New-York tribune., 1895-12-22
/ I

With a consuming dread In her heart the
mother had watched and waited.
"Teu her 7 will be home by 6'-that was the
message and It supported her through the after
noop She smoke cheerfully to the children. and
assured them that their father would soon come.
when. mammal" asked Ned. and she SAID:
"At 6 o'clock" She renewed the logs in the ire
place; she arranged something nice and not 1or
supper; she got the childrens bowls OF Dreau anu
milk. and made them eat. And all with teariui
glances into the storm
The cheap wooden clock struck smartly
ITS o'clock mamma, said Ned' anu papa
isn't tere. You said he'd be"
The mother turned away and caught her
breath. Papa. he's telling Santa Claus, piped
little Alice. and the babies laughed and thought
no more Of their fathers absence. Now, hang
I'D our stockings" they cried, as they clamoered
down from their high chairs, and with quivering
Inns the mother fastened them near the chimney.
Now. your prayers. ard then to bed. she SAID,
and the children knelt and prayed. "Papall be
here in the morning won't he?" asked Ned and
she answered Yes my darling" In voice that
she did not know. A moment and they were fast
asleep.
THANK God they dent know the mother
whispered and took up her agony anew. Me-
chanicay she cleared away the tea Things anu
did some work about the house. Then she opened
the door by main strength and listened out only
to the hooting of the gale and the MISS OF 'he
writhing snow. Her husband must be out there
in the storm There no house. no place or
. refuge. between their home and the village. Will
Jams had reported him as on his way. He must
soon come, or-or--
She sewed desperately for a while. and tried TO
think that it would be all right. SO the minutes
crept by. and at last the clock struck j. Inc
sound aroused her agony to new life. She must
do something. She went upstairs and looked at
her sIeeping ba bies. smiling in blessed innocence
She psered out Of one corner Of WlndoW-pane
which a blind had protected from the snow.
What could she do? Pray? But she had dohe
nothing else for five hours.
Then she suddenly recalled custom OF her
mothers a custom once common among New
England Puritans, and with some still common
of opening the Bible at haphazard for guidance
and instruction when in perplexity and distress
II could do no harm; it would be something for
her to do, at any rate.
The woman hurried downstairs. and took from
her work basket a Nell-worn Bible. With trem-
bling hands and a half-articulate prayer, she
opened the sacred book and looked at It's page
with tear-dimmed eyes.
And the Lord went before them by day In a
pillar OF cloud, and by night in a pillar OF tre
The words danced before her as though alive:
What Significance could there be in that for her :
Was it not mere mockery, mere chance. after all!
Then the woman stood still, and hesitated mo-
ment. He cannot. cannot be very far away-it
ne is still alive" she whispered L must do IT,
and will. That's what Ii means.
With hands that no longer trembled. she put
on heavy wraps and stout boots. Next she tied
two clothes-lines together and stepped out into
the storm One end Of the line she made fast 10
the door-the house would be out of sight in a
moment. and she must secure her return-then
forced her way through the snow out INTO the
night.
Past the barn she went, and a last. with a
desperate effort, she found herself beneath the
huge hayrick. With a strength born of love,
hone and despair she tore away the snow and ice,
and her bleeding fingers touched the dry hay
within Hastily she drew box Of matches from
her pocket, and struck one. 1t tickered, then
| burned up brightly. She touched 1t 70 the hay.
For a single instant the flame Wavered uncer-
| tainly But the north wind caught 1t, sent 1t in
| mad fury into the heart of the great stack, and
| the fire flashed out its blazing defiance at the
| night and the storm
The great pile burned with matchless ferocity.
| Huge spires of flame leaped high in the air. and
tore mighty gaps In the curtain OF darkness with
their red-ho hands: great pillar OF fire snot
| heavenward and the ruddy glow illumined the
| landscape far and wide. Then the trembling
| woman crept back 10 the mouse ana 1eH on nei
| knees in prayer.
John Richards had already closed his eyes in
| submission to the death which seemed inevitable,
when one Of the horses whinnied strangely. In
dull surprise the looked up There was a
| red glow not far to the north The sight gave
him new energy. What it was he knew not. eX-
cept that ii was hre-and nre meant warmth ana
rescue and lifH
Followed by the horses. he started in the direc-
ton Of the light More than once he felt that he
must give up. but hope opened up the reserves Of
energy and he struggled on. At last. as the wife
| still knet she heard feeble cry. Sarah" and a
| heavy fall. moment more and her loving arms
| had drawn her husbands haf-lifelese body over
the threshold The pillar OF fire had led him
! home.
When the sun rose the next morning and looked
| with mild benignity down upon the snowclad
Nebraska plain two little children slipped out OF
bed and with delighted laughter. pattered down
the stairs There. beside thc wel-illed tiny stock
! ings stood the rocking horse and the blue-eyed
| doll that Santa Claus had brought.