The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-04-08
The Stolen Children.

y ny Hazel a. Wheeiock, Is, Wilmington. J
Inc summer sun shone brightly over
! the circular range of high, detached hill,
.hat enclosed small settlement of log
nuts situated near the mouth of one Of
the tributaries of the Connecticut river m
the heart Of the Green Mountains IL
was an afternoon IN the last OF May, and
9he VIE OF one OF the settlers might have
peeh seen sitting at her spinning wheel,
~hicii she had drawn TO the open door of
ner log cottage that she might inhale the
iresn mountain breezes sweet with the
smell OF the early wild flowers.
Whiie she skillfully pursued the labor,
oi her diStaf, she often glanced toward
the adjoining field where her hardy bus.
oaid was at work. Her eyes still NOR
often turned with tenderness and nride
toward the spot where her small son of
zen months was sleeping in his cradle.
"hicii she had placed under large pine
niue way from the house, that he |
n'gnt DC out. OF the rays of the sun
as she gazed the scenes around her faded |
away ana she lived in the bright future
WIN her son. But she did not realize hou,
soon her golden dream was to he shat.
'ered' Tor she did not see the duskv form
OF an Indian creeping stealthiIy ioward
the cradle. As the mother drasmaa .t
, uours sldea away unnoticed by her until
ha ueseehuihg sun disappearing behind
L nc mountains caught her eye and brought
"ei PACK TO the realities of life. She
quickly stopped her wheel and fastened
~ i,a, mmere she supposed her son to be ;
sneP,hg peacefully. She was rendered
,peee,iess to find the cradle empty. and
iashiy realizing the seriousness of tbe !,
lI Sne ran screaming to her husband
nc haslehed toward her and his faca
'aieu when she told him of the disan-
i.aia,ice OF their son, for he well kneu
IA. y meant but one thing: the Indians ! .
Quickly gathering the men of the SettIe @
!. e', ne made known to them the loss of 81
nc enid They were hastily formed into
tarching parties, and it was decided that De
men the child was found, three shots
Mould be fired in succession. '"o'' m
an through that horrible night N. er
oor mother walked the floor, wrinping ou
= halids IN despair, refusing to he com7 ~
'fted by the kind neighbors, The naxt tr'
y ana night the search was continued :,
OCCASIONALLY man would return for M
PPhes, and the mother would rnn to
lid. 'oi news Vi her fo
at the dawn of the second d.v so up
ot h,e !, men returned, reporting that three 49,
fes q. soon all had returned except five lor
,on, seareners' whose coming was wa,
gerry awaited by the distracted mother apo
u the settlers, who had gathered at her Inc e
use 10 await the return of the child Der
a, ah hour of patient waiting, tbe hea
'iers were awarded by the sight Of the 1
searchers, who had with them n tnv nou
!" wrapped in an Indian blapkef lhe
ran eagerly forward to meet them wen
tne mother, who was the first to tree
Gu them. grabbed the child and nresSsJ The
~ her breast Undoing the blanLat oorl
ras oneu INTO Its face, and strange near
iession passed over her own. TSs the
iefs, VINO were watching her. crowded thlnl
CT TO look at the child. What thew waite
w was not what they expected TO see olacl
~ ns, w''lte race, but a tiny brown one ciout
Iolor OF the chestnut, and nair nf tenti
n eyes winch CLEANED with mixtura Nv
Tear and defiance. The cbild A. lure Mars
9Ped IN soft doe-skin. lined , Mas time
'owh OF the cattails, as is the Ind a.u flame
'n @''aii for il
lie men who had carr;aa A. -, oppo.
.h nore surprised than the rest. for VI
thought they had rescued the wb ito |ona
, ,. ana instead they had stolen an can't an
81 paPoose' Then they told how thew an Inc
searched Sc, until they had come u u. a Gown
oil indian village situated in q tb;cL me
t4'u waiting until darkness had d .uPel
= they had crept silently to wbere dahge
,S; see tiny form sleeping be " -
l hns squaw. Thinking it could he ITCH
her than the missing child ona &c &c
en- quickly picked it up and sta r ID Is II
fomr 80 where ne was Joined by the awful,
/, searches. They had not pro~ spend
: very far when the loss of the c hiI menda
sss; by the squaw, who aroused terrible
t'P pg indians. They started in by a
before the Indians oo,,,s a"c settle speci
eouiu oVertake oil of
A.. ID. ID.
= e problem presented itself Nc telepho
= was was to be done with the papoose We a
nnaily decided to hold it as bost STOPP
+ .he return of the missing Whit seriptiol
Du' IL was some time before ~. hid,ieht