A Story Of New Sweden

A Swedish eolony haíl León foanded in an almost un brok en wilderness of Northern Maine, and in niemory of the dc.ir fatherland, numed New Sweden. Among tue. (irsfc to tast his fortunes with this littlo eolony was Cari Olsson, accompanied by his wife and four childivn. The log honses of tho Swodish colonists liad 1 bu built near together, both for security and foreompanionship; and ono bright niidsommer morning Olsson stood waiting before the door of Lis home for tho noon-day lunch he was to ciurv with him to liis day's work of felling trees, two miles tLvray. Within the singlo room his humblo home affordsd, was Christine, a girl of twclve years, removiug the remains of the frugal breokfast. "Christine," called her father, "if tho mother is willing, yon may come witli me to the 'chopping' to-day. Tho botuto won't soom so long where there's a little lass flitting about." Christine looked up eagerly at her mother. "Oh can't I go? Father wants me and I shall be so happy in the woods allday." "Yes, you may go," said the mother. adding as she spoké, a rye cake to the lunchon bnt dou't get lost in thn woods." Christine laughed at her mother's neeilloss fears, and liastcneil to overtake her father, who had alroady startid on his way. A fair tv pe of the Swedish immigrant was the father, with his broad shoulders, rudcly complexión, blue evos, and light hair; anda quaint figure was thechild that kept pace with him along the rough road. In stature, small for her years; but the fashioningof lier dress, spun and woveuby hor mother with trne housewifely skill, gave her the appearance of a little old woman, as it hung in heavy, straiglit folds below tho top of the strong, coarse shoes. Over her liead was tied a dingy cotton handkerchief, which afforded no protection from sun and wind ; and the face benea'th, never pretty, was now sunbnrned and freckled. But the features wero regular, the teeth white and even, the blue eyes olear and truthful, the flaxen hair long and fine ; for the two smooth braids hung far below the corners of the fluttering handkerchief. As her father struck off into a narrow path down over the hill, Christine was obligetl to drop behind; and she followed after the broad footpriuts in the soft leaf niold, catching, as shepassed, the great mosswood leaves on either hand, that broke so easily at her touch. A few moments more, nnl they reaehed the "chopping," u small opening in tho woods where a few trees had airead v been felled; and pla:-in; his dinner pail and coat at the foot of a tree and directing Christine to aplaco of safety, so as to bo out of range of tho troe as it feil, Cari Olsson eommenced his work. Far and near sounded the ringing stroken oí his axc, and Christine watched the. great chips as tliey flew in every direction. When the last severing blow was giv n and the tree feil with a crash tbat awoke the echoes of the forest, Cluistiiu! shut her eyes until her fathera hearfry tangli reaasured her. "Ho! Jio! thafs the way tliey come down, Chiistiue. What a line farm we'll liave one of these ilavs!" Wcary at -:.t of vratching lier father at work, Chiistinc óbtáined permisaion to séareh for flowers aml beri'ies. "Don't go out of si'.'lit," said lier father, and promising that she woald not, she strolled along the edge of tlie woods, lost in delight to everythiug around her. In happy unconseionsness of impending dangcr, she spent t!ie honrs 01 the long sumnier i'orecoon, until her father called, "Christine! Christine!" and, gathering up her woodland tre.vsnre, sh? approaoued within eaay speaking distance. "Wl.at do you want, papa." she answered. "It is nearly noon,and when I finish fchis tree, we'll have dinner. Take tho pail and go down that path until you come to n s]iing. Fill the pail with water and hnrry back." Followi; :': direction indicated by her father, Christine took the pail and was soon lost to sight in the narrow simious patbi 0arl Ols.nn resumed his labor, and when (ree at length lay across ils fallen felló'.vs, stood watchiug to obtain i a glimpse o! Christine's coming'. "Wliíit can keep Christine so long?" he said aloud. "It is not like the child to loiter so. " The spring was some quarter of a mile