Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-01-29

pains, still in the iiftes. and to permit the
fire to 60 down would mean certain death
to the invalid.
"Mademoiselle, where are you gong?'
cried Madame as Dove passed her door.
Madame, there is no coal upstairs.
am going out to the shed"
"But Mademoisplle shall not 90. H." cried
the kind little woman. "Only wait little
moment and ! shall 60. A little patience,
Mademoisellel"
"Nou go out with bronchitis and thirty
degrees below zero cried Dove: chow
dare you think of such a mad proceeding?"
SO Dove, with the largest coal box she
could find on her arm went sturdily down
stairs to the kitchen regions. A huge iron
shovel lay close to the outer kitchen door
Dove set the bucket down for a moment
beside it, This meant a little pause to get
up her courage, for the roar of the wind
and the swirl of the binding snow would
have daunted stronger heart than hers.
even If braced up by vigorous physique.
Dove knew from sad experience that she
must inevitably freeze at so low a record
as thirty below zero; and then how was
she to stand up in such a storm as this?
ITS got to be DONE said Dove, grimy.
81 dare say it is not half so bad as it
looks
She pulled the fur cap close over her
ears, tied a wooden cloud over her face to
protect eyes and nose, and pulled the
heavy arctics over her boots. There was
no further excuse fora moments pause, so
she grasped the bolt of the door and slid it
back.
The wind tore the door SO furously from
her hand that poor Dove, after an effort at
balance, found herself, bucket, spade and
all, in drift beside the threshold. Now
it is very easy matter to fall into drift
but it requires judgment to assist one to
get out of it, as struggling to rise merely
sends one deeper into the snow bank. But
here the bucket stood friend in need !:
Dove rose on its firm basis, and took step
UPWARDS Fortunately the snow was wind
driven towards the fence, and therefore not
more than two feet deep on the path be-
tween the kitchen and the shed.
Just my luck said Dove. ant to con
slider herself fortunate in small things: so
she struggled valiantly along with the iron
spade for staff and the bucket for bal
ance. The situation to any but the robust
was one of danger-for the blast of the
blizzard is deadly in its icy penetration
the snow, swept EDWARDS by its wide
spreading wings, cuts like knife: and in
turning her back on it in order to take
/ breath, Dove found her garments extern
ported into sails, which drove her towards
the snow-bank by the fence. where she
must have persisted. Well, it is hardly ro-
mantle to owe ones life to bucket and a
heavy iron spade, but Dove knows well
how much was due to these humble friends
during that struggle for existence between
the kitchen and the shed-dOor
This door, somewhat sunken. was chOked
with fine snow, and frozen so that it would
not give space to a nudge to enter. Dove
breathless but valiant, set the bucket down,
and taking the spade as hattering-ram
/ plunged against the rickety door 1t gave
way at the hinges and came down with a
clattcr. Meantime the bucket had settled
into the snow and was frozen there: when
/ 1t was at length dug out. the bottom was
/ so humpy with Jumps of ice that it could
| not be induced to stand, and the coal that
/ Dove labOriOusly shOVeled in tumbled out
in manner that would have cXaSperated
saint. by this time another calamity
! threatened her-feet and hands were
numbed. and, unless She could speedily get
| up the circulation, would undoubtedly
/ freeze
/ What happened in the next few minutes
remains ever kind of nightmare, of work
| ing against impOssibilitieS but the next
| thing she distinctly remembers was the
weight of the bucket, which she had tc
carry with both hands and set down at
every step. The minutes seemed hours
and when the outer kitchen was reached
at last, Dove was gasping for breath, as
one half-drowncd. Her hair was blown
| down and twisted into the cloud. as though
a mischieyous hand had tied it perversely
| into snarls. Her eyelids were frozen, SO
| that she had to wait until the water thawed
and rolled away like a tear before she could
] bolt the door again, and rid herself of the
/ heavy arctics.
After this came another season of strug-
| gle, between three flights of stairs and the
weight of the bucket i'm unaccustomed
| arms.
1--WE done it,, at last said Dove to her
self, as she sat on the top stair, looking
lovingly at the well-flled box beside her
! Then she went back to her invalid.
1t was an awful night; the blizzard in
creased in fury, and by seven o'clock in
| the morning the bucket was again empty.
Exhausted by the nights watching, Dove
contemplated another visit to the shed with
/ horror; she feared that she could never get
through the twelve hours accumulation of
snow. What was to be done? Again she
| opened the pane and looked into the street.
If only the milkman would appear! he
was one of the kindest men in the world,
and would do anything to serve her. But
| it would be hours before the milkman
could break the track and come in over the
country roads. Nor could Dove 90 into
the street; the snow had drifted halfway
l. IN. . 1.
ade. MAY God give me strength" pray
ed Dove fervently, as she took the bucket
in her hand and began to roll herself up in
furs and wraps.
AT that very moment came sound of
stamping outside. Then a kind of earth
quake shook the house; this was caused
by the wrenching open of the outside door,
frozen in the intense cold Then the door
bell rang.
Dove had flown downstairs at the first
sound, and now preciptated herself into
the arms of the rosy fur-cothed monster
who stood shaking the dry snow pellets
from his clothes.
Jack! oh, Jack! whatever made you
come so early?"
sob, I've been all night in the train (;
it's stuck fast a mile or two away. We
were all so hungry that we ate up every
thing"
'But how did you get here?"
81 chartered an old habitant to bring
me. l haven't been home yet. I've been
bothered all night thinking perhaps Mad
anne and Martha would get the grip, and
~~N%sNNNN%
Price Worth a Guinea Box" 25c.
j
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