News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-02-16

after the blizzard neighbor rode by
their house, and as he passed he shout
ed to them that there was coal at the
town. The young man. determined
to go to town the following day. The
next morning was q delightful De-
| cember day on the plains. There was
not q particle of wind. The grass
was coated with hoar frost, glistening in
the sunlight as though tiny electric
lights glowed on the prairie. The hor-
ses were fed and hitched to the wagon.
The young husband came to the house
b get money and some food to eat
while on the journey. Mary counted
the sacred hoard. It amounted to S11.
She gave John SIS with which to buy
coal.
''John," she said, hesS7ingly aud re-
luctantly, "Johrt ,eef.sD IN will sleep in
the livery stable %llatl;stx il will save
some money. You can tssssee one of the
blankets; L do not need all of them, as
the weather is so warm and pleasant,
and you Will be back tomorrow, you
know"
"Of course I am going to sleep in the
stable" John said, pleasantly. "But I
guess I can find bedclothing there. I
am afraid to take any from you. He
looked at the sky attentiyely for few
minutes. It was clear to his eyes. He
did not notice the faint gray mist hang
ing just above the plain away off to the
north. Again he looked at the sky and
saw no sign. 81 do not believe it will
storm" he said, "and if it is chilly to-
night you can cover up with our
clothes" He took the blanket from her
outstretched arms and tossed it into the
wagon. He leaned over her, and as her
arms twined around his neck he drew
her close to him and kissed her lovingly
and whispered, ''f'll be back tomorrow
afternoon, dear" She was loath to let
him go. She clung to him and kissed
him repeatedly. He laughed nervously
and very near to tears as he gently
loosened her arms, saying lowly, 81
must go, Mary, or the coal will be gone
before get there" He clambered into
his wagon and drove off.
The day continued warm. But the
young wife was lonely She was op-
pressed by the solitude of the plains.
Her house seemed to be abandoned.
She called her dog and walked over the
desolate plains. She gathered COW chips
in her apron. She fed and watered the
stock. She attempted to kill time, and
the day seemed to be the longest and
most wearisome she had ever expert !
enced. That night she lighted lamp
and sewed on small garments. She |
smiled as she worked. Apparently her
thoughts were pleasant. Without par
ticle of warning the wind rushed out of |
the north and struck the house with ter
rife violence. The air became cold al
most instantly. But there was no driv-
ing snow. The poor young girl listened
to the bowling wind for an instant, then
she bowed her head on the table and
cried bitterly, to be aroused from her
lervous grief by blood -curdling chorus
outside the house, as though 10000 dew
Is were exulting there. The dogs hair
,rowled savagely. Light footballs pat
cred around the house. Then the dev-
Isl SI$asI~I ssSa andlSsaiqtiy tfrobbing
yes at the door, where she fancied she
card enquiring shifts. Her dog became
TildIy excited and barked furiously.
Gary was SO greatly terrified that she
10 longer felt the cold. She went to
,ed to hide. She covered her head
With blanket, as timid child does,
md lay awake for hours listening to the
coyotes chorus, and listening she fell
ntO dreamful, troubled sleep.
It was morning, and few flakes of
inc snow shot through the air. Mary
rose and fed the cattle. She wondered
It the intensity of the cold. The nor
hern sky was black with frozen anger.
She built fire in the stove and boiled
. little cornmeal for her breakfast,
portion of which she gave to the dog.
It grew colder ana colder. The snow
lakes were becoming more numerous,
md appeared to be smaller than they
we're when she arose, and the wind
gathered strength as it blew. Mary
glanced at the clock; its hands marked
nine. "John is at the top of the second
livide by this time," she said. Ten
1'clock. The snow was falling freely
md almost horizontally. The mercury
marked far below zero. The noise of
he storm was terrific. She became
lnxious about John. But there were
leighbors' houses at intervals on the
Dad, and he would surely find shelter
n one of them. And maybe he had not
eft town. She became nervous. She
,ould not eat. She thought of her Ohio
home. Visions of great piles of fire
wood and bins full of coal arose before
Ter. She conjured up the old gray
louse and the beehives and the apple
rees, and her eyes filled with tears.
She grew colder and colder. She
rawled into bed and covered herself
With the blankets. She grew colder.
She arose and stuffed the stove with
ow chips. They burned freely, but
hrew out little heat. Fearful of her
ife, she called aloud for her husband.
The shivering dog wagged his tail in
.nswer and came to her. She grasped
he axe and chopped portion of the
ioor into firewood and burned it. She
chopped the furniture into firewood and
lowered over the stove with extended
lands as the hard wood burned.
Darkness fell on the plains, She
lighted her lamp and held her half fro
en hands above the glass chimney to
warm them. She got her sewing and
ried to sew. Her fnsessk-e~sre too stiff
O handle the fine needle she worked
With, and the small white garments
he was making slipped from her lap and
ell on the floor.
By midnight the storm had passed
nd the bright stars shown on a snow
overed earth. The wind fell. Mary
continued to feed the stove with bits of
lard wood furniture until the room be-
anne sufficiently warm for her to go to
,ed. The mattress lay on the un-
chopped floor close to the stove. She
av down and covered herself with the
hin blankets. She could not sleep.
She pictured her husband lost in the
blizzard how glad she was that she had
,iven him the blanket. Then she saw
lin sleeping comfortably in neighbor's
louse, and the wagon partially filled
With Jumps of coal stood outside; how
rood it looked. She argued with her
elf and tried to be cheerful, but there
vas strange, unwonted pressure on her
leart which would not be reasoned away.
1t intervals she slept fitfully, and Wis
ons rolled through her brain. She was
I'D early, just as the whitish grey light
,egan to disappear. She was strangely
weak and nervous and she marvelled at
Ter condition, While she was trying to
,uild fire she heard the crunching of
Intensely cold snow as wheels rolled
,ver it. She arose and walked over to
he door, saying:
"Thank God, he has come at last !''
She opened the door and saw the team
# horses. with low hanging heads, wear
ly approaching the house. No driver
at on the wagon seat.
"John is walking behind the wagon