FAITHFUL TO HER TRUST.

Western Star, Issue 932, 21 March 1885, Page 2 (Supplement)

FAITHFUL TO HER TRUST.

Ear away in the mountains of W&tmoreland there is a lonely ravine called Far Gasdale, and here was.once a cottage called Glentarn Gbyll, where a man named Green once lived with his wife and six children. One day George Green and his went to a sale of furniture at Grasmere. Before starting they spoke kindly to their eldest girl Agnes, who was then only nine years old, and begged her to take special care of her little brothers and sisters. “We shall be home tonight, dear,” said Mrs Green, “ but you’ll bo a little mother to them whilst we are away won’t you ? Agnes promis d gaily, thinking it would be rather fun to be left in charge. All went well till towards evening, when a terrible snowstorm came on. The white flakes fell so fast that the door was blocked up; worse than this, the snow made its way through the windows. Haviug put the baby to bed, Agnes and 1 the other children sat up till midnight, hoping that their parents would come but not a sound was heard, as the snow fell silently thicker and ,thicker. In the morning the snow had stopped falling, but it lay so deep that Agnes dared not venture out. The children were miserable, and Agnes, child as she was herself, forgot her own trouble in trying to cheer and comfort them. Then she boiled what milk there was in the house, to prevent its turning sour, and made some porridge for breakfast, eating very little herself, for she feared the little stock of meal might fail. After breakfast she asked her two brothers to help her to cut a way from the door to the shed where tho j peat was kept, and they carried in as much as they could. Then they closed the door till night came, and they forgot their troubles in sleep. The next day a strong wind had blown atfay so much snow that Agnes determined to try to find her way to Grasmere. It was a difficult task, for there were brooks to cross; but the brave girl was urged on by the memory of the little ones she had left behind, and made her way there. Here she found that her father and mother had started for home on the first night. As they had not since been heard of, she liad little doubt that they must have fallen into some hole or brook and have perished in the snow. Still faithful co her trust, the poor child returpi d to the cottage, where she watched over her brothers and sist&ci, until kind friends found new . homes for the little orphans. —Little Folks.