The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-02-09
CAUGHT IN A VERMONT
sNoWSToRM.
wide Awake
RY C. s. MEssEENGER.

The day of the great snow storm last win
ter there was to be a children's performance
of "The Mikado" at Bennington, VT, and
Harry Wilcox, who lives in White Creek,
aboul six miles from Bennington, had been
promised that he might drive over in his
pony sleigh and take Mary Howe with him.
He was bright. active boy of twelve, and
Mary little neighbor of his Of ten. They
were rather young folks to 60 travelling
without their mothers or fathers. but Mary
had an Aunt Lucretia in Bennington, who
would take care Of her there, and see that
she was well wrapped up when she should
start to 60 home.
Harry had pony named Duncan, which
he drove to a small wagon in summer, and
now his father had given him sleigh, as
handsome as any large one, and provided
with plenty of fur robes. Harry had worked
hard through haying and harvesting, and
had actully earned the money that was paid
for the sleigh.
His father, Mr.. Stephen Wilcox, has a
large fam, and keeps great many sheep,
which he drives upon the mountains in sum-
mer and feeds in the valleys in winter.
Mary Howe's father is also farmer, whose
hoase is about half mile from Mr.. Will
cox's.
The day of 1.-THE Mikado' Mrs. Howe
brought Mary over to Mr.. Wilcox's and saw
her we'll packed in the sleigh with Harry ::
and although the sky was overcast, neither
she nor Mrs. Wilcox thought much about the
weather. only charging Harry to keep the
sleigh-robes tucked in, and to start for home
nc eooyn a tho narfarma moo anould ha avar
The young folks drove off merrily on the
snowy road, and Harry sang some of "The
Mikado'' songs which his mother had taught
him. The sleighing was not very good, be-
cause the snow was too deep; but Duncan
pulled them along stoutly, and they made
the six miles in little more than an hour.
and in good season for the performance. 1t
began to snow before they reached Benning-
ton.
Aunt Lucretia was at the hall to meet
Mary, and the performance delighted them
all. Harry heard on the stage all the "Mika-
do" songs his mother had taught him. He
now understood better what they meant.
When they came out of the hall it was still
showing, and Aunt Lucretia said they had
better stay all:night. Harry said: 'Oh, mol
duncan WOuIu TAKE tu6tu uOlUt III Ill uOuI.
Aunt Lucretia, without thinking very much
about the snow, wrapped Mary well and let
them set out.
They found the drive less pleasant going
towards home The snow was falling fast
and they had to bend their heads to. keep it
1t was hard for Duncan to wade through
1t.
he broke into trot now and then: yet
Harry did not think for moment that he
..nf hrfs fhnr in mo
Harry and Mary talked about THE Mika-
do" in spite of the storm. Then they talked
about snow houses. and Harry asked Mary
how she would like. a snow house made OF
ice cream, so she could sit in it and eat the
sides with spoonl
The snow kept covering up their hats and
capes, but they would brush 1t off and laugh
about 1t, and pull the bear-skin robe up high
er so that 1t would almost cover their heads.
The had got long way past the last house
in the valley, and some distance up the long
hill they were to climb, and on which there
were no houses, when Duncan stopped.
Harry spoke to him, but the pony would not
start. Harry touched him with the whip,
and the brave little horse made a lew steps
forward and then halted.
Harry got out of the sleigh and went to
him and found him all OF tremble. he was
a high-spiTited pony and had worked with all
his might to draw them so far through the
snowdrifts, and now. was almost dead. He
could not go any farther
Harry did not know what to do. At first
he thought Mary and he would have TO walk
back to the last house, but he. saw that the
snow was certainly too deep for Mary. She
was frightened and began to cry. He said,
Don't be afraid 1t will be all right in
few minutes" and he covered her up snugly
with the sleigh robes, and put Dnncan's
blanket on him. and told Mary TO keep warm
while he would go back to the last house and
get man to help them.
He started back through the drifts, which
he found very deep. Some Of them, through
which Duncan had plunged only little while
before, were up TO Harris shoulder. he found
he could not possibly go to the farmhouse.
and turned back TO the sleigh, wondering
what Mary and he and Duncan were to do.
He found Duncan had moved little, to get
under the shelter of elump OF birches, and
was out of the wind. The snow, however
was piling up fast over him and over the
sleigh,
Just then he thought of Lieut.. Greedy in
the Arctic regions how his men had often
lain out In their sleeping-bags, in the snow
storms, when on their long excursions across
had some sleeping bagsl" Then in moment
he thought, "Wny can'tw sleep In the sleigh
with the robes over us?"
MARY" said he, 1--WE have. got to stay here
till they break the roads. and we must lie
down in the bottom of the sleigh and cover
ourselves up with the robes"
What will mother do IL we don't Gomez"
said Mary. "Shell think we are frozen to
DEATH"
''Oh, no." replied Harry, "she'll think we
staid at your Aunt Lucretia's. We can 60
hOmeas soon as the farmers break the ROADS
In the morning"
Then he got into the sleigh, and holding up
the robes toward the wind, told Mary to put
the cushion on the bottom of the sleigh, under
the seat and lie down with her heaa ON IL.
Then he quickly tucked the robes 10 on her
side and lay down himself on the other SIDE,
with the robes reaching entirely over sneln
and over the seat of the sleigh.
IL they had been nervous, old people, tney
would have thought, perhaps, that they
space between their faces and the seat above
and they were too young to think mucn
about ventilation.
Now" said Harry, Ego to sleep, Marw,
and In minute it will be morning, and you
will hear the farmers coming olong, break
ing the roads,"
u mont know as can go to Sleep" replied
Mary, but she said her prayers to herself
and kept very quiet, and soon was truly fast
asleep.
Harry lay awake somewhat longer, listen
ing 10 the wind and wishing that poor Dun
can were as comfortable as Mary and he
were. Then he went 10 sleep, too.
Meanwhile at MT Wllcoxs the snow had
could see it piling up In the road and she
said TO herself: IF Lucretia lets the chill
diem start in this storm they will never get
here" She kept hoping that Marys aunt
had kept them in Bennington, but she was
very ANXIOUS.
About six o'clock Mr.. Wilcox came in,
stamping his feet and saying: This Is the
biggest snowstorm Of the season"
"Oh, Stephen" said Mrs. Wilcox, II am SO
anxious about Harry and Mary. am afraid
ton and can't get through the drifts"
Nonsense" said Mr.. Wilcox. "Lucretia
would never let them start In this. weather: I"
"But suppose she has" reioined Mrs. Will
cox; "they will certainly be lost In the snow
and be frozen to death.
Mr.. Wilcox could not help being anxious
himself. and after a minute he said. well,
III 20 over to Eagle Bridge and telegraph to
Bennington, and then we shall feel easy"
"How can you get to Eagle Bridge through
the drifts?" ~,
"Weil, l can't go in a sleigh, but. l will
take Patchen and 90 on horseback.
Mrs. Wilcox was thankful indeed Tor THIS
and Mr.. Wilcox went of In few minutes on
his great horse Patchen.