Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-18
"A FAIrHFUL FRIEND"

It was a very cold winters night.
The snow lay In deep drifts on the
ground, and it was still showing.
In little cottage on hillside three
miles from the nearest town or house,
an anxious man knelt by the bed OF
his sick wife, while he watched the
doctor hurrying back and forth from
the table to the sick woman, giving
her medicine.
There was no one in the little room
except the three, the woman, her hus-
band and the doctor. and a great st.
Bernard dog lying before the fire
asleep.
Mr.. Smith, the hired man, was in an
other part of the house.
The man broke the stiffness Of the
room by saying in a low. ouivering
voice. CDR White, do you think she
will live?" ~ t,~. $50
IT cannot tell you. Mr.. Wright" said
the young doctor. "She is a very sick
woman, but If could get some more
medicine I believe she would get bet
ter. But I would have to have 1t as
soon as possible, and there is no way
to get any unless you would 60 to
town after it as soon as you could get
ready. II you are willing to 60 out in
such a blizzard as this and get the
medicine, I'm quite sure she would get
better. But If you think it would be too
great a risk, I''ll try my very best to
save her life; but am sure that if you
do 20. that YOU will find it very hard
to travel against the wind and snow
'T will do anything to save her llfe.'
HH.S y fVN
chair and began to put his fur coat,
boots, ETC.. on. We'll said Dr. Wright.
"I pray that you NAV get back safe,
and in the meantime will do all can
for the young woman. think the medi-
cine that I have will last until you get
back, but hurry as much as you can
Mr.. Wright got little sin Of paper
telling how much and what kind OF
medicine to get from DR.. White. and
whistling to Hero. the dog. started out
in that awful blizzard.
The snow whirled so before their
eyes and the wind blew so hard that
the poor man and dog could scarcely
walk The cold. icy wind was from the
northwest, and would be much worse
coming back But the man thought
nothing of that, he only thought OF his
poor, sick wife at home who was sur
fering more than he was.
So in that icy blast man and dog
bravely plodded on, the man occasion
ally STOPPING to pat the great dogs
head. and telling him they were got
! ting nearer and nearer to the ftt'e
town all the time. Hero seemed to
understand and would put his nose in
his masters hand and lick it.
Mr.. Wright's hands were both
frozen and he felt like he was frozen
all over when after nearly two hours
of weary and hard travelling he and
faithful Hero arrived at the little town.
The man went at once to the store and
bought the medicine. and only waiting
fifteen minutes for himself and Hero
| to get warm and rest they again start
| ed out in that awful storm.
The storekeeper did all ne could FOR
| the poor man and dog by giving them
f, each some hot food.
! Upon reaching the outside world
again, Mr.. Wright found that 1T had
grown colder, and was much more DIR.
, ficult to travel. But little thinking OF
| that, only of his wife, he and Hero
bravely travelled on toward home. But
before they had gone half a mile they
were both. especially Mr.. Wright
nearly worn out. He found out that
only by resting every rod that he
could travel at all He was so cold all
over that he could scarcely stand.
AS for Nero, he was very tired, too
but every time his master stopped. ne
gave a short, quick bark and wondered
what was the matter.
Thus the poor. brave man Kept this
up, growing weaker and weaker, and
colder and colder all the time. until