Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-06-22

through. One by one the venomous
creatures had aSSialed him ebfore, but
he had merely brushed them aside with
out paying much heed to them. Now
that they ventured to appear full force
he made them powerless forever TO
harm him. Upward and onward he
went, helping many, ijuring none, yet
diScontented with himself because he
could not accomplish some mighty deed
Of chivalry The mountain top was
reached at last.
Now l shall see the hero of my
dreams, and learn what lies beyond, =
! thought he.
/ At this moment his eyes rested on a
beauteOus damsel the most radiantly
J lOevly ching he had ever seen. She 2ay
slumbering on a couch of pure white
snow, while snow and ice surrounded
her on every side. With throbbing
heart and whirling brain. the boy gazed
at her. and his Thinking Cap was not
needed to guide his actions An i'm
pulse that seemed heaven-born led
him to stoop and kiss the maiden.
| Opening her lustrious eyes, she start
ed up and cried: My hero! my heror'
where, oh. where is he:" exclaimed
the boy.
You are he" said the maiden. simp-
; ly THE powers of frost and ice en-
| chained me to the SnoW-bank and
! plunged me into a deep sleep, but in
my dreams the voice often speaks to
col IL
and rescue me-"
| Alas AIasr' walled the boy IF
love you, fair one, I fain would make
you mine, but I am no hero. I have
tried to do well whatever my hands
found to do, but I have achieved no
great deed after ALL
Every act of mine, too. has seemed
of little AVAIL said the maiden. but
the voice told me neither man nor
woman could reach their best useful
ness until they journeyed hand in hand
their lives united
! THANK heaven for those words, y
cried the boy. LET our lives then
be united without loss of time"
They stood in the midst of a wealth
Of flowers fringing the eternal snow
Here they plighted their trOth, their
lives became united, and when they
journeyed fort hand in hand, the hero
bore with him the treasures he had
won. while the heroine was adorned
with the gems of true womanhood that
were hers.
/ What lay ebyOnd was the experience
resulting from their combined efforts.
How beautiful and beneficent these
j We-e! BlCs sings flowed from them on
every side. LoI ely floral bloom sprang
up in the path of the happy pair, and
cruel thOrns and stumbling blocks as
well. They rejoiced in the blossoms
and each tried to clear away all that
was rough from beneath the others
footsteps. When burdens were laid!
upon their backs each tried to relieve
the other of the weight; thus making
it easy to bear Onward they joJlrn-
eyed and far onward. their hearts over
flowing with gratitude that they could
be together through veal and through
woe.
. Wherever they went they met sor-
row and suffering, ignorance and vice,
which they helped overcome. Once
they overlook band of pilgrims, who
were in the power of a savage monster
Him our hero slew with his magic
sword, and our heroine taught the
pilgrims to make wise use Of their
freedom.
: BY and by, little children attended
the footsteps of our hero and heroine
and We're guided by them to noble man
hood and WOmanhoOd, all but one who
was borne from them to better care
than theirs. In the course of time their
sons and daughters went forth into the
world to seek their own fortunes, and
the pair We're once more alone. They
had fought a good fight and conquered
many a foe, nor did their labors cease
even now.
One day they saw below the path
they trod Dark Valley, through which
flowed a black, troubled stream. To-
wards this valley they descended, hand
in hand, and when they were hidden
to enter and CT SIS the stream they We're
not afraid, for they well knew that the
reward of the faithful lay beyond
Even when the turgid waters were
closing over their heads they feared
not, for they felt themselves support
ed by the arms of love.
/ They reached the golden shore Of the
Beyond in safety, and We're borne to
a beautiful flower garden where it is
always May. There the little child that
went before awaited their coming, and
new delights, new growth, and new
blessings abOunded.