Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

ADVENTURE ON'LAKE WINNIPIS SEOGEE. BY CLARA AUGUSTA. Evening set in colei and gray. Lnti 1 noon the sky bad been clear; but, as the sun (ftclined, a thick, leaden haze had obscured his sickly light, and ap pearances gave promise ol the coldest night of an unusually cold season. The up train on the C Railroad was de tained by the immense drifts of snow which had formed upon the lines; and was past nine o’clock when the pulling locomotive came slowly and laborious ly up to the little depot at A . the northern terminus of the route. As is usual in country places ns well as those more thickly settled, quite a lit tle company had assembled in the prin cipal room of the building, to talk over the severe weather, and discuss the probability of the non-arrival of the train that night. With the first sound of the omnibus whistle, the narrow door of the depot was crowded with anxious heads, each striving to pierce farther into the darkness than its neigh bor. The usual variety of passengers alighted; each one anxious about his or her baggage, and each one particu larly certain that it was in just the place where the freight-master protested it was not; but it is with only one of this motley assemblage that we have to do. She was a young lady, our heroine, and dressed with extreme elegance. Springing hastily to the platform, scarce ly touching the extended hand of the gentlemanly conductor, she gazed anx iously around her for a moment, and then made her way to the window of the office, which was pushed back to allow the official within to receive the express boxes, and separate the mails. The man started as her low. musical tones fell on his ear : “Can you tell me the distance to Wolfburu?” “Twelve miles, mnrm ; and no pas sage there for five days ; roads complete ly blocked !” and he was turning away. She put out her hand to stay him. “No passage?—it cannot be! I must be in Wolfburu within four hours, sir! My mother is dying there !” “ Sorry—very sorry, indeed ! but it is an utter impossibility to think of do ing such a thing! Why, maria the thermometer stands at 10 degrees below zero, this very minute, and it will be still lower before midnight 1” “ I know the cold is intense; I dare say the way is replete with danger; but niv mother, the mother who brought me into existence! is dying there, and I must go to her!” The voice ot the young girl became choked and broken as she ceased. “It's a hard case, I must admit; but it's no use to think of attempting to get to Wolfburn to-night —the coach road is ns impassable as the Alps, and the only track is across the lake; but nei ther man nor beast could live on that bleak route half the distance! lam sorry, marm \ but I only speak the truth about it.” The pale face of the young lady blanched still paler, but her voice was firm. “Cold and perilous though it be, 1 must go to my mother. Were I sick, she would move heaven and earth, but she would stand by my bedside! I can not let her die, and I so very near her, and yet not in her presence 1 I must go if I go on foot and alone 1” “ Rash gjrl! it would be no better than suicide to attempt the passage of the Winnipisseogee on such a njght as this, even with a strong horse and an ex perienced guide; and such cannot be found, who will brave the horrors of the night for love or money. “ Lady, I will go with you !” aud the crowd parted before the tall, fiuely built young man who came hastily to the side of the strange girl. “ I am unknown to you, aud my station in life is humble ; but if you will trust me, the confidence shall not be misplaced !” He removed the cap from his head, and stood erect and dignified before her—a strikingly handsome youth, clad in a rough garb of gray. There was the fire of a lofty spirit burning in his deep, hazel eye, and around the classically carved lips dwelt an expression half stern, half ten der. The clear blue eyes of the lady met his fixed yet respectful gaze, search ingly —she put her hands in his. “ God bless you, sir ! There is one true heart in New Hampshire. I will trust you.” An expression of pride and gratitude swept over the young man's face, and he bent his head low before her as he said —“ In half an hour I will return for you,” aud with a firm, clastic step The H artwell Hun. * A *,* By BENSON & McGILL. VOL. IV—NO. -a. he left the depot. The young Indy dropped into a seat by the fire and, covering her face with her hands, seemed lost in a painful reve rie. The listless “hangers-on” about the place gathered together iu a little knot about the office window—there was anew subject to discuss. “Fool enough is Will Argensen to undertake the crossing of the lake to night! He’ll be frozen stiff, in tny opinion, afore the day breaks,” exclaim ed an old man, evidently the oracle of the company. “And the gal?