Year: 1876

our pet, and our darling. ShiretOn wa;
a distance of about thirty miles. w.
had been having rainy weather for .
week or so and it had now cleared of
bright and beautiful. We stopped ane
took dinner at a wayside inn, foul
miles beyond which was a stream which
must be forded. The innkeeper told
me that the stream was somewhat swol
len from the late rains, but that if my
horse was trusty there could be nc
danger"


"Arrived at the stream-the Wampa-
tuck river-I found the water indeed
risen, and the current strong, bur saw
that others had recently gone over, and
L resolved to venture. l knew my horse
and had faith i'm him. My wife was
anxious, but she trusted my judgment.
A third of the way across the water was
over the hub of the wheels. A little
more and it would have reached the
body of the wagon. 1 began to be
alarmed; feared L had left the true
track. Presently my horse stumbled
and staggered, having evidently stepped
upon a moving stone. The wagon
swayed and tipped, and the flood poured
in upon us. NY wife slipped, and I'm a
moment more we were in tie water.
With one hand l grasped the harness
upon the morse. and with the other i
held nv wife. / was thus struggling
when a wild cry from her lips startled
the air. Our child was washed away


''Oh, my soul, 1 cannot tell you
what suffered during those moments.
1 could not help our darling. If left
my wife she was lost. / clung TO the
l hnr o,,I I.l,, 70 ch oil i'm xx-ffa
shrieking to God for mercy for her
child. The horse was struggling for
the shore. In the distance upon the
bosom of the surging flood 1 could see
our little one, her white dress cleaning
i'm the sun. being borne swiftly away.
A moment more and / saw man
plunge from the bank into the river. 1
saw this much and then an intervening
point of land shut out the scene. The
horse was now rapidly nearing the
shore, and ere long my wife ana were
upon dry land, with the horse and
wagon. As soon as l was sure my wife
was safe left her to care for the horse
while posted off down the river bank
i'm quest of the swimmer and the child.


'sYou may well understand that all
this time | was frantic. was machine
being operated upoi: by surging and
agonizing emotion. How long or how
far wandered do not know, but at
length met a man, wet and dripping
with my darling in his arms-my darl-
ing safe and sound. He told that he
had caught the child within few rods
of the falls, and that in landing he had
cleared the fatal abyss by not more than
two yards. He was young man-not
more than nty-five-handsome and
stalwart. He said he had seen my
wagon tip, and was coming to my as
sistance when he saw the child washed
away. Il threw my life into the bal
ance. said he with genial smile, 'and
thank God, both the lives were savedn


81 asked him how should ever re-
pay him. He stopped me with an i'm
ploring gesture.


"If you talk of more pay than have
already received, he said, 'If you. can
rob me of the only solid reward l can
claim, mercy if saving the life of such
cherub is not enough of reward in it
self, then hard is the heart that can
crave more And with moistened eyes
he told me that he had 4 child of his
own at home-an only child-of nearly
the same age.


''I asked him if he would tell me his
name. With a smile, he answered that
his name did not matter-he was not
sure that he had a name. l then asked
him if he knew me. He nodded, and
said he thought might be Mr.. Lur-
lington, of Waldbridge. When L told
him that he was correct he said that i
must excuse him. He was wet and
must hurry home. And with that he
turned away. was too deeply moved
to stop him, and when he had disap-
peared started to rejoin my wife with
dawning impression that the man
might be slightly deranged. But my
darling was safe-her broad fleecy cloak
had floated out and kept her head above
water-and l went on my way rejOic-
ing, resolved that the preserver of my
child should not be forgotten,


81 will not tell you of the emotion of
my wife when she held her child once
more in her arms. We reached ShiretOD
before night and found quarters at a
comfortable tavern.


''On the following day Laban Sarfurt
called upon me and was about tospread
his evidence for my inspection, when |
interrupted him. | told him I could
not accept his confidence until L had
made up my mind to take his case in
hand. Something seemed to whisper
that there was danger ahead. l did not
feel comfortable i'm that mans presence.
| felt as though he was trying to buy
me. The court would sit i'm four days.
told him would give him final an
swer in two days from that.


"That evening l made confidant of
my wife, and asked her what l should
do. IF take the case,' L said, Il am
sure of five thousand dollars She bade
me do what was right. God has been
very kind to u.s. she said. Let us look
to him for our guidance


"After this called on the clergyman
of the place, whose son had been my
classmate in college, and whom l had
once before visited. He received me
heartily, and by and by L asked him
about William Acton. The result of all
he told may be summed up in his clos
ing sentence. Said he:


"'I am sure William Acton was
Philip Acton's child-in fact, know it
and l think the father and mother
were married. Betsey died very soon
soon after her child was born, and we
know that fnlllp always treateu tne
boy as legitimate child; and that he
loved him as such / can confidently af-
firm.'


"On the following morning after
breakfast, as sat by the window in the
bar-room saw, coming up the street,
the man who had saved my child. He
was walking slowly like one in trouble.
pointed him out to my host, and asked
him who he was.


.sThat is, William Acton. Perhaps
YOU have heard of the trouble he is
likely to have with Laban Sarfurt.


81 said had heard. ..-..-


"I hope he may come out all right,
but the host added; but l am fearful.
He has got a hard and heartless Gus
toner to deal with.


"I shut my mouth and held my peace
until Laban Sarfurt called for his an
swer. 1 said to him:


'sMr. Sarfurt, 1 have been consider
ing all this time whether could under
take your case with a clear conscience
l should be helping the side