Smyrna times., 1883-09-19
A Week in the Woods.

| OF two children who spent week in
trying to find their way out of the
Michigan woods.
1t was while this army of searchers
was securing the woods in all direc-
tiOns, beating through the wild shrubs
and tangled thickets, and frightening |
timid birds and animals with their loud |
halloo-Oo-s," that, in another part of
the forest, brave nine-year-old boy |
trudged YEARLY through the under
brush, carrying his sister upon his
back. Both their faces were pale and
white with exhaustion, and the little
girls bore the mark of tears. But
Theodore LORE was plucky lad, and
had by no means lost heart. He had
kept up his courage and cheered his
little sister through all the days and
nights that they had spent in the
woods, and he had even thought out a
way of escape, and planned a route
which he felt must bring them out of
their prison-for the vastness and
shadow of a mighty forest can form as
strong and gloomy prison, if you do
not know some way out from it, as was
ever made by stone walls and iron
bars.
But" you will ask, how did they
, live? What had they to eat?'
In order to answer these questions
fully, we must retrace their wander
ings.
After parting from the Palson sisters
lone whole week before they arrived
at the resting-place where we have
lust seen them, Theodore and Arminda
wandered on, seeking constantly for
some path or road, until day began to
fade. AS the darkness closed in upon
them, little Arminda could not keep
back the tears, and her heart was filled
with dread. But Theodore was not
easily frightened. Cheer up, Sis" he
r. said lit III be just like campin' out
ot that s all, ;" and he took out his pocket
y knife and proceeded to cut some bushes
i. for bed.
ot "Mother wont like it and will be
o dreadfully scared" said Arminda.
"Well, 1 don't know as l like it any
better n Mother" said Theodore. But
IN not going to be scared"
IS, Arminda, however, seemed to have
= something on her mind.
he Did you ever see bear? she
ly whispered, as if she feared that Mr..
- Bruin might even then be in the thicket
and Overhear what she said. " l saw a
picture of one, once" she went on,
II "and he was eatin' up great big man.
/ guess that man was scared, guess he
was"
"Well, don't let old make-believe
pictures scare me" said Theodore.
The morning sunlight was just creep
ing into the forest when Theodore
awoke.
"Halloo!" said he, looking about
him in confusion at the strange sur
roundings.
Little Arminda started, and opened
her eyes, too, in a dazo. "Why,
slept all night with my dress on ! Why
we we ruined away" she exclaimed
"That s what the folks I'll say,
s'pose," replied her practical brother
jumping up cheerily now that dayligh
was at hand. And they III say W
ought to be whipped, too, guess. Blu
I'd be willin' to be whipped when
get home, if l only could get there
And oh, but amt l hungry"
u, $50 am l." said Arminda.
"Well, let IS have some breakfas
-, them" suggested Theodore. "Ther
w. are nice, big berries all round here.
see some. Just you watt
He soon came back with an armfr
of branches from the heavily lade
see bushes, and they both devoured all Ill
one lawful quantity.
'sSSy Il guess they III make us sick, sue
r iSi a lot" said Arminda, in a cheerfI
nts. tone; "but there IS lot more in I'll
Oh pals; and we must MT lose our pals
. she added. "And five carry 'em hon
- full of berries, then they I'll like
~ better"
~, eve must pick our pals full" sa
Theodore, "se that, if we don't fir
any more, we wont starve." And
proceeded to fill the pals.
niiH 81 IN all skeeter-bites - sobbt
Arminda. And the spiteful insects h;
indeed cruelty wounded the little CIR
face and neck and soft, round arm
and Theodore, too, bore many ma
of their sharp stings. "Well, we mu
u, hurry and get home," said he, "al
Mother I'll cure EN-"
nblic So they set out on their journey, ei
ing the big ripe huckleberries from
bushes as they walked, filling thu
pals, in case they should come
places where there were no berri
and quenching their thirst at the cree
>. and small streams which they chanc
upon at intervals This day, too, VIC
nu- slowly away, and once more they ma
q rude bed at the spot where darkn,
,,u0. overlook them, and slept as best tn
work. could. Sunday came and passed. 7
s. we little ones, walking hand-in-ha
Oh 10 through the dense underbrush, col
find no clew to guide them out of
Re- wilderness. Yet all day they kC
he moving on.
But that night-the third which tn
had passed in the wOods-they hes
another sound far away in the distan
"O-ho! O-ho-o! O-ho-o-ow
'"e"' Theodore recognized his brothe
,o. voice and shouted loudly in anws
Ally Arminda joining. They called ag
. and again. But the wind was agai
them. The sound they had heard or
fainter-their brother was eviden
moving away. At last, only a p
RI little echo answered their cry, and Il
! u the great woods seemed more sill
than ever.
The next day while they were wa
ing along, Theodore thought he he
IS. a call, and they stopped to list
"'T was over yonder," said the b
"You wait here q minute, aud I'll
and see if 1 can get sight of Eel
1dS. He rushed through the brake
rods, shouting and calling. and at
thought he saw man moving amt
the trees in the dim distance. But
figure soon faded from sight.
n In the early dawn of the next me
ing, Theodore leaped suddenly Fl
the bed of leaves where he was lyi
and looked wildly about him in ev
direction. He had heard it again, I
far-off O-ho-ol 0-ho-o-on And W
was that, now up, now down, dane
n oi1v in and out among the dark tire
Could it be light? Could it be
TY' light of his fathers lantern? Ye
" wasl As the daylight grew, he &C
,r1Nr distinctly see his father with liant
- in the distance. But all his fra
shouts failed to reach the search
ear, and, in his terror at losing
...u. his sister Thandore resolved that u