Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-10-31
A DAKOTA BLIZZARD.
How 1t Comes On and How Remorsciess
1t Is
Especial correspon1

Especial corresponicnc-I
NEW YORK, Oct 25.-The Dakota dusk
was closing in as / sat in the sleigh and tried
to rouse the driver from the stupor into which
he had fallen-a stupor produced in part by
the intense cold, and in part by the Internal
whisky he got at the last groggery We had
passed.
Jake, wake up"
"Yaa aa-aas"
"Wake up, tell your
"Yaa-uhn
Far as the eye could see there was nothing
but snow-snow piled in drifts-snow falling
in remorseless whirls and eddies and circles
through the tingling air Not q house in
sight-nor a tree.
Heavens, how cold!n
l beat my hands, ground my teeth-I
fought the sleep that l felt was coming OIL
the sleep Of death, whatever that dumb, blind
thing may be.
The horses plunged aimlessly through the
drifts-now TO the right-now to the left
then stopped, painting, neighing low, broken,
pitiful neighs
.Jakelr
]Haa-aa-aas-zoon-p zoon!"
-No! nowl" yelled, smiting him a fright
tul blow in the face. Then tried TO tear the
reins from his hand but my numb fingers
Knocked at my will One OF the horses fell
quivering. Its companion tried TO push on,
tottered and lay prone,
And the snow III Iur-ril-: sIl the stars
visible in the rift cf cloud overhead seemed
TO laugh down a. LIE; and the wind. All!
How blithely il danced over the white drift
just before US,
crouched down-down-dowu in the box
Of the sleigh.
"How dark" whispered to myself But
it isn't cold now and l laughed low, salts
factory laugh l don't know but there
seemed to be s break in my thoughts just
there-the vast, unuttsrable silence and dark
ness Of annihilation rolled over me, and !
was not Brain, soul, call the conscious self
what yDu please, was utterly blotted out
Them
"Whf!" and clapped my hands gladly,
like pleased child. why, just look at those
green woods yonder, with the sunbeams spill
ing through their blosSoming bouShs! And
the wild rosesl All, how beautiful! And see
the lake-the lake! Why, it is Silver lake;
and this-this must bs Ohio! Oh, yes, Ohio!
When l was here befOre-ah, how many
years ago was that-I was only boy. And
the sky was like great, throbbing diamond;
the woods waved their green branches; the
wild roses reached 10 kiss me; butterflies
waltzed down the rays Of sunshine, and the
birds were caroling just as they are now.
Then, as passed on, l came to the lake, and
there, Oh, beloved! found you. Under the
roses-under the dust Of the years, you are
sleeping now, my pet! But then, ahl how
your eyes sparkled with the ineffable light Of
heaven, as you turned with smile To me!
And there Is the wood-the lake-the immor-
tai green, blue and gold OF sod and sky and
sun-there it all is-iust as it was centuries
ago, beloved! centuries ago, when you and
were looking on it last"
Hey, there, old feller! Hey, say"
l am lying somewhere Coarse but kindly
men are over me. They are beating my
palms and soles and rubbing me with snow,
and forcing Internal draughts of brandy
down my throat Every nerve is a sword;
every sword sends hideous pain into the
most sensitive part Of my body.
"For Gods sake, let me sleep" moan; but
they have no pity.
"Wake or die says one.
And so they brought me back TO life out Of
the horrible jaws of blizzard.
WILL HUBBARD HERMAN.