The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-04-03

creation sent them driving over the prairie this
bitter night |" he adds, soto roc, as he draws on
his blue hose "Alls up, now Jessie stirring
before me, aud my chance lost Well, she shall
pay for this, by waiting my while now y
"Daviel" calls his mother, as he swings down
the ladder-rounds, and towards the door " don't
60 without a drop of something warming Here's
a mug of coffee, lad p
"Cofee be confoundedp he exclaims, impa-
tiently kicking one slipper into the FIRE, which
Jessie as dexterously rescues with the giant
tongs.
"Thank ye, Jessie" lie condescends to say.
half in shame, taking scorching roll from her
hand; "you're rare sis for cross coot Of a fel-
low like mew
Will you peep out on the prairie, after your
sumptuous breakfast, resder7 The storm has
flown bowling back to its den, and left its amphi-
theatre to the brisk wind that always PLAYS over
the prairie. 1t has left its footprints however.
as well as its snow-cloak behind it, Yonder miles
of fence lie Frustrated, as at one single breath
all the rails that ran east and west have been
linked in the overthrow, and the pastures are
mingled into one, to-day. The windmill has been
whirling all night without the help OF It's wings,
and now il looks grim and frosted in the morning
light as though its joints were stiff from their
play with the storm. Yonder is q barn lying on
one corner; the sheep are scampering off with
out fold or shepherd, to pastures unknown.
There is Farmer LIS house unroofed, surely!
What will the poor children do for a Christmas
covering TO their heads All well, every latch
string on the prairie hangs out to them, and not
one of them shall want the choicest bit Of the
Christmas dinners pudding or turkey to-day.
Here come the sleighs in merry jingle! Don't
criticize them; their pattern is not from Yankee
land certainly; but if the beauty of sleigh-ride
is its Enjoyment" as a friend once said to me, why
Al - 10, IN ha
line of the beautiful, than these Christmas riders
on their comcsl sleds There goes Jumper"
darling over the soft snow like a bird across q
cloud. 1t was framed by its owner last evening,
from couple of long hickory poles, curved in at
the end