The San Francisco call., 1903-12-20

through. wearied and buffeted by the
storm almost to exhaustion. and con-
fused as to his bearings. at last Mr..
Taylor realized his peril. Would he
ever reach shelter or would that whirl-
ing tempest wrap him In its white
winding sheet7 How long could he
fight It and what avail would the strug-
gle be II he were beating in the wrong
direction7 How about that Christmas
gift now, for which he had so fervently
prayed? Was he rejoiced that II had
come-hurIed right across his path and
dashed in his face. unto the jeopardy
of his life? He thought OF the old home,
where parents, brothers and sisters
were even then making happy prepara-
ton for the Christmas-tide, doubtless
having sent him some loving tokens to
cheer him IN his hard Western field He
wondered how long It would be before
they would know his fate, II he failed
to fight his way to shelter. He drew
closer around his head a broad knit
scarf. and then came a vision Of the
fair hands which had made IL He saw
the soft-eyed maiden who had wrought
her love into It and given 1t to him for
just such time as this, when he start
ed for his distant circuit. How would
she feel IL he should fall. never to rise
again, in that wild waste Of w1ntry
fury. For q time these homesick
thoughts unsettled his mind ana made
him doubt the goodness Of God. Then
came back to him recollections Of the
many heart-rending scenes he had wit
messed in the last few months-children
stricken down IN their innocence;
mothers with agonized faces; fathers
stunned by their grief; homes dArkened
and desolate. Could he wish all this
horror TO continue merely. because his
own Life was imperiled by the coming
Of the only possible remedy7 Then,
with faculties rendered dreamy By the
chilling Of the blood, he seemed to sea
a picture Of One hanging on q cross,
and heard the mocking cry: He saved
others; himself he cannot save After
that he was content to let the storm
rage. II he survived It he would be
thankful, II not, he would be glad TO
think that what was death TO him
would be life to many others After all.
It was the best Christmas gift which
heaven could send.
But he was young and life was sweet
He had no disposition for mock hsroics
or needless martyrdom, so he resolutsly
summoned his courage for the supreme
battle of his life. He had lived on the
broad prairies long enough to know
their treacherv In winter. He knew
how many strong men had been caught
like himself IN the clutch Of the bIis-
yards on those vast treeless sxpanses
and buffeted to slow death. He knew
all the symptoms OF increasing numb
ness; the passing OF pain, the feeling Of
lethargy, the creeping sense OF ease,
the drowsy weighing Of the eyes, the
almost irresistible wish to lie down and
sleep and the deadly delusionE, which
foretell the approach Of the fatal end.
So, during the dragging hours Of that
long. desolate afternoon, while he blind
anche Of snow hoping against hope
that by some lucky chance he might
stumble upon some cabin, pulling his
benumbed horse along by main
strength, he fought every succeeding
symptom Of freezing. He pounded his
arms and stamped his feet, raped his
head when inclined to dozs, held his
eyelids up with his gloved hands, At
times talked to himself and hiS horse
to keep his mind aroused; prayed to
God and struggled on.
But there is a limit to what even ne
stoutest heart and the strongest VIII
can do. under such circumstances.
against such fearful odds When thS
day had passed away in the unequal
contest between the man and the els-
ments the coming down Of darkness
proved to be the additional measure
OF horror. which was more than the
preacher, worn out in mind and body,
could Withstand. Shortly altar the
night united It's gloom to the fury Of
the storm. those ftful hallucinations
which so frequently precede death by
freezing seized him. Who was that
calling him2 Surely home Il near.
Yes, there stands mother on the steps.
beckoning to him. Where has he been
all this timer There Is no storm The
sun Is shining. He Is driving the oOwB
home from the prairie. He u . bare