The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-01-21

old tenth district"
They were given with energy, and
Judge Tazewell came down and shook
hands with Uncle Eli Manning.
The president of the club then asked
how many in the assembly had any rec
objection of two days. hunt for lost
child in the autumn of al.
Answer Sunday-school fashion,
said he, and about half dozen hands
went up.
els the Widow Lockery here?" he
next inquired.
Il reckon she is" came the answer
in a woman's voice from somewhere in
the crowd.
Mrs. Lockery, )" continued the presi-
dent, " found the lost child, and if she
will tell us all about it, 1, for one, will
be very much pleased. / have vague
impression of the terror which the hunt
produced, and the excitement it aroused
in my childish mind; but l do not re-
member that / ever heard the occur
renee fully described by any one who
took part in the search"
He glanced again in the direction
whence came that prompt response,
and sat down.
A tall, straight woman arose from
her seat, walked slowly down the aisle
between the rude benches, and took a
position facing the people. She seemed
in no hurry to begin her story, but
deliberately took off her starched bon
net and laid it on the grass beside her.
She was the most remarkable person
age had seen that day. Though fully
seventy years old, she was erect as an
Indian, and gave one the impression of
great physical power. Her iron-gray
hair grew low over her forehead, and
was gathered into great rough-looking
knot at the back of her head, and Sc
cured in its place by brass comb.
Her complexion was swarthy, and her
dark eyes were shaded by darker brows
which almost met above her prominent
aquiline nose. Her lips closed firmly,
and her whole face had an expression
of .unspeakable Sadness.
g Friends and neighbours" she be-
gan; and all at once / found myself
smiling as / observed many others
doing. Never before did human counte-
nance so quickly transform its ex-
preston. The dark eyes twinkled, the
corners of the mouth gave a humorous
curl, the lips parted in speech revealed
double row of perfect, natural teeth,
cleaning with drollery, and the whole
changed physiognomy was laughter
provoking.
" Friends and neighbors: Seem as
how Mr.. Evans has sort o. give out
that Pm the herowine o. this tale O.
horror, maybe it would sound better
for some one else to tell it. So much
by way of preface.
"It was Benjamin MYERS child that
was lost. Ben started one mornin' in
October to get some grindin' done.
There was no mill nearer than the one
on Taylor's Fork, twelve miles off, and
the way roads was then, it would take
him away long into the night to get
home. That little boy O. his'n, just
five years old, took a notion to 60 long,
but his pa wouldn't let him. He
whipped the poor little fellow in the
mornin' for cryin' to go; but when he
started the child just follered the wagon
and bawled to be took in The other
young one told me that; and that
precious mother o. his'n, instead O.
coaxin' him into the house and fryin'
him a dough horse, and twistin' him
five or six yards of tow string for drivin'
lines, Just went on about her work, and
paid no 'tention to him till he was clean
out o. sight. Long toward noon Mary
Ann Nyfer, the oldest gal, came over to
my house, lookin' real scairt, and said
Sammy was lost. He follered pa away
in the mornin' and hadn't come back.
says right away
90 He's all right. Your fathers given
in to his yellin' and took him long
"But the girl shook her head and re-
marked
CO Father never gives in to nuthin
He's druv him back, and Sammy's lost.
60 went home with her, and found
Luke Wilson there. We three families
lived pretty cloast-all within mile.
Luke thought just as l did, that Nyfer
had took the boy along, but the mother
and Mary Ann seemed to doubt it.
Wilson said he'd 60 down the road and
stop at Fell's and Harder's-maybe lit
tie Sam had stopped to play. Well, he
didn't find him, and the good Teller
hoofed it on till he met Nyfer, three or
four miles this side the Fork. There
was no Sammy with him, He said the
child had turned back at the big single
tree stump, about mile from home.
"When Ben druv up to his house
there was quite a company of the neigh
bors there waitin to see if he had the
boy. A search was started that night
with lanterns and KEEP up till mornin'
Word was sent far and near, and before
noon the next day three townships were
on the hunt. Horns were blowed, bells
rung and the poor baby's name called
in hundreds of voices. The woods anC
swamps were secured and every brush
heap and holler log peeked into.
The search lasted another night anG
another day, till in the afternoon som,
begun to give out, myself among thu
number. l went home and throwet
myself onto my bed with my clothes on
and slept as I'd never slept before
About ten O'Clock that evenin' / woke
up sudden, just as wide awake as l an
this minute. My mind seemed oncom
mon clear and quick. THAT child cam
be fur away / thought. He's beer
with the rest to the huckleberry swami
this summer. The trail leadin' to thu
swamp leaves the main road not ia
from the shingle-tree stump. l hav,
often heard that lost children woult
never answer when called, but at nigh
when everything was quiet, they'd or,