—it's a shame though, for she’s a sweet lookin’ critter! Hea ven pity her, and take care of her! for she’ll need somebody’s care before the night’s through !” “ She's iu good hands, though,” said a a third member of the coterie, withdraw ing his pipe from his mouth as he spoke, for Will is as noble a lad as ever breath ed the air of Hampshire! lie knows every inch of the Winnie, as well as I know the road to mill; and his horse is a powerful deal more intelligent than many human folks, anyhow 1” “Argensen will do well enough if there ain’t a squall; but it strikes me the sky looks rather hazy, and, depend upon it, this lull ain’t for nothin’ !” said a fourth, peering anxiously out into the darkness; “and if there should be a squall—then—then" arid the speaker’s involuntary shudder finished the sen tence. The men drew closer together, as if for mutual protection, and there was a silence of a few minutes, broken at last by the old man who had spoken first. ‘‘ Only last winter poor Henry Blee cherwas frozen to death on the shore of the Rattlesnake Island ; and then just a week afterwn rds, poor Cap’ll Deer—been on the lake all his lifetime —got bewil dered in the squalls, and died out there all alone in the dark and cold, and his folks to home settin’ up to daylight expectin him! Oh, it' was awful — drradful to think of, but nothin to what it would be if a woman—a young, ten der. beautiful woman” —a tear wet the hardy face’of the old mountaineer, and he turned to dry it on the coarse hand kerchief. At this moment the brisk jingle of sleigh-bells was heard .at the door, and before the eager listeners could spring forward to open it upon the new comer, Will Argeusen entered wrapped up in a buffalo robe. “ I am reaily to attend you to Wolf burn, if you still think of going,” he said, addressing the lady. Slie arose quickly' at the sound of his voice, anil accepting the large blanket which the ticket-master kindly offered her as fur ther protection against the inclement weather, she followed her conductor out into the dark, piercing night, and was lifted into the sleigh which awaited them. Argeusen wrapped the buffalo robe closely around her, and attaching the large glass lantern, which he had carried in his hand, to the front part of the cutter, he sprang in. The horse was a large powerfully built animal, of a dark iron gray ; and his fiery eyes, as well as his long, slender neck, showed him spirited and strong. The eager crowd of idlers left their warm quarters by the stove, and gather ed around the sleigh and its occupants, some expostulating on madness of the twain in setting out on such a night — others wishing them Godspeed, and amid the murmured acclamations, they drove off. Haifa mile on term firma, and the horse’s feet rang sharp and clear on the ice of the Wiunipisseogec. Thesumm'its of the tall blue mountains which arose on either side of our travelers, were shrouded in ati impenetrable mist, and the light w ind w hich blew was insuffici ent to break up the clouds of rime that filled the air. Little or no conversation passed be tween these two people, so recently thrown together. Argensen was occu pied with thoughts of the perilous un dertaking before them ; the lady, with the image of her dying mother—dying without a kiss of her only child to sooth her passage through the dark void between time and eternity. With anxious eye, the young moun taineer scanned the thickening air, and the terrible thought would flit across his HARTWBLL, HA., WEDNESDAY, FBJWIUJU.AB, 1880. brain—“ If the squalls should rise?" Nearly four miles of the journey was passed over in safety. They had reach ed the dreariest part of the road, and the darkness became almost palpable. Mountains black as Erebus completely walled in the shining track of ice, and by the piercing of the cuttei, and the careful progress of the horse, they knew that drifts of snow and bilges of ice ob structed the way. The wind steadily increased, and cut the face like a sharp icicle. The breath of our travelers congealed almost before it left their bodies, and the dark sides of the horse were covered with a feathery frost. The cold became intense, permeating the thick buffalo skins as if they had been mere cobwebs, and the delicate frame of the young girl was chilled through. Bravely she suppressed the deathly shivers that involuntarily stole over her, but Argensen felt the effort, and drawing his arm around her, he said, iu a low, earnest tone: “ Lady, wo are strangers, but it is no time to stand for ceremony, when one is freezing ! Sit ns close to me as possible, and lay your face here upon my breast; the wind is* rising to a gale, and the squalls will be upon us ere long!” With one powerful hand lie guided the horse ; with the other he held close to his side the little, trembling form of his companion ; and the noble gray, as if feeling that