distant, but the path was diroct, and ; there was no occasion for any straying froiD it, ortiiis unusual delay j and after waiting severa] minutes longer, with a half impatieiit frown her father started ; after her. Nót meeting her at the turn of the path as fully expee.ted, he quickened liis step ; and when he neared the spring and still saw no signs of her coming, an anxious fear aroused hun and he shouted 'Christine! Christine I" But no answering voice responded. With rapid strides ho reached the spring and found she was not there. He saw her footprints iu the inoist rarth around tho water but could trace no marks of a return. Thoroughly alareJ, he bogan to search the woods in every direction, caliing in frantie iones Iris dauxhter's name. "Oh, Gfbï, caro f or and proteet my clriM," ho cried, in Iris helpless agony, as, vit)] such a feeling of desolation and soitow as comea to those who tnrn froni the grave of a loveil one, lie lolt tho forost, knowing that Iris elrild, if sho had nut been already devoured by some wild beasc was snflering and hclplcss in its dark depths. How wéary seemed the homeward way, lie thought of tho sorrowful news ho was carrying to the watching mother. "Ali, lierc comes Cari," she said, as she saw het husband appearing m tho distance. "How tired he is, for Iris step is so slow ! bnt I do not see Christine. The poor child has grown weary and fallen belrind." As Cari Olsson drew near, something in his troubled face and despondent air caused the shadow of a great fear to fall upon tho mothers heart. 'What lias happonpd, whero is Christine?" sho called out sharply. In broken, half-choked words, hetold the story. Sho bad gime at noon tot-ba spring for WStei' : she did not como back, ánd he went to look for her; she had gone - lost in the woods - and lie knew not where tofind her. "Oh, Christin.', my child! Oh, why did I let her goV" was iht agonized cry that came from tlic raother's pallid li].s. "God rules," was the almo.st stern and reverent reply of Cari Msson. Bnt our neignbors must be told, and we will search for hel in the nionring." Hurriedly drinking a cup of strong coffee - the lunch had game antusted - Cari Olsson set forth to arouse the colony. Messengers veresent in every direction, and the news spread rapidly from cabin tocabin. "Christine Olsson is lost in the woods! Neareh must bemade for her in the morning. Meet at Olsson 's house at sun-rise. " But what liad cnuscd this sndden and mysterious disappearance of Christine? Following the narrow path crushiug uit Ii a liglit step tbc leaves that strewed the way, without any thouglit of mpending danger, she reoched the spring that gushed out, sparkling and bright from a little hillside, oud, asshestooped by the sido of its ra 1, gre&D margin to fill her pail with water, she bestowed a coquettish gianco upon tho flushed cheeks and bright eyes reflected upon its surface. As she turned to retraco her steps, a low deop growl sounded neai her; and she beheld in groat effright an erormons bear with a eub beside her direct]y in tho path and not but a few feet a way. Again the bear uttered her low angry growi and her small eyes snapped viooualy as she looked at Christiue, who, with a frightom d soream, turned and fled into the wopds behind the spring. On s'ie went in her mail flight, across fallen frees and through dense undorbrush, the Bharp thorns and orne] branches tearing her face and hands in a pitifnl way. Still on she went, until at last, almost fainting and exhausted, she ventnred to look back. The bear was not following her; and somewhat rensnred, but trembling in every limb, she started to walk around to the clearing where she had lelt her father. Whe didn t ho ariswer when she called him, for surely s: liad walked far enough to reach him ? "Papa, papa! where are yon, papa?" was her continnal cry as she hm-ried along, sometimes running, brüised and torn, butnever erving. Thus all the : Itornoon the poor lost child kept on in hor vain seafeh lor father, now hastening wüh frantio joy os she thought she heuid !iis voice caliing, now Binking down exiiitftstea and tniriüg bec&tred Blie BDtiïd neither makelriin hearnoï Bnd hina. One by ono Ih e stars came twinkling out. At her