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Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 958, 24 December 1881, Page 1 (Supplement)

ing only of :the btighf; green - treasures they werein search of., At: length; the : spot .wad reached, and -.the'little ones ran to collect the graceful maiden hair and; other varieties'! thw .grew beneath .rriimic rocktyor jppjeaaVjtheir ,lJ\r'ge leaves from the .thick!brop steV.of} the fern tree,., Soon their, hands;we're;quit'e/fu)li and (hey were ready Jo turn their steps homeward,' - '• .",'",,!! . ;'' ~;!'. ~' , "Ills; getting dark,' Jeririy,"said Bennie, after they Had walked.ashort distance in,;the direction of honie,; '[",',• ' "Oh I we shall be home long before ij arkV' answered Jenny reassuringly,, but quickening her pace as she spoke, for the evening shadows were creeping steadily on, and though fearlessi as a child bom and bred in.the busfr,. should be'she! felt; a. nervous, apprehension Stealing over heras the last rays of the sun faded Irbm the sky,' leaving only the! dim misty the Australian twilightj' whicj{ in. so, short' a space of time deepens; into.the blackness of night, ■■• ', ." On, on they went, but ; Jenny, could 'np longer conceal froni herself;the.fact' that they were,being fast ove'rtakeh'by the nighf. It was getting pitch dark) how should the'y,;find ■their way home?' She could scarcely, see -a yarda head, and little Susie was. beginning to complain of feeliiig weary. What was to be •done?- ,;" ' But' Jenny was a-brave little girl, and she would hot give way to her feats, for the sake of her little brother and'sister, so she tried to cheer up Bennie, who was crying now, .and lifted Susie up in her arms !to ease tKe little^ Jired'feefc that almost refused to',carry.their, small burden any further, i They had by this time come to a fork in the road where .several paths branched off.'/.onej leading; to ■ their own house,, the others goingj devious'ways. . i • : ..- i : Jenny's heart sankwithin her—supposing she| should'mistake the track?'-. She' stooduncer-j tain,-not daring to proceed; in,the dim liglitj it was so diflicultto discern which was the' on'ei that kd in, the direction of home. ' Fbr'a • moment bnly'she paused; she must| not hesitate any longer! this must be the right | track I ; It was impossible she could mistake i ) the way! She had so often walked along that j path to-the fern-tree gully; so, plunging int.o, the dusty little beaten 'track, .they were.sboni pursuing theirjourney, but with dread .misgiv-i iiigs on Jenny's part, and sobs and lanienta.i tions from the two younger ones, Bennie was! . 'J frightened to be. out in the dark I". Popn ; little. Susie lifted. up her .voice, crying, fori ■ "mammal" 'What would ft'it Jenny have; ;' given tp'have seen the light glimmering in thei ; window ; of theirliftlc cottage; but there .was no i ; ray of light beainih ,' on their way. All was, ! dark, very dark, ah-1 a terrible conviction was, ; ; forcing itself on Jenny's mind that the path ! she had taken was the wrong track. • ;. ■ She could see none of the familiar landmarks ! How latp it was getting, and Bennie i and' Susie wanted'something to eat. Jenny was in a dreadful state of alarm I >he wis

hungry and tired too I But what was that compared with being lost in the bush ? Alas! Jenny knew now that that was very likely to be their fate,"unless rescu-d bHier father or some of the neighbors. It was useless to proceed any further; it was ooly malting the dis tancc greater from home, She would pray o God to take care of them, and then wait patiently until some one found them, Jei-ny felt somewhat comforted after this reflection, for she had been piously brought up, and knew that her Father in Heaven could guard them sifcly through the terrors of the night, and she busted-Him with all her heart, So fenny persuaded the tired little ones to lie down on tiie soft grass, and, overcome : whh lutnger and fatigue, they soon cried themselves to sleep. It was hours before 1 Jenny could follow their example She sat and watched for a long, long time, hoping relief would come, but at last, wearied out with'her sad vigil, she sank down beside Bennic and -when the moon rose it loo'ted down upon three Australian babes in the wood, locked in each other's arms, and slumbering' as peacefully as if they were cradled in their own little cribs, tucked in by mother's careful hands; for He who neither slumbers nor sleeps was bending over them, and bright angels lingered n;ar them to guard their sleeping heads.

Listei! there is crackling in the dry timber I Jen .y staits up with lips apart, and eyes li.wl in the direction of the sound, Surely, by the 1-ght of the moon she can di-tinguish forms moving, in the distance ? " Father I Father!" she calls as loud as she can shout. Yes, someone is coming this way I '• CoO'-.e! Coo-e-e!" she hears the welcome sound. "Coo-e-e! Coo-e-e!" responds Jenny in her clear childish tones, A dog barks I The footsteps come nearer I She calls again, "Father I Father I" It's no illusion 1 She sees her father advancing towards her. "Wake, Benniel Wake, Susie I" she cries, shaking her little brother and sister : to rouse them, ." Father's, coming!" and Jenny, Bennic, and Susie are clasped to their father's heart. Saved I restored once more to their fondparents'arms, There was great rejoicing in David Heath's cottage when. he and the neighbors who had' volunteered to help him in his search for the lost children; arrived carrying their, precious burdens, and thankful hearts, were lifted ;up in prayers of thanksgiving to the One who in His • goodness had guided their footsteps to, the jspot where little Jenny and her brother andj Jiister lay slumbering so peacefully in the f' stilly night" in the lonely Australian bush, : All this happened very many years ago, and Jenny and Bennie and Susie are young men and women now, with, I dare say. little children of their own; but if they should happen to read my story they mil not fail to recognise, this true account of their early days, for, as the title shows, it is no , fiction but is founded, on.fact,