Year: 1867

utter despair She could not speak. and
| could only say, Oh i. Mary, Mary


1.-The children came clinging around me,
their faces grew brighter, they felt sure
that their father could find Nelly and
Jamie. | kissed them all, and told them
they must stay in the house with mother
until j came back. | was about to Join
the men at the door, who were dcliberating
upon the best plan of proceeding, when my
wife arose from her seat, and laying hold
Of my arm, said


John, the Lord can save our children"
Arrangements were now made for COM
mencing the search We were to 90 forth
two and two, each party having gun, and
if either party should be successful in find
ing the children alive, the fact should be
announced by the firing of SIX guns, and,
if dead. three guns


Perhaps | had better give YOU some
idea of the geography of the woods. Ny
house was situated about mile from the
foot Of the mountain to the north along
the base of the mountain runs a considera-
BILE stream, holding a course from west to
east. From the south bank of the stream,
rock rose ON rock, UP to the very summit
OF the mountain so steep and rugged that
deer could hardly get foot-hold. With
the exception of two or three small fields,
all the distance from the house to the brook
was covered with heavy timber. 1t was
while hunting up the COWS, about the clear
lngs, that the children got lost, and it was
reasonable to suppose that they could
neither cross the stream or climb the
mountain, being only eight and six years of
age. We therefore determined to contne
our search between he house and the north
bank Of the brook. extending few miles
east and west. Doctor p, who was
my companion in the search. said all he
could to cheer me. but that was a dreadful
day. could not take time to walk, but
ran from one thicket to another, calling out
with all my strength, Nelly, Nelly
Jamie, Jamie But no Nelly, no Jamie
answered No gun was fired during the
day; and night, a very dark night, began
to set in. | determined to continue the
search, but the Doctor persuaded me to
return home, saying, we should have more
help by morning and would 90 in larger
parties


We accordingly returned found the
others had got in before Us, but no traces
of the lost ones had been discovered. Fires
were now kindled upon all the knobs
round about the house, and little after
night about twenty men joined US The
news had gone out through the neighborine
towns: and they all turned out, every man
with his bag Of provisions and his gun, de
termined, they said, to find them, dead or
alive


In the course of the night, about thirty
more arrived, 80 that by morning we mus
tered between fifty aud sixty men Nv
hopes of finding them alive were getting
very feeble, yet spent the night praying
Oh, Lord, save my poor children The
sutferlngs Of my poor wife during that
long, long, dark night, were awful and
may not be described. She sat in the door
watching for the first dawnine of day. and
when She saw the light, She leaped for Joy.
if the day would bring back her lost in
fants


".Ah! it has been a long nigh She
said, the longest and darkest that | ever
saw. Poor little Nelly-poor little Jamie,
where have YOU been all night? Why
don't YOU come to your mother. who has
watched all the night long for your COM
ing?'


. thought my cup Of affliction was en-
tircly full, but now saw that more might
be added. was afraid my wife was about
to lose her reason. On being pressed to
20 and take little rest, she gazed on me
for moment, replied


- Yes, John, | Will rest | will try to
give them up into the hands of God


+" | felt relieved; she promised to 90 to
bed, we all prepared to renew the search.
As We were about to start, the Squire
made his appearance, and on his back
small keg of whiskey; he said he had been
from the house until late last night, or he
should have come sooner to our assistance
He then drew some of the spirit, and offered
it to me.


- No, said l 3: Squire, have drank
my last glass, and il has been paid for with
the life Of my two lovely children.


80 What do you mcan?' said the Squire
don't understand YOU


Well" said |. If had not tarried six
hours at your grindstone, as | went out to
mill, should have got home the same day,
and my children would have all been here
this morning. Yes, sir, Ihave fcid fear
full price for my last glass; either you or
| are their murderers.


Il was sorry said quite so much to
the Squire, but felt all that | said


- Some of the men took Il little of the
spirit, and our plan of operation being set
tied, we divided into two lines. extending
from the fields to the brook. one line NOV
ing west the other east, every man keep
ing within few rods Of his right hand
man, and in this order the whole line moved
forward making careful examination as
they progressed. That day passed away
like the former no gun was fired, no trace
found. At night we met at the house,
tired and hopeless. Over ten miles, from
east to west, had been so closely examined,
that no living thing, the size of a wood
chuck, could have escaped detection The
men looked exhausted and sad. All hopes
of finding them alive had now fed, and but
little, if any hopes remained, of finding
their bodies. Some seemed to think any
farther effort useless. | thought so myself,
and yet trembled, lest they should abandon
the search. | went into the house. while
the men kindled their fires and prepared to
cook their supper. | found my poor wife
much calmer than when we left in the morn
ing. She said she was sure that God would
do right.


''Our friend the Doctor, gave us all the
consolation he could; told us how long
person could live without food, and insisted
that there was still hope.


Ifany spark of hope remained in our
hearts, it had completely died away by
That night, about eleven o'clock,
some flashes of lightning were seen, in the