The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-12-25

she said, and the children knelt and
prayed. Papa Il be here in the morn
ing, won't he p asked Ned, and she an
swered. Yes, my darling, in voice
that she did not know. \ moment and
they were fast asleep.
Thank God they don't know, the
mother whispered, and took up her agony
anew Mechanically she cleared away
the tea things and did some work about
the house. Then she opened the door by
main strength and listened, but only to the
hooting of the gale and the hiss of the
writhing snow. Her husband must be
out there in the snow. There was no
house, no place Of refuge, between their
home and the village Williams had re-
ported him as on his way. He must soon
come, Or-Or-
She sewed desperately for Il while, and
tried to think that it would be all right
So the minutes crept by, and at last the
clock struck g. The sound aroused her
agony to new life. She must do some
thing. She went upstairs and looked at
her sleeping babies, smiling in blessed in
nocence She peered out of one corner Of
a window pane which blind had protected
from the snow What could she do?
Pray? But she had done nothing else for
five hours.
Then she suddenly recalled custom Of
her mother :. Il custom once common
among New England PuritamS, and with
some still common, of opening the Bible
at haphazard for guidance and instruction
when in perplexity and distress. 1t could
do no harm: it would be something for her
to do at any rate.
The woman hurried down stairs and
took from her work basket Il wellworn
Bible. With trembling hands and Il half
articuIate prayer, she opened the sacred
book and looked at its 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 fire.
The words danced before her as though
alive. What signifcane could there be
IN that for her? Was it not mere mock
erv. mere chance, after all Then the
woman stood still and hesitated moment.
He cannot. cannot be very far away-if
he is still alive she whispered. Il
must do it, and | will. That $ what it
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 to the door-the
house would be out of sight in Il moment,
and she must secure her retum-then
forced her way through the snow out into
the night.
Past the barn she went, and at last,
with desperate effort, she found herself
beneath the huge hayrick, With Il
strength born of love, hope and despair,
she tore away the snow and ice, and her
bleeding fingers touched the dry hay
within. Hastily she drew a box of match
es from her pocket and struck one. 1t
Aickered, then burned up brightly. She
touched it to the hay. For Il single in
stant the fame wavered uncertainty. But
the north wind caught it, sent it 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 i'll
the curtain of darkness with their redhot
hands, great pillar of fire shot heaven
ward. and the ruddy glow illumined the
landscape far and wide. Then the trem-
bling woman crept back to the house and
fell on her knees i'll 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
man looked up. There was red glow
not far to the north The sight gave him
new energy What it was he knew not,
except that it was fre-and fire meant
warmth and rescue and life.
Followed by the horses, he started III
the direction 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 knelt, she heard feeble cry,
Sarah, and a heavy fall. A moment
more. and her loving arms had drawn her
husbands half-lifeless 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 de
lighted laughter, pattered down the stairs.
There besides the well-flled tiny stock
ings, stood the rocking horse and the blue,
eyed doll that Santa Claus had brought.