still continued cry for her father, some startled deer wonld ) with foot nplifled and ear alert, to catch the meaniug of this strange, new voice of the night, beiore bonnding aviay in the darkness; and the frightful Boreech ftlwftys hideoua and strange to strong r uervea, waa :i response that wpuld canse i lie child to crouch v:.il coiver in affi To Christiue's distortí1,! visión carne every l'ancy. Each dark ahadow was a bidden beaat to spring upon her, and gleamiug eye3 lurked ii every bush. Did she really have a father and mother who loved hor, or was she a child of the woods, alivays to go in this terrible way ? With each wild fancy, Christine continued her liopeless wandering through the long hom; oí that dreadl'ul niglit, occasiiinallv bieaking tho deep slitude of the forest by the heart-broken cry, "Papa. O papa! wherêareyoti?n Lon:r nul v:iry had been tic night to the weeiüiig mot'lior, for sorrows are alwaya sharperand burdens heavier during the sleepless hours; but hope revived wh.eii, with the first gray dawn of the morning, the colon sis gathered by twos and tfarees, bringuig guns and dogs ready for a search after the lust fliil ) . Tliere were middle aged men, henvy and toLd in features, wit u tarnish ed knots ofeilverin theirears and weariüg immonsie wooden shoes, long waistooats and leather br eches. There were yonng men and boys full of exeitement and eacü i: ing ftrftl to discover the lost girl. It n'.us deoided to follow Olsson to t'i ■ clearing, iorin i:i line, and at a given signal advance info the woods, man keeping in eiglit of his neighbor, so as tó cover ail space, an.l when the child was found, lire a gun twice in rapid sueeessiun. only "He ot the boys who earried a gun was Peter Bwensou, who walked very e reet and exolaimed boostingly; If I see i bear I shall shoot him skare between the two eye," And all tl.o boys lóoked mi admiringly bnt Nils Peterson, who whistled to his large yellow and white spotted dog, and said, quite :i ■ boi stfully : "I wouldn't give my dog for the best gun in tho crowd. He isn't afrftid of the biggeat iiear yon ever saw," which wasp't so ïnueli of n bonst alter all, us none of the boys had ever seen a tame bear, much less iv wild one. On reaclring the clearing, a line was formed along the edgö of the woods; and at the giv. n signal all advunced together, beatjng the bushes, dring guns and hallooing, and the search was kept u] in this manner until the noonday, when a pause was made. Ali of Cari Olsson'e brighl hopea of the morning [ing him. "Chiistine couldn') liave wanderedso far," he said. "My poor elrild haslieen devoiu'ed by somo wild beast. " And he sank ipon the ground and buried his face in his hands. lint hark ! Did his ears deceivo him ? That surely was wo reports following eacli other. Wildly he sprang to his feel and rushed in the direotion of the alarm and the shot. "Christine is found! Christine is found!" i'ftn all along the line. Nils Peterson greeted iheni, exolaiming excitedly, " Twaa my dog that found her!" 'And I heard him bark; and when I saw 'twas Christin;; I lired the gun!" cried Peter Sweuson, close behind. Joyfully they gathered around Chriatine who was standing dazed and bewildered, in an almost impenetrable Bwamp. Tightly olaeped in her hand was the pail slie had earried ail the white. Many anxious dav.s and niglits of watching by Christine's bedsido followed, for i long fever came upon the overwrought system. In delerium sho once more bent over the babbling brook, ! drinking, butwith thirstnoversatisfii-cl. Again, tho black form of the growling bear stood before her in the patli, from which shu was over fleoiiit;. oalling in heartrending tones for her father, who Badly stroro to soothe the troulled: ; mina of tlic sickchild. At last one monring when she awoke the wild, frightened gleam in her bhie eycs was gone, and iu its place was the old lovolight. As her inother bent over her she whisijcred: "Oh, such a dream as I have had; I ara glad the morning has come." "Cari, our Christine has come back to na. Let ms tlüuik God, " said the I niothor, softlv ; and there, by that humi ble bedsid?, the gratefnl, happy par ents gave thanka for the Father'? loving care bcstowcd on tlio.n.