Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-11-25
a KIN0-HeARTED eEAR.
Il Life Q Little Child In Its Paw
and Puts Her in q Place Of eafety.


Il Life . Little Child In Its PAW
and Puts Her In . Place Of safety.
Miss Isabel +. Hapgood translates
for the st. Nicholas q true story from
the Russian Of Vera p. Zhelikhovsky.
1t n an incident that occurred In 1847.
in the Trans-Caucasian German colony
OF Elixabethal. about thirty miles from
Tiflis. A picnic party discovered a
large bear (called "Afikhail Ivan'itch"
and General Toptygin" In Russian) on
q narrow ledge of rock high up in
gorge. This II what followed:
All at once a simultaneous cry Of
pity, terror. horror. broke from all.
From behind the crag little girl made
her appearance. The tiny colonist was
seven or eight years old: not more. She
was strolling along with her arms
crossed carelessly on her pink apron. A
large hat Of coarse straw, such as all
the colonists. whether young or old,
wear in hot weather, had fallen quite
over on the nape Of her neck; and sur
rounded by this aureole, all flooded
with sunlight, the poor little thing
St~PPS0 Oot OAA khG PAIN W AASA 0nAA sSS
the cli6 on the brink Of the abyss.
The poor child was going to her
death In plain sight Of many men and
women-and to what dreadful death!
And not one Of them could help her!
No one could either save her or even
warn her of her danger.
All were condemened to gaze, mac
fiyo o< tho droo a df,,l ovon% ,r,htoh ,,,os
on the point Of happening before their
eyes.
The women raised a cry, and fell to
weeping. The majority of them sobbed
themselves into Mysteries beforehand.
The men. even those who had been In
battle more than once. who had beheld
death and blood. eaid afterward that
they became cold and dizzy, and many
turned away their eyes In anguish. But
those who endured the ordeal, on the
other hand, beheld a marvel.
Because Of the turn in the path. the
child could not see the terrible fellow
traveller who was coming to meet her.
She only caught sight OF that dark
brown shaggy mass at the moment
when 1t almost came in contact with
her. The huge beast completely block
ed her road. His left paws stood on
the very edge of the path, while with
his right side he almost rubbed the cliff.
They caught sight of each other almost
at the same moment.
Probably q cry or an exclamation on
the part Of the child revealed her pres
ence to the beast, as he was walking
along with his muzzls and eyes droop-
ed earthward. They stared fxedly at
each other. The little girl was petri-
fed with fear; the bear halted, In In
decision, no doubt much astonished II
not frightened. For one moment, prob
ably, he reflected: what am l to do
now?" It was impossible to pass with
out crushing the unexpected obstacle.
without striking 1t or hurling 1t into the
abyss. The path was so narrow at this
point that he could not even turn round
on all fours. What WIS to be done7
Down below the people waited. with
bated breath, expecting at any moment
to see the unhappy child pushed into
the abyss. But evidently that was not
the way in which fulfilled and good-na-
tured "Mikhail Ivan'itch, General Top
tygin," had settled the problem. He
wished neither death nor harm to this
tiny creature, helpless before him,
with open mouth and staring eyes,
having lost through fear all power Of
crying, and awaiting his will in trem-
bling silence. And "Mishenka" car
ried out his WILL
With q faint growl, caused not by
anger but by the necessity Of putting
himself to trouble, he reared up on his
hind legs, strode close up to the little
girl, and, bracing his back against the
cliff, clasped his forepaws around her,
lust beneath the shoulders.
Shrieks and groans of despair re.
sounded from below. The ladies, who
still continued to gaze with dim eyes,
grew faint; but the men, especially the
huntsmen, who were acquainted with
the murderous habits Of the bear fam
ily, leaped in spirit, and with q hope
q mad hope-for the child's safety.
They perceived that Mishka was b.
having in . very remarkable manner,
with all the caution and dexterity
which he could command.
They were not mistaken as to his unr
goodness. The kind-heart-
ed bear lifted the little girl up, careful.
ly bore her over the precipice, and,
turning on the pivot, Of his hind paws,
set her down on the other side Of the
path.
Having performed this gymnastio
exercise. the bear, without waiting to
be thanked evidently he was well ac-
quainted with the human race, whirl-
ed about, dropped on all fours, and pro-
ceeded quietly on his way, swaying
from side to side, and grunting content
edly in anticipation or sweet repose IN
Ills lair not far away.
No Need fDr IL.