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Speaker 1: A race with an avalanche by Fanny Hyde Merrill. Over

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a little town in the heart of the rocky mountains

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floated a heavy cloud. A young girl stood by the

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window of one of the pretty homes and watched anxiously

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the sky above. As she looked, her brother stepped up

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behind her. Never mind, Kate, he said, we'll have a

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good Christmas if it does snow. Kate frowned. What is

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the use of any more snow? It's four feet deep

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on the ground now, and all the roads are blocked.

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We can't get any Christmas mail. The sugar in town

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is all gone. Only one cow to give milk for

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the children. Not an egg to be had. We can't

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even bake a cake. And just then white flakes came

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floating through the air. Kate's exclamation was a doleful. There

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it comes. It's too bad. Over near the large stoves

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sat the father. As he heard Kate's distressed voice, he

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came to the window. The doctor was a slender man

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with kind eyes and gray hair. There were many lines

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across his forehead, but most of them had been drawn

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by care and thought, few by age, and none at

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all by discontent. As he stood and stroked Kate's hair.

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It was easy to see that the young girl was

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the pride of his heart. Your mother, my dear, her

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father said slowly, was always glad when it snowed at

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Christmas time. She always said a real Christmas should be

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a white Christmas. Tears stood in Kate's eyes, and Harry

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turned away his head. He did not wish Kate to

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know how desolate home had been to him since their

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mother's death. Through the gathering snow, two heavy figures came

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toward the house. Harry opened the door and saw two

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strong men with resolute faces. Doctor wardle here, they asked.

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The doctor stepped forward in spite of the storm. The

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men lifted their caps as they saw his face. There's

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a man hurt up at the mines, said the taller

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of the two men. Will you come up, doctor, certainly,

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said the doctor promptly, I'll come at once. The man

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looked at the two young people. Doctor. He said, you

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know the snow is sliding badly. It's a deal of risk.

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The doctor nodded and put on his thick coat. Oh, Papa,

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cried Kate, not to day, not you. We can't let

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you go. In distress, she turned to the men. Can't

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you get some younger man for such a hard trip.

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The man looked troubled. I'm sorry, miss. We did try,

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but his face hardening. No other doctor will go, and

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the man is badly hurt. Poor Kate father and brother

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had hidden their own grief over the mother's death and

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striven to make her life bright. Now she could not

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believe she could be put aside for any other call.

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She clung to her father's sobbing Kate, he said, as

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he took her hands, My work is to save lives.

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But Papa, your life so useful. Save that, my dear,

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who can tell which life is most needed? Besides, your

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fears are foolish, dear, There's probably no real danger. I

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shall come back safely. Never fear. He stopped with his

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hand on her head, then satchel in hand, he went

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to the door. As he stepped across the threshold, he

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took Harry's hand, My boy, he said, you are like

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your mother. I can trust Kate to you, and the

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door closed. The three men plowed their way up the

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street into the mountain trail that led to the mines.

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Kate watched the figures grow small in the distance, till

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the snow hid them from sight. The mighty hills that

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shut in the town never looked to kate so high,

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so silent, so unmoved as during the long hours of

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that day in vain Harry planned diversions. She watched the

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window with an anxious and a sorrowful face. Still the

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storm raged, and as the twilight gathered, Harry could not

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keep anxiety from his face and voice. Down in the valley,

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the twilight fades early, and it was dark when a

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heavy rat brought Harry to the door. There stood twelve

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men and in their midst on a sled, an uncouth

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mass of snow covered blankets where's father. Gasped Harry, staring

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at the sled with its heavy burden, He said, we

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were to tell you the storm was so bad he'd

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stay up at the mine tonight. We're taking the fellow

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that was hurt down to the hospital. Noble fellows, cried Harry,

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with his face aglow, as the men set off again.

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Those twelve men had brought that hurt fellow down the

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mountain on a sled in this storm and darkness, over

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four feet of snow. They face death every step of

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the way for the snow is sliding all the time.

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Kate stared at the fire but said nothing. Suddenly a

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veil had been lifted. She saw not only her noble

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father risking his life for others that was no new vision,

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but the rough, the faithful miners, twelve of them risking

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their lives to carry to greater safety, one poor, hurt,

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perhaps dying man. And she All day long she had

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brooded over her own selfish sorrow and anxiety, letting Harry

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try to amuse her, but never thinking of his troubles.

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With a flush of shame, she started up Harry. She said,

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we'll practice a little to night, can't we, And Harry

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brought out his flute and the music, with a face

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of such relief and happiness that Kate's heart gave another

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throb of remorse. The morning of the next day dawned

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clear and cool. Gradually the sun rose over the mountains,

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each moment touching into new glory, the light and shadow,

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the color and glittering sheen of the vast snow covered hills.

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Kate sang over her morning work and thought tenderly of

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the new comfort she would bring into her father's life

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from that day forward. Nine o'clock. It was before the

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sunlight touched the town. In the valley, Harry began to

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watch the mountain trail for his father. All day long.

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The beauty of the hills glittered before the longing eyes

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of Kate and Harry, but no father came down the

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shining mountain path. At three o'clock, the sun went down

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and the tints of sunset glowed upon the snowy heights.

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Kate bravely struggled through the pretense of a meal. But

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self control is not learned in a day, and by

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evening Harry found her crying softly by herself. Kate, he said,

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don't worry. Tomorrow, I'll go up the mountain and see

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if father is still there. Harry started early next morning,

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and Kate bravely watched him out of sight. We'll be

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home for Christmas, he shouted back, for his spirits rose

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with the prospect of something to do. He climbed to

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the mines and found, to his dismay that his father

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had started down early the preceding morning. The superintendent, having

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watched him out of sight, well said Harry, I must

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go down and get a party from town to search

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for him. That is the best way, said the manager.

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He said nothing of the danger Harry himself must pass through.

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Danger was around them all. Harry was strong, active, and

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skillful in the use of the snow shoes or skies

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which he wore that day. The boy's face was saddened

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by his fears for his father, but a resolute look

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flashed into his eyes as he made ready for the

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perilous trip. Just as he shot forward, came the thunder

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of a blast of dynamite in the mine above him.

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A shout went up, a snow slide, and a massive snow,

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dislodged by the explosion, came crushing past a corner of

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the shed containing the men, was carried away. The men

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looked at each other. Their escape had been narrow. Where

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was the boy, who had just now shot forward in

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the very path of the avalanche. It needed no shout

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to tell Harry what the result of that report would be.

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He had started, and almost at that instant the snow

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was on his track. There was no chance for turn

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or thought of pause. His only chance for life was

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to reach the valley before the avalanche. Over the shortest,

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steepest descent, he flew, the wind cutting his face all

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thought merged in one fire of effort to fly faster, faster,

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and fast. He skimmed the glittering snow till he shot

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like an arrow from a bow into the plain below,

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and fell headlong, covered by the frosty spray at the

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edge of the spent avalanche. The breath seemed pressed out

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of his body, and for some minutes he did not move.

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Then a shout came through the air, and he lifted

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himself as a band of miners came flying down the

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mountain toward him. They came on snow shoes from the

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mines above, and were overjoyed to find the boy alive.

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He beat the snowslide, they ejaculated, and Harry a hero

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from that hour, was escorted home in triumph. At the

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door stood Kate, and back of her the Good Father,

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safe and sound. On his way down from the mine,

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the doctor had been hailed by a man who lived

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in a little cabin sheltered in the mountain side. The

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man's child had broken an arm, and by the time

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everything was done for his relief, the short day was

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so far gone that the doctor was obliged to stay

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all night that Christmas Eve, as Kate and Harry and

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their father stood watching the stars glow and sparkle in

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the Keen Mountain air. Kate put her hand on her

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father's arm as she said, there won't be much for

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Christmas tomorrow, but any other happiness that could come to

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me would seem very small after having you and Harry

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given back to me, My dear, said her father. Since

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the Christmas angels first sang peace on earth, good will

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toward men, the best gift that can come to any

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of us is an unselfish heart and of a race

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with an avalanche. By Fanny Hyde Merrill