Year: 1869




cit was an awful thing to stand there,
miss, in the lonesome pines, with nobody
for companion but my lifeless sister, and
SO late at night, too, when every star seem
ed to shine with supernatural brightness,
and the trunks of the trees to be turned in
to horrible ghosts and hObgOblins.


''But I had found her, thank God had
found her and dropped upon my knees
in the snow and cried out for help from on
high, and for strength to bear the idOlized
burden home.


81 united the little blue hood, and as 1
did so felt there was still warmth beneath
the chin. o, how the blood leaped through
my veins then was az strong as a giant,
and snatchiDg her in my arms, 1 few
through the snow as if had wings.


"TheTe are some things we cannot do
twice. Sure I am that could never do
again what did that night. Itwa all a
dream until reached the road, and then I
fell exhausted. But 1 soon rallied again,
for 1 knew, even if Lucy was yet alive,
everything depended upon my speed.


''At last we reached the house where a
doctor lived, and he took US in and acted
the Christian part toward US. We put
Lucy into bed and applied such remedies
as the doctor directed, and-she lived"


When Margie said she lived shadow
fell upon her face. There were no tears of
JOY like those upon my cheeks and the
voice, which had been eager and rapid, fell
suddenly with a sorrowful cadence.


Eyes, she lived" Margie went on, after
pause ''snd although her feet were FROST
bitten, and the shock of her whole nervous
system very great, she recovered in a few
weeks all she had lost, and was more beau
tiful than ever.


Perhaps have never told you how
pretty she was. You see Lucy had not
rough skin, and brown complexion, and
homely features-not bit of it. Her face
was fair and transparent, with a soft.
peachy bloom upon her cheeks, that set of
the blue eyes and small mouth.


"She had always looked like an angel to
me, but nobody else seemed to mind her
good looks, until after the doctors family
took her into favor. Then she grew so
plump and blooming that roses would have
paled beside her blush.


They would have sent me back to the
poor farm, only that resisted SO stoutly
To be sure there was not much in me to
love, especially then, when the great welts



that the keeper had made with the leather
thongs were still swollen and purple. and
stiff and awkward from the hurt. Beside
everybody seemed to think that because 1
had been lashed, and because l had run
away from the poor farm, 1 was high tenn
pered girl whom nobody could trust.


81 think the Doctors wife pitied me, for
she was good kind womau-but then she
was SO under her husbands thumb, she
could not help me. They said they would
keep Lucy to mind the baby, but I must
return TO the farm until a better chance
opened to me, and the keeper was coming
for me early in the morning.


"My mind was soon made up. would
never, never fall into that mans power
again. 1 might as we'll die one way as an
other, and I felt certain should die under
his lash, if they carried me back to that
dreadful place.


1--WE went to bed, Lucy and I and
while she was chattering away about her
| newly found friends, and the baby, and
the new dresses she was to have, tried to
think over what could do and where ]
could go to escape the tyrant. did not
forget was leaving Lucy behind. Life
in any shape with her could have endur.
ed. could be Iashed for her sake, but
not for my own. Would she miss and
mourn for me, es I for her?


Lucy 1 asked, softly, trying to choke
back the tears, do you think you can get
along without me while, now that you
have the baby to love 2


"Must you go, Margie p she murmured
in drOwsy way, laying her hand upon my
cheek. But you'll come and see me when
q keeper will let you %