Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-03-13

I've got more out O my life than any O these fools An some day God Il hon. or me far above them.
 "I know Dave Brower's folks hev got brains an decency, but when thet boy is old enough t take care O himself let him git out O this country. l tell ye he'll never make farmer, an if he marries an settles down here he'll git t be a poet mebbe CT some such shif'- less cuss an die in the poorhouse Guess better git back t my b'ilin' now. Good night" he added, rising and buttoping his old coat as he walk ed away.
 "Singlar man." Uncle ED exclaimed thoughtfully, but any one thet picks him up fer fool Fl find him counter. felt"
 Young as was, the rugged, elemen- tai power of the old poet had somehow got to my heart and stirred my imag. ination. It all came not fully to my understanding until later. Little by little it grew upon me, and what an ef- feet 1t had upon my thought and life ever af:er I should not dare to esti- mate. And soon I sought out the poet of the hills" as they called him, and got to know and even to respect him in spite of his unlovely aspect.
 Uncle ED skinned the boiling sap, put more wood on the fire and came and pulled off his boots and lay down beside me under the robe. And. hear ing the boil of the sap and the crackle of the burning logs in the arch, I soon went asleep.
 .....I remember feeling Uncle Eb's hand upon my cheek and how I rose and stared about me in the fading shadows of dream as he shook mo gently.
 Wake up, my boy" said he. Come, we mus put fer home."
 The fire was out. The old man held a lantern as he stood before me. the blaze fiickering. There was a fear some darkness all around.
 Come. Willie. make haste" he whis- pered as I rubbed my eyes. Put on yer boots. an here's yer little coat an muller"
 There was mighty roar in the for est and icy puffs of snow came whis- tling in upon us. We stored the robes and pails and buckets and covered the big kettle.
 The lofty tree tops reeled and creaked above us. and a deep. sonorous moan was sweeping through the woods as if the fingers of the wind had touched a mighty harp string in the timber We could hear the crash and thunder of falling trees.
 Make haste! Make haste! It's resky here" said Uncle Eb. and he held my hand and ran. We started through the brush and stecrcd as straight as we could for the clearing The little box of light he carried was soon sheathed in snow. and remember how he stopped. half out of breath, often and brushed if with his mittens to let out the light We had made the scatter ing growth of little timber at the edge of the woods when tho globe of the lantern snapped and fell. A moment later we stood in utter darkness. knew for the first time then that we were in bad fix.
 'I guess God n take care of us. Will lie" said Uncle Eb. If he don't we'll never get there in this world-never.-
 It was black and icy wall of night and storm on every side of us. I never saw a time when the light of Cod s heaven was so utterly exting1iished: the cold never went to my bone as on that bitter night My hands and feet were numb with aching as the roar of the trees grew fainter in the open. I remember how I Jagged and how the old man urged me on and how we toile.i in the wind and darkness. straining our eyes for some familiar thing. Of . sudden we stumbled upon . wall that we had passed an hour or SO before.
 "Oh- he groaned, and made that funny. deprecating cluck with his tongue that I have heard so much from Yankee lips.
 God O mercy said he. we've gone round in a half circle. Now we'll take the wall an mebbe it'll bring us home.
 I thought I couldn't keep my feet any longer. for an irresistible drowsiness had come over me. The voice of Uncle Eb seemed far away. and when I sank in the snow and shut my eyes to sleep he shook me as terrier shakes a rat
 Wake up. my boy" said he: -ye mustn't sleep--
 Then he boxed my cans until I cried and picked me up and ran with me along the side of the wall. I was but dimly conscious when he dropped me under a tree whose bare twies lashei the air and stung my cheeks- I heani him tearing the branches savaeesy and muttering. Thanks to Cod it's the blue beech- shall never forget how he turned snd beld to my hand snd put the whip oa me as I lay in the