Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1899-07-19
with. their newly discovered playground,

wit h. their newly Undiscovered playground,
but sighting the cabin, with elevated
ears and distended nostrils, they came to
a sudden halt. As | watched sharp ire
port rang out and puff of smoke issued
from the cabin; instantly the scene
changed to one OF confusion; a great
| Tipping of tails and flying deer could be
seen in all directions.
"a mighty thrashing in the light snow
near me attracted my attention, and gaz-
ing in the direction from which came the
sound, beheld large deer struggling in
! the throes of death with an agonized look
in his frightened brown eyes. From the
open door of his cabin rushed the pioneer,
brandishing a long keen edge hunting
knife, which he thrust several times into
the shapely throat OF the dying animal,
bringing forth great spurts of blood low
err and lower sank the antlered head a
convulsive tremor ran through his frame,
and the gentle creatures career was ended.
ut was my first acquaintance with
death, and | was filed with horror at the
sight OF gray-haired old man putting to
death a harmless animal. But as | OBJ
served more closely noticed that his eyes
were dim with tears, and / afterwards
learned that grim necessity alone COM
PEELED him to adopt this means OF replen-
ishing his scanty larder. BY exerting
himself to the utmost he dragged the
dead animal to the cabin, leaving long
trail OF blood behind. During the day
many OF his neighbors came to admire
the carcass,
"Time sped swiftly by, until one fatal
day serious accident befell the aged wife,
and son was hastily summoned to care
for his nrm parent. Bringing his fam
lily with him, he took charge OF affairs
about the cabin; but the poor old lady
never rallied from the shock she bad sus-
tanned, and one mellow summer day they
laid her weary form in pleasant nook of
an adjoining field, there free from care
and trouble to rest forever more.
The day after the burial | espied my
old friend listlessly walking through the
fields, and / could see that a weight of
sorrow bore upon him. long drawn
sigh escaped him, and turning with trem-
'A'i6 ACOtettB1 IL Nalhth NOhtlI ltiC
spot where his LIES companion lay.
Placing reyerently upon her grave the
wild flowers he had gathered he arose
and slowly retrsced his way toward the
cabin. Little did l think as the portal
closed behind him that it had shut him
from my view forever.
az saw nothing of him during the next
a no q THoah
night a candle shone dimly through the
window of the cabin and during the day,
il the children engaged in any noisy
sport they were quickly sienced.
zone day as the son was working in
the field, his wife opened the door, and
silently beckoned to him. Hours later
when he reappeared, his pallid features
wore a dazed expression. l wondered
what it all could mean. Neighbors came
and went, and sorrow brooded over the
little hamlet The children OF the little
home gathered in silent group about
me, and then | heard the smallest of
i them lisp in wondering awe: "Grandpe IS
| dead"
| They buried him beside the spot where
but q few days before they had laid his
life's companion. His grave remains I'M
marked by man, bat mother nature has
raised over his tomb a monument more
/ fitting and sublime than could be reared
/ by human hands, for tall and shapely
evergreen guards his lonely sepuichre and
breathes a solemn requiem over the silent
dead
"Since that day, with Indifference |
have looked upon human affairs; no man
has possessed my love, for l have learned
the painful lesson that to associate with
human beings is but to sup with sorrow