upon the snow. The words wife"
''daughter" are heard, and that kindly heart
has ceased to beat Higher and higher drifts
the snow on him and around him. Shrek
on, 0 wind you are but his requiem now.
Long shall the wife and child await thy
coming, husband and father; and great shall
be their grief when thou comest not at all.
Once more the sun appears; the wind lulls;
the storms work is done; and with one
more howl the storm flies on it's further work
of destruction, and nature once more smiles
forth-on a motionless mound Of snow in
which one can trace a resemblance to the
human form x x <
The blizzard pursues its way cast. 1t Is
again in sportive mood. 1t descends sud
denly on villages and nips noses and ears
until they tingle 1t whistles through large
towns, playing pranks with sign-boards and
chimneys, and enjoying itself in its own
way Fast as it travels, the telegraph trav-
els faster Everywhere it finds that warm
ings of it's approach have preceded it. No
longer can it find unprepared and unpro-
tected persons to play "freeze out" with, and
in sheer disgust it sinks to the level OF
mere s'high wind" Lower and lower still
does it fall, and in proportion higher and
higher rises the mercury. 1t is now but
a breeze. And now, lulled to sleep by its
own murmurings, our blizzard is no more
It has desolated home; it has destroyed
thu ,,ooco and hanninass Of a family. and its