Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-12-13

the bad years beforel He had once been the prosperous owner of a fine, big farm himself, for the Daglishes had been yeo- men and owners of their own land for generations back, but it had all gone, had all melted away to satisfy that un- natural thirst which had taken posses sion of the last of the family.
 Martins reflections, as the drink died out of him, were of a very sad and de- pressing character. He leaned his head on his hand and kept watching Nelly all the while. It was the only good and beautiful trait left in him now, that he loved this girl passionately and to some extent unselfishly.
 For her sake he had made several at tempts to break the chain that bound him, but the fascination was too power ful to be resisted. His blood was by this time little else than alcohol, and within his veins like cried out to like. Never theless rush of tenderness still came over his soddened senses whenever she gave him a kind word or glance.
 "Ye're not well, daddy" she said now in a gentle voice as she noticed that he ate no supper and looked sick and sorry. "Does your head ache very bady'
 Martin put up his trembling hand Gs though to stop her.
 "Dinna speak like that, Nelly, ma bairn. Tell me that Aw'm a shame and disgrace to ye, and that the sooner Aw'm out O the world the better for every one, but dinna pity me. Aw canna bide it.
 "Awll say nothing of the kind, retort ed Nelly indignantly. Il would like well to see you get the better of drink for your own sake as well as mine, but Aw'll never wish you owt but good, never! We've been kind feyther to me. any ways"
 A kind feyther!' groaned the old shepherd. "Oh! Nelly, Nelly, ye break ma hairt wi yer tenderness. Do ye not wish me deid, then?'
 For answer Nelly came across to where he sat, put her soft, loving arms around his neck and kissed the poor, bleared, drink sodden face over and over again.
 Many time afterward did the mem ory of those kisses rise to the girls mind and comfort her inexpressibly.
 
 Before daybreak the clouds had re solved themselves into q storm of snow the most penetrating and persistent that had been known, even in that bleak dis trict, for many years.
 Long ere dawn Martin Daglish was up and away over the fells to look after the outlying foclzs in his charge.
 On these extensive border farms, where the grazing land is composed both of valley and fell, and where the sheep travel miles away from any place of safe shelter and refuge, the utmost prccau- tions are necessary ill rough seasons to prevent the flocks from perishing from cold or being engulfed in living grave of snowdrifts.
 In the hollows these same drifts form to an alarming depth, and many fleecy clad carcass lies buried beneath every considerable fall of snow, unless the greatest care is taken to prevent such catastrophes.
 Martin was good and careful shep- herd, and in spite of his failing was never known to neglect the safety of his sheep.
 But on this morning as he crossed the moors in the face of that binding storm he recognized the fact that it would take him all his time to prevent many of them from perishing in this storm. The other shepherds were of, also, in differ ent directions. but the district under Martins special charge was the most re- mote and the one soonest in danger, | because it lay in situation that exposed it to the inclemency of the weather. The snow came down in that fine, | powdery, impalpable sort of fashion which denotes a protracted and heavy fall, and it was all that Martin could dc | to keep to the track. Had he not been the most experienced and weatherwise | of pedestrians he must have inevitably been lost at once.
 The snow glued his eyelids together penetrated his clothing and froze upon his face. Even his dog Rover, a collie of | great sagacity and experience, required some encouragement to induce him tC face tho storm, and every now and again be whined and drew closer to his mas. ter's heels, as though protesting against the cruelty of nature.
 Long before they reached the place where the last flock of sheep were hud dled helplessly together ewaiting in stu, pid resignation their doom both mar and dog were about spent.
 But at sight of the silly, frightened sheep Rover gave a joyous bark and I DOulnCO 4OA W al A db OAlSCt t4Ac bO Au stinct and training. With the stupidity of their kind the creatures had choser the very worst spot they could hay, selected wherein to abide during tha severity of the storm.
 The wind whirled and eddied up [ narrow gorge and laid great wreaths o. Enow all about their woolly sides.
 Martin knew that if they could b, once driven around to the other side o the hill, whero the wind would keep tn, ground comparatively free from snow and where there was also some shelter to be obtained from a hemel and { roughly constructed foldyard, fenced round with stone walls, there would b' little to dread, and they could be looked after and fed, until the severity of tn, storm was passed.
 But it required considerable deter imitation to make the creatures move a all, and still more to do so ill tho teetl of the cutting wind. The cold haC benumbed them and rendered then almost torpid.
 Rover's approach, however, rouseC them to faint display of animation and he began proceedings at once by running around and biting, or pretend ing to bite, the laggards, barking all thu while as loudly as his strength would al low.
 After 6 minute or two they began tC move in the direction indicated to thu dog by his master, and very slowly, bu surely, they wero gradually led ava! from their dangerous situation int safety. It took long time for them t' reach the other side of the hill and t' find the part fenced in by the roughl. built and mortarless stone walls anC the hurdles, stuffed with ragged furze but the difficult task was accomplished at length, and every sheep and yearlint lamb was folded safe.
 Martin, the shepherd, gave great sigl