Year: 1861

the purpose whcn she FIRST set oai bot
night estne ON fast ard soddenIy, m wien
70; home Hattie had not retnrped--
Fbm The very moment of being told
wAisher ste bad gene. felt strange an.
eaaness about The poor givl for the night
bad then set in intensely dark, ard her
psah lay over a rugged hill through .
paleh If Moods, and across the necis Of q
mirY swamp, where | had made i safe foot
pash by sinking some logs in tie ircaeher-
ous ground anl constructing rude bridge
across the sluggish stream. Bat .houid
either she of the COWS miss the hri8ge, e,aad
gei Snto tie swamp, there was danger O
bong mirad aud suiioasled ard ihese tge
IA was with good deal OF anxiety that
myself and wife, lighted by a lantern, hur-
ried over TO the pcriIous spot, hoping 10
meet Hattie On The way


A iine. misty rain was steadily falling,
and clouds hung about the earth like q
fog, 50 that il was impossible TO see only a
few feet with Tie aid Of the light, and not
an inch without IT, Judging, from care
ful inspection, that the cattle had not
crossed the bridge, we went over TO the
pasture IN search Of them, calling Hattie
loudly all the time. We found most Of
the arimals at no great distance; but two
animas were missing, and the poor child
was net 10 be discovered. Then we be-
came alarmed in earnest, and commenced
search for her, hurIying from one point
to another, and shouting her name and
hallooing continually. This we did for a
couple q hours, and then my poor wife
sat down aud wrung her hands in deep
despair. suggested to her that Hattie
might even then he at home alarmed at
our absence, and this inspired her mother.
with sufficient strength and hope TO get
there, where she sank down under new
disappointment, as helpless as a child


An, sir, that was time Of terrible tri-
al - ne--my sweet child lost, my pretty
wife utterly prostrated, and not another
soul near 10 give me aid and sympathy.
/ could not stand it alone, and at once
hurried to the nearest neighbor's, and his
family accompanied me home. BY mid
night quite party had assembled at the
house, but it was decided not TO begin the
search for Hattie till the following morn
ing.


AT daybreak seven ofus started Of in
quest Of the poor child, taking along a
couple Of dinner horns and some three or
tom rifles, ia hope Of reaching her by
sounds louder than Our calls and sh1uls.
We took the regular cow-path to the pas
tufe, and searched through the swamp in
the vicinity of the bridge. The pasture
was billy and much covered with trees
and bushes, and we were several hours
getting through, without success. Oh,
what a horrible night to me was that
which followed!


Z For four days we secured the country
ia every direction, without getting any It'd
ings Of the poor child and then all, even
the most sanguine in finding her, We're
completely worn out and heart-brokcn. /
threw myself down, wishing for death to
relieve me of my misery.


il was on this evening that a younger
brother, who had been away on a journey
up the country, returned, with Bruno, who
had been his sole travelling companion.
The sight of the dog, whose sagacily had
long been the wonder of all who knew
him, excited faint hope in my breast
that he might find his young mistress, eth
er living or dead and with this idea up
permost in my mind, half insane as was,
! talked TO him on this sad affair just rs
il he were blessed with the understanding
of a human being. Never shall forget
the sorrowful but singularly comprehen-
siye expression Of his brown eyes, as he
kept them fixed upon mine all the time |
was speaking to him; and when | had
done, he turned away with low, mourn-
ing whine, and suddenly disappeared.


Early the next morning my brother
shouldered his rife, and announced bis in
tention Of trying his fortune in a fresh
search for the poor child but all the men
had gone home, and | was too weak with
grief to accompany him; and so, calling
for tie dog and not finding him he set off
alone.


1t was somewhere about the middle Of
the day that was sitting by the bed Of
my nearly distracted wife, trying to soothe
and console as best could, when spdden-
y Bruno, whom had entirely forgotten
in the meantime, came bounding into the
room, looking soiled and fatguel a. If
from journey, aud at once began TO bark
and whine in a strange and peculiar man
ner, running TO and fro between me and
the door.


. do believe the dog has found the
child ! exclaimed, starting to my feet
with new hope


= God grant il | cried my wife, wiring
ing her hands.


Try and be calm, at least till re-
turn, said /, feeling new life in my
veins.


hurried out, the dog preceding me
and barking joyously. lie then struck Of
in a direction different from any VIC had
taken in our search for the poor cir, bark
ing exeitedly, looking back al every few