everything depended on their reaching the end of their journey before the breaking of the squall over their heads, tore bravely on. In vain ! in vain! in vain ! The mad wind bore along the ebon clouds with swiftness of lightning, and scarce ly more than five miles of the journey wefe passed ere it burst upon them in all its fury. The dreaded “white eye” enveloped them. Hail and minute par ticles of frozen snow, in thick, continu ous sheets, blinded the eyes of the brave Argeusen, and shut out the dim over arching sky. The horse drew up under the lee of a wooded island, and could be induced to go no farther. Argensen clasped both arms about his paralyzed companion, and waited the progress of the storm. Heavily and more heavily she leiwied upon his shoulder, and at length the fatal truth rushed over him with appalling force —the sleep that in variably precedes death by freezing was upon her! He sprang up wildly. “ For the love of heaven, awake! Rouse yourself! To sleep is death !" A faint moan was the only response. He tore off the buffalo robes which en veloped her, and vigorously chafed her cold hands, and breathed upon her icy lips. For a time he feared that he held only death in his arms; hut at last, by the dim light of the lantern, he saw a flush steal over her face, and her eyelids slowly unclosed. “Is it my mother holding me?” she said dreamily ; then as if remembering all, she drew herself attay from the arms that supported her. Argensen soothed and encouraged her until the storm broke and the clouds swept away. A few faint, struggling stars burst through the billows of vapor, and, like angels’ eyes, looked down upon the desert of snow. Two hburs they waited there — two hours of agonizing suspense —ere the noble horse could be made to pur sue bis way. With more than a mere brute instinct, he knew the dangers of the way in the thick darkness and storm and refused to subject his master to greater peril. As the wind sunk to rest, and the sky became clearer once more, our travelers went on, and after an hour’s swift trot they arrived safely at Wolfburn. The necessary inquiries being made regard ing the whereabouts of the young lady’s mother, Argensen drove her to the house specified, and yielding to the ur gent solicitations of his fellow voyager, he went in with her. The first question of the afflicted girl was answered in such a manner that the warm blood flushed over her cheek and 'brow, aud a fervent “Thank God!” , hurst from her lips. “ Mrs. Huntington is better, much better,” said the lady, whom Miss Hunt i iustton addressed as “aunt;” and .Julia —for that was the name of her who had put to such a trial the courage of Wil liam Argensen —advanced towards him, I aud laying both hands upon his, she Devoted to Hart County. burst iuto a flood of tears. He took both the hands and pressed thorn to his li|is. It was all the rewurd lie asked—all she sought to give. *„* * # * * * One year later, and in one of the most splendid residences in Boston there was a wedding—the groom was William Argensen, the bride .Julia Huntington. That night of horror had become the parent of love stronger than death—more enduring than life, and before that love the haughty pride of Julia's mother had melted away like snow before the sunshine. The noble young mountaineer, for the sake of that love, left the hills and valleys lie loved 1 and in a celebrated university, his mind already rich in royal gifts of Nature’s God, became refined in the flames of heaven-sent knowledge. They arq very happy now in their gorp. ms home—that fair young wife and,that noble husband ; and olten do they bless the fortune that caused them to pass THAT NIGHT UPON TIIK WINNI riSSKOGKE. Mr. Stephens Administers a Just Rebuke. ir<iAtnofon Dispatch Atlanta Constitution. One of the most urbane and affable of gentlemen is the great Georgia com moner, Hon. A. 11. Stephens, lie is especially considerate to worthy Geor gians who respect themselves and are courteous to their superiors. Hut he never hesitates to promptly rebuke those who do not come withing the pale of respectability and decency, as the following episode will show : The Other evening a number of Georgia bloods were in the lobby of the National hotel carousing and making themselves noisy in denunciation of the Georgian because of the stand lie took in sus taining tlie nomination of Census Su pervisor Simmons. The next evening one the number called on Mr. Ste phens for “a few lines ” to aid him in obtaining an appointment. The great Geor-gian looked at him a moment and then stated : “ 1 believe you were with a crowd of rowdies the other night down stairs, and I learn you were all drunk. I also heard you were abusing me. Now, young man, you may denounce me if you please. I care nothing for your good or ill will, but I cannot sign the application of one who is addicted to