The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-06-01

making "figgery cigh;s," cutting his nam,
with his heel, doing the outside ron an"
spcoiinc away over the long reaches among
tho Islands wiih which the great lake was
sprinklci. on
II was licht. much longer out on the open
a., ,han in tho dim aisles of the woody
placcs: and delighted and cxhilara''n WIN
The oI5sy of his swift motion, Iaddy did nov
think ANYTHING about time till he saw ia'Se
s,ov fakes dancing all about him, when no
TURNED and found that the light was oniy tnat
90 a GRAY cleaning. and chill, damp wind
80 hlo,x.no In his face with n snow storm on
IFS wings. However, there would neho uouo'o
about skating hecS. and no went uy'ns
ocai,st the wind, when all 40 once the scre"
az one of his Skai snapped and sent "''n
,,,rollipo headlong. rolling over and over.
Wbcp he had picket himself up and adJusVeu
,ho sla,e again he could not tell IN what
direction he had been going, up or dowh,
alo,, or across the lake. The shores ali looAeu
alike. There were no lights Oh inc camp
whether hidden 10y ~ islands or Tue projecV
ING shores. and try as he might 70 i'i'u ."o
track of his skates he could not, either 10,
the dim light or the snow that had coNe'c'
and was covering it. Tho gloom was deepen,
inc. too. When he had sSated hille ana
stin saw no lights of the camp, he was sure
he had been turned about, Gnd ne re'eISe"
his motion and went in the other alIecuVn'
But still there were no lights-not '"i"N'o
anywhere, and when he hallooed no answer
came but a far of echo.
War this would never DO, he said; some
ono Of all these logging paths would iead 10
camp. Of course. And he took oil his skates
ord climbed the shore and went trudging ana
whistling along. But still no lights. Wen,
hadn't the camp been on the edge OF the iaket
He would wind along the edge then, ana
sooner or later ho must come to 1t. AiaSl IL
began 10 seem as If it would be later much
later. rather than soon. And now IL was
more than dusky among the trees; he had ios1
the broad CLEAN Of the lake; he had lost ihe
main logging path along the shore; he ana
not know which one of oil the dim openings
WAS the right one; the snow was bewilderlng;
il was already dark-and he was lost himself
He sat down on a fallen log; the snow was
whirling and floating and falling round him.
Now and again a soft bough swept low and
touched his cheek in n sort OF cold caress lie
thought be would lie down under the lee Oh
the log and stay all night, he was 50 tired.
He sat down there and leaned against lhe
tree. Nothing was Of any use. In spite OF
himself the tears spurted forth. lie was lost
in the woods He was going 10 freeze and
die here He was going 10 be buried IN the
snow He should never sec his darling
mother again Oh, if he had Only taken tho
baby ND when she reached her hands to him
the other morning!
No: he should never see them again. IL
was all up with him. He had been wicked
boy: he must taks whaU came. But how
they all must feel oh, how badly they would
feell Annie would cry fit to break her
heart. His father would forgive him, but
he would declare he never could forgive HIM
self and he would be pursued by the sorrow
Of it all his life. And his dear, dear, dear
mother-the image Of her pale, sweet lace
was too much for him, and no was crying
himself with all his might And then,
wearied out. and wondering if he should 60
10 heaven, or where, and If 1t was very hard
to die-and sending up now prayer for his
safety. and now prayer that they might not
feel too badly at home, all at once, he was
sound asleep, and the great hemlock tree was
bending down its branches heavy with snow
about him, and shctering in its kind embrace
the DOOR, lost. lonely little fellow. When at
last, reused 10y the connection about hun, the
cry of voices, the blast of horns, the flash OF
lanterns, Laddy sleepiIy opened his eyes again,
he might, indeed, have thought it was heaven,
with some great light glowing on an angels
face. only he knew he deserved nothing Of
that sort. In another moment he saw that
it was his mother, and without asking how
she came there he had thrown himself INTO
her arms
The facts In tue case were that when Laddy
had not returned to the camp, there had been
an alarm given aud the whole body of men
had gone out in search parties after him and
Old Peachblow. 1t was one of these parties,
passing in the distance that had brought him
back from his instants dream of the Wild
ladies an hour or so before. And his mother
driving down from the upper camp, with
Jingle of bells and flashing of sleigh lamps,
Just as a group Of the men had paused won
dering at this place not far from the way
side. where for a circle of some dozen yards
in diameter the snow was pretty well trodden
down round the old postofiice tree, tho very
cucle Nueio pun l|idAt H''t WV 49,
tramping-his father had stopped and come
TO see what was the cause Of the excite
ment; and his mother had presently fol-
lowed and had seen him in beneath the
great hemlock boughs first Of all. Oh, how
sweet and dear his mother was! How warm
her arms were-her face like some lovely,
bright, cold nowerl Could it be possible
was be found-was he going to see his dear
home once more, and Anne and the baby
His heart beat in his throat with JOY. lie
felt like kneeling down in the snow and
thanking the great Power that had spared
him. And he never noticed the big pea
jacket that had been Spread over him, and
from which Old Peachblow was shaking the
| snow.
"I'll-Ill 60 to Bowdoin, father" STAN
mered Laddy. "You may punish me-
ought TO be punished. "Ill-Ill learn the
lines of the Greek ships by heart, too. I'll
III go TO Bowdoin-only just let me 90 home
with you first"
IL guess he's cured" muttered Old Peach
blow to Mr. Earl, handing up the reins.-
Harriet Prescott spoiford in New York
World.