The advocate., 1894-04-18

was the condition of the broken old sol
dier trudging that dreary road that
night
The thought of his wife's uneasinesS
at his unusual absence made him push
on. The though of what he must tell
her filled him with despair. Walking
part of the time backwards and run
ming at intervals to keep warm through
snow often up to his knees, a trembling
came over his limbs at last, his mind
became confused, and four miles from
town he crawled into a deserted
old shed near the roadside and
lay down. He suffered there for
hours. His teeth chattered at first
and his chillS seemed uncomfortable,
but the shed kept off the biting
wind, and after awhile he dozed. He
began to feel warm and his stupor
deepened; when, confusedly remember.
ing that he had heard that such drowsi-
ness, if yielded to, meant death, he
reused himself, and, too weak to walk
dragged himself to the roadside again:
where, overcome with exhaustion and
Stupor, he lay unconscious in the snow
which tossed by the wind drifted over
him and soon completely covered him.
Mrs. Cotterell, alone in the farm
house whence she was soon to be driven
by the law in the name of the people,
listened intently for some sound indica.
tive Of her husbands return. The old
dog, lying by the stove, seemed i'll al
ease; would spring up from doing, ele
vate his ears, give asubdued bark, look
up into his mistress anxious face, anG
then lie down to doze fitfully again
The night deepened. Mrs. Cotterel
took up her mending and set to work
Her sense of hearing became prefer.
naturally painfully y-acute, and the old
clocks monotOnous ticking became as
loud and as harsh as blows on an anvil
After awhile, the old dog whined, then
turning his nose toward the ceiling
hoWled. Mrs. Cotterell was supersti
tiouS, and the dogs dismal howl filled
her with vague fear. She thought OF
John, of Kate both far away from
her now. What if either of then
should sicken-die-be killed? TheI
she wondered at her husband!
unusual absence. Had something
dreadful happened to him? The storm
ragged fiercely outside. The wine
mOaned and whiStled around the house
which dlsmally creaked with the strain
The gusts were drifting the snow into
great heaps deep enough for sepul
chres. The biting blast must be full in
her husbands face, and he would be
chilled through when he got home. AT
this thought she made a better fire in
the stove which had been growing cold,
for the supply of coal was limited; Cot
terrell was to bring some III the wagon.
The night wore on; the clock struck II
then then 2. She was alarmed
The room was growing chilly, for she
dared not put on much fuel at a time
now; she was saving it to make good
fire when he should come. Her teeth
began to chatter with cold and fear.
Three o'clock! and her husband had
never before been later than 10 in re-
turning. Something dreadful must
have happened And such night to
be out! What if he had been buried in
snow-drift and should be dying of
coldH What was she to do? This sus-
pense was uncomfortable. Alas! the
nearest house was more than a mile
away through the impossible snowl
She lay down at last to keep warm;
and, worn out with anxiety and watch
ing, as well as with her hard days
work, she slept. The fire died out. The
old dog came and licked his mistress
old, withered hand which hung out Of
the bed hand hardened and de-
formed with hard work, but which had
been shapely once once, in the happy
days when young and bride she and
her handsome young husband had
come to build in solitude the home she