drunkenness; for if you received an appointment you would soon be dis missed. When you learn to conduct yourself as a gentleman should, and abstain from the use of intoxicating drinks, 1 will aid you in obtaining em ployment, but until then I trust you will seek assistance elsewhere.” The The young sprig thereupon retired a wiser, and it is to be hoped a better man. A Negro Tries to Ravish a White Lady in a Memphis Church. At Memphis. Tenn., on the 10th inst., at 10 o’clock, while Miss Mollie Quin lan, a most estimable young lady, who is scarcely 17 years old, was engaged in her devotions at the foot of the altar in St. Peter’s cathedral, she was startled at feeling someone tightly clutch her about the neck and attempting to throw her backward upon the floor. She screamed for assistance, when her as sailant, who was a negro, Clasped his hand over her mouth to prevent her cries being hoard. The young lady managed, however, to again call for help, which fortunately reached the ears of the sexton, who hastened inside the church and found her struggling with her would-be ravisher. Seeing the sexton approaching, the negro fled and made good his escape. The attempted outrage lias created the greatest sensa tion. St. Peter’s Cathedral is the lar gest Catholic church in the city. It stands almost in the shadows of the station-house, and the idea that a young lady should be subjected to such an outrage and at such a place caused <rreat indignation, and if tine negro brute should he arrested his life would be in danger, as bold threats have been made to lynch him if caught. Miss Quinlan’s face and hands bear signs of the severe struggle. She says that when she entered the church no one was to be seen. The supposi tion is that the negro, who is young — not exceeding twenty years of age seeing her enter the church, followed $1.50 Per Annum- WHOLE NO. 181. her iu, and finding them to l>c its only occupants, conceived the idea of rav ishing her. It was an attempted out rage that stands unparaleled iu the his. lory of crimes in tlift city. A Western Judge. A paper published somewhere out West gives the following report of a Judge's sentence lately passed on a criminal. Brunilcy was doubtless a “ hard case," hut what kind of a “case” the Judge is, our readers may determ ine.: “ Brmnley, you infamous scoun drel ?—yon haint a single redeeming trait in your character —your wife and family wish we had sent you to the penitentiary. This is the fifth time I've had you before me, and you have put. me to more trouble than yotir neck is worth. I've exhorted and prayed over you long enough, you scoundrel! Just go home and take one glimpse at your family, and be off in shwt. order, and don't let us hear of yon again. The Grand Jury have found two otjier in dictments against you, but I’ll discharge 3'ou on your own recognizance, and if I ketch you in this neck of woods to morrow morning nt daylight, I’ll sock you square in jail and hump you olf to Jeffersonville in little less than no time —you infamous scoundrel! If i ever ketch you crooking your linger at man, woman or child—l'll sock you right square into the Jug —stand up ! you scoundrel! while I pass sentence on you!” Little Folks' Dictionary. A writer in the Sohoolday Magazine has gathered together the following dictionary words as defined by certain small people here and there : Bed time—Shut eye time. Dust —Mud with the juice squeezed out. Fnu—A thing to brush warm off with. Fins—A fish’s wings. Ice—Water that stayed out in the cold and went to sleep. Monkey—A very small boy with a tail. Nest egg —The egg that the old hen measures by to make new ones. Pig—A hog’s little boy. Salt—What makes your potato taste bad when you don’t put anV on. Snoring—Letting off sleep. Stars —The moon’s eggs. Wakefulness—Eyes all the time coming Unbuttoned. Isn’t it True I The man who marries without any trade, profession, visible means of sup port, or a rich father-in-law to feed him, is pronounced a fool; but a young wo mon who weds without possessing any knowledge of the first rudiments of housekeeping; who knows how to cat bread, but not how to make it, and whose knowledge of domestic affairs is limited to getting up in time to eat a cold breakfast, is said to have made a good match. Will the female at the head of the class please stand up and tell us why young women should not be just as competent to preside over a household, as the man who is to pro vide for the same ? When she has un answered this question satisfactorily, we will go down in our grab bag and get another conundrum for her. A minister who had been reproving one of bis elders for over indulgence, observed a cow- go down to a stream, take a drink and then turn away. “There,” said he to his offending el der, “is an example for you. The cow has quenched her thirst and has retir ed.” “ Yes,” replied the other, “that is all very true; but suppose another cow had come to the other side of the stream and had said, “ Here’s to you,” there’s no telling how long they might have gone on.” Avery singular case occurred re cently in Roxbury. A little boy was seriously ill with diphtheria. He was the owner of a small* dog, which had been denied access to the sick room. The dog managed to slip in, and before the attendant could take him, he sprang to the bed and most affectionately ca ressed the boy, lapping his face and mouth. The little boy began to re cover his health, but the dog died with every symptom of diphtheria. *- " --•* * S sr -W Jgy-A.m.iW,. . J PARAGRAPHICAL. Signatures In lead pencil are good in law. Gee. Toombs has generously con. tribe ted S6O for the relief of the suffer ing poor of Ireland. If you wish to keep ripe watermelons until C hristmas, give them two or three coatings of varnish to keep out the air. An observing old lady says: “It’s the quiet young man iu the corner, who lets his rivals do all the talking, that usually marries the girl.” A man who takes one drink too many is often denounced an a fool; bu 4 nothing is said of the woman who gets three sheets iu the wind on wash day. “ George, dear, don't you think it's rather extravagant to eat, butter with that delicious jinn?" “No, love; its economical. Same piece of bread does* for bot h." The two important events in the life of mail are when lie examines his up per lip and sees the hair coming, and when lie examines the top of his head and sees the hair going. \n Irishman, recommending a cow, said she would give good milk year after year without having calves, be cause it ran in the breed, ns she cnm from a cow that never had a calf. "Are you a professor of religion, my little fellow?" asked a lady of her pas tor's six-vear-old boy, recently. “No, mam," was the little boy’s prompt re sponse. “I’m only the professor’s son." A letter was mailed at Des Moines the other day with this inscription on (lie envelope : “ Postmaster, if not de livered in 865 days burn it, and I will send a man for him.” It is believed to lie a dunning letter. A Texas “onion party” is thus de scribed : One young lady takes an on ion into the room, bites a piece out, then a young gentleman is admitted, and if, after kissing all the girls, bo fails to tell which bit the onion, they are all compelled to kiss him. Rowland Hill : Do you sav sin is too strong for you ? It is not 'too strong for Omnipotence that dwelleth in you. I don’t want so much to be afraid of going to hell, as to be afraid of sin. Let me be afraid of sin, and then 1 need not be afraid of going to bell. You are more sure of success in the end if you regard yourself as a man of ordinary talent with plenty of hard work before you, than if you think yourself a man of genius and spend too much fime In watching your hair grow long, that you may convince peo ple that you are not like other folk. Nothing is more demoralizing to a man than to lose faith in his fellows. The man of faith and honor is not apt to be suspicious of others, and docs not willingly believe evil. The lover of scandal and the ready believer in it are alike deficient in honor and morality, and are the bane of well-wganized so ciety. During a thunderstorm a negro boy was kicked by a vigorous mule, and just as he was picking himself up, a stroke of lightning hit the mule and killed him on the spot. “Well, dar!" exclaimed the negro, “if dis chilo hain’t got powerful friends to ’venge his insults, den dar’s no use tryin’ to hub faith in anything!” Oglethorpe Echo : It is said that Mr. Stephens is still pining for a young lady he loved in Madison, Ga., while teaching school there in early life. The name is not given, but we have heard the story before, and can inform the inquisitive public that the grand-daugh ter of this great statesman’s first and only love now resides in Lexington. Oglethorpe Echo: Mr. George Nor ton says that he finds a half bushel of salt per acre sown over wheat early in the morning, when it begins to head, a sure preventive of rust. He has test ed the matter by selecting a spot where the rust had appeared, and by % sprink ling salt around it the spread was in stantly checked. A little land-plaster mixed with the salt is also beneficial. This is a cheap experiment and one worth trying. Oglethorpe Echo : We do not be lieve that Felton can again carry the Seventh District. The true inwardness of this canting hypocrite has been brought to light, and he is now held in contempt by all honest men. We had rather see Mr. Ackeinan, an avowed Republican, in Congress than this poli eal abortion. He is without party or principle, and is the veriest traitor in Georgia. He endorses slanderers of his own people, and is seeking to break down the party that has and must con tinue to save Georgia from negro and Radical rule.