Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-07-26

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uo ",n,a, a 49, vi .. Fnl ~
uIl d'@i,, IA, ~ lie l.3, Str red
hua,oa lah!tHiols lad nui ,...cl;,sul II
living being fur many wc,i..
Til" s;oun las piled itr 10Y high
before .Aliasycr's narrow entrance, and
it would take hundred brawny arms
to remove this frozen wall instead of
those iour emaciated ones. Still he has
been able To guard the entrance to this
tomb from completely closing up and
to prepare the moss for his reindeer
that he has gathered with infinite labor.
Esther has kept alive the flame of
hydrogen gas, which she generates from
snow water by means of an ingenious
ly constructed apparatus. This gives
both light and warmth to the wretched
people. Since her father has closed
his eyes in death her own strength
wanes day by day, her courage fails
and her resistive power decreases daily.
There is but one chord in Esther's
breast which responds in clear and
rich intonations to the demands of life
it Is her mother love. With consum-
ing anxiety she watches the oldest of
her darlings die a slow death of scurvy.
At last its sufferings are ended; the
mothers heart Is breaking with agony
and more fervently than ever she
clasps her remaining child to her be-
reaved breast.
Two more terrible days have passed
over their heads; they begin to feel the
penetrating cold rs well as the gnawing
hunger, for the human body needs food
for its inward fuel TO generate the
necessary natural warmth. Everything
has been consumed except the last rein
deer, which provides the infant with
milk. The parents shrink from killing
the animal and thus deprive their deli
cate child of this one source Of noarish-
ment which nothing can replace.
No, they would rather die.
And what is then to become of the
little helpless creaturel Is there no
way out of this labyrinth of misery2
They decide to postpone the killing
Of the last reindeer as long as possible,
and for a short time will share the food
of the animal, the moss.
With leaden heaviness the hours
drag YEARLY by. Esther almost faints
with hunger. Suddenly the child
awakens. 1t was hungry when she
rocked 1t to sleep and now demands its
food with infant vehemency. The fee
BILE cry of her baby arouses Esther
from her stupor. She springs to her
feet, seizes the knife and places II in
her husbands outstretched hand.
''Our child, Ahasver! Save our
child"
Answers apathy instantly dispersed;
he must feed his furnishing child, and
he hurries into the adjoining space. A
dull thud, a gurgling sound, and IL Is
done. After they have fed their child
on the warm blood of the reindeer
these two starving people still their
own hunger.
Days pass by-perhaps weeks-for
these two have ceased to measure time.
The portions of food become smaller,
the child grows weaker, for the meat
diet is not good for it, and the hope Of
salvation from this misery has fled.
The infant. with its tiny, shrunken
body and wizened face, lies dead in Its
mothers arms. The cry of anguish
breaks from her lips at this last, cruel
lash of fate. No tear of grief falls from
her burning eyes. Answer and Esther
have watched the inevitable draw near
with silent resignation, and their hearts
are filed with but one desire, of being
reunited soon with their loved ones.
They are calm and composed now, and
submissive to the will of the Almighty.
Without uttering a complaint they d.
vide the last morsel of the reindeer
meat.
Days have passed since they have
eaten the last bite. Everything has
been consumed; there is nothing left.
They hold each other in one last en-
brace-death fingers in their faces.
The quiet of the tomb reigns within.
Each hears the others heart beating
family. The fianre of the gas is dying
away. Esther is too weak to replen-
ish the material. and she does not want
TO be separated for even the brief space
of a moment from her husbands loyal
breast.
Profound darkness envelops every
thing.
There, oh, wonderl suddenly a ray
of light Eliminates the hut. The ray
steals softly through the roof. II Ii
the magnetic polar light. Answer and
Esther, almost removed from this
world, show no surprise. Heavenly
Joy fills their souls, and more firmly
than before they clasp each other, for
death cannot part them. Il grows
brighter before their eyes; mild, warm
breezes sweep softly around them;
heavenly melodies fall on their ears,
and before the en%raptured gaze Is
spread n world Of whose wonders they
have never dreamed.
Arrayed in garments of softest light
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