Year: 1865

die!" and wringing her hands in agony,
she sank at her husbands feet The pain
of "hope deferred had strained her
heart-strings to the utmost tention, and it
seemed as if the rude hand of despir had
broken them all. The terrified husband
threw water in her pale face, and strove
by all the arts he knew to win her back to
life. At last she opened her languid eyes,
stared wildly around, and rose trembling
to her feet. AS she stood like a heart
broken Niobe, call tears fragment of
rock came tumbling down the opposite
bank. She looked up-she was herself
again, for half way up the ascent stood
her own dear boy.


But even while the glad cry was issuing
from her lips, it turned into note Of hor-
ror. "Oh, mercy, mercy!" The crag on
which the boy stood projected from the
rock in such q way as to hang about
twelve feet over the bank. Right below
one of the edges of the crag, partly con-
cealed among the bushes, crouched a
panther. The bold youth was aware Of
the proximity of his parents and the pres
ence of his dangerous enemy about the
same time. He had rolled down the stone
in exultation, to convince bis parents Of
the high station he had attained, and he
now stood with another in bis hand, draw
ing it back, and looking at them as if to
ask whether he should throw it at the ter
rible animal before him.


Till then the mother stood immovable
in her suspense; but conscious Of the dan
ger of her son if he irritated the beast, she
rushed some distance up the rock. Yet,
with the fearless mind of childhood, and
temper little used to control, he fearlessly
threw the fragment with all his might at
the ferocious animal. 1t struck one of his
feet. He gave sudden growl, lashed his
tail with fury, and seemed about to spring.
sect your rifle, Josiah" The poor man
stirred not. His glazed eye was fixed with
a look of death upon the panther, and he
appeared paralyzed with fear. His wife
leaped from the stand, and placing her
hands upon her husbands shoulders,
looked into his face and said: =" Are you a
man, Josiah Eaton? Do you love your
child?" He started as if from sleep, and
ran with furious haste from the ravine.


Again the mother looked toward her
son. He had fallen upon his knees, and
was whispering the little prayers which she
had taught him, not in cowardly fear, but
thought came across his mind that he
must die. The distracted mother could
keep still no longer. She rushed up the
steep ascent with the energy of despair,
reckless of danger, thinking only of her
son. The rocks crumbled and slipped be-
meath her feet, yet she fell not. On, on
she struggled in her agony. The furious
creature paused moment when he heard
her approach. True to his nature he
sprang at the boy. He barely touched the
crag, and fell backward, as Hannah as
cended the opposite side. "Ah, "said she,
laughing deliriously, "the panther must
try it again before he parts us, my boy;
but we won't part" And sinking on her
knees before him, she fondly folded him to
her breast, bathing his young forehead
with her tears.


Unaltered in his terocity and his man
ner of gratifying it, the panther again
sprang from his situation. This time he
was more successful, His forehead struck
the edge of the crag. "He will kill us,
mother. he will kill us! and the boy
nestled close to his mothers BOSOM The
animal struggled to bring bis body to the
crag--his savage features being step
from the mothers face $50 away, 90
away shrieked the mother, hoarse with
horror; "you shant have my child"
Closer, still closer he came-his red eyes
flashing fury, and the thick paintings of
bis breath came in her very face. At this
awful moment she hears the faint report
Of firearms coming from the gulf below
the panthers foothold fails-his sharp
claws loosen from the rock, and the baf-
fed beast rolls down the precipice at the
feet of Josiah Eaton.


The suns last rays cleaned on the little
group at the mouth of the gorge. They
were ON their knees-the mothers hand
raised over the head OF her son, and the
voice of prayer going to their Guardian
for His mercy in thwarting the panther's
leap.