The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1844-08-14
MISCELLANEOUS
The burnin Prairie.
BY REV. JOHN A. CLARK, D. D..

at was now Just at the close u iohS
summers day. Our steamer for many a
long weary hour had been pushing her slow
course up thebroad stream of the Mississippi,
when there suddenly opened upon US a vast
extended prairie. To me this was an OBJ
iect of thrilling interest, and the more So
because hitherto, we had seen scarcely moth
ing upon either side of the river but unbro-
ken and boundless forests, stretching away
as far as the eve could reach to the distant
horizon. But here was a vast expanse. in
which no tree nor stump, nor stone was vlsl-
bic. Naught met the eye but the tall wa
wing in the breeze, bending, rising, rolling to
and fro like the waves of the ocean after a
tempest; and this grassy surface interspersed
with wild flowers Of every color, hue and
form.
For a long time | watched this beauteous
scene, till the shadows of evening began to
settle down upon it. While | continued ga
zing upon the prairie, the old kentuckian,
who stood near, was making his observa-
tons. and at length remarked, That prairie
on fire would be a noble sight" L have
seen them burning in a dark night, while the
wind sprung up and bore on the flames like
a sea of fire. i can tell you a good story and
true one about a burning prairie. and a
ldIlllN WIN pClichCu " III NOhh
We urged him to proceed in the nara
tive. He began by giving an account of the
family that persisted in the conflagratlon,
with whose history lie seemed quite familiar.
1t was a beautiful aud touching picture of
real life that he drew in describing this fam
iy as they lived somewhere in the valley of
Onion River, amid the sublime mountain
scenery of Vermont. He represented Mr..
N, the father, as a hardy, sensible, and
pious New England Farmer. The family
four children, two of whom, James and Lydia,
were grown up to adult age, while George,
the next son, was about thirteen years old,
and Youngest daughter was only eight. Mr..
N.-had long toiled to accumulate a little
property, but the increase had been so slow
that in a fit of Encouragement he sold his
little farm, and determined to emi CRATE TO the
~far-west, where he learned he could pur-
chase land at a very low price, and procure
the means of subsistence with very little la
Dor. He pursuaded himself that by adop-
ting this course he should be doing more
Justice TO his children than remaining in a
country where property, and even the means
of subsistence for a family could be attained
only by years of perSevering toll.
There was only one heart made sad by
this determination, and that was the heart
of his oldest and favorite daughter. Lydia
N-was a girl Of excellent sense, and some
personal attractions. She had interested the
affections of a Young man who had grown
up with her from childhood. Ills father
owned an adjoining farm. The two families
were quite intimate, and many happy hours
had Charles S-and Lydia passed togeth-
er. This proposition of emieratins TO the
far West seemed to the young people a death
blow to all their long cherished hopes, as the
circumstances of the young man did not war
rant his forming a marriage connection at
once. But true affection is ready TO make
any sacrifice to attain its object. As soon
as it was a settled point that Mr.. N-was
TO leave, Charles Suffered TO accom-
pany him in the occupation Of hired man,
if he would except his services. Mr.. n
consented, and every thing was arranged ac-
c%ordingly.
They were now on their way moving on IL
true western style. They expected to be
weeks and months on their journey before
they reached their distant home. The FAM
lily, and all the effects they bore with them,
were carried in two stout wagons, each one
of (which was drawn by three yoke of oxen,
Mr.. Nor his Oldest son usually acted as
the driver Of one of these wagons, while
Charles S-took charge of the other,
They had already been on their journey
many weeks, and had penetrated so far into
the western world as TO find it necessary to
pitch their tents each night and seek a Iodg-
ing place wherever the shades of evening
overlook them. They at length entered {
prairie country, and were for a while almost
spell-bound by the wide tracks of plain thai
stretched around them. To them the won
ders of the boundless prairies appeared more
amazing because they had always been shui
up by lofty mountains in a narrow dell, and
had never till now looked abroad upon such
amplitude and vastness of expanse.
They had now been travelling through a
prairie country for several days. 1t was late
in the autumn, though the weather continued
as bland as summer. The day was bright
and sunny; the wagons each covered with
thick tow cloth covering, and drawn by
three yoke of oxen were moving slowly on
through the vast extended rigion of long
grass, now sere and dry, which stretched
around them like a shoreless ocean, and
gently bentto and fro in the autumnal breeze
No house, nor store, nor hillOck, nor j soil.
tary tree were seen in the vast circle ofthe
encompassing horizon. As the sun declin-
ed, and the shadows began 10 ~lengthen, the
NOPSo I SioNC bdSdH ~ u Z NisioiC III
distance. The emigrants Immediately de-
termined to seek a place of encampment for
the night in the neighborhood of this grove
for the naturally concluded that they should
find a spring or rivulet that would furnish
water for their own use; and fuel for cook
ing their evening meal. They hadbeen sue
cessful this day in shooting a large number
OF prairie hens, and were anticipating a delic-
ious repast.
Mr.. N-proposed that James and him.
self should 60 on ahead of the wagons, and
g%etevery thing ready by the time they came
up. They accordingly started off, having
left Charles S-to drive the forward wag
on in which the family rode, and George to
conduct the other. Mr.. N-and James
however, had not gone but a few yards be-
fore Lydia came bounding through the long
sere grass, with the ~fleetness of a deer, bear
ing a tea-kettle in one hand and three orfour
prairie hens in the other. Lydia, as we have
before said, was full of sprightfulness and
VlEaeity, and she had too often clambered up
the SteeD and rouob e,Jas Of ,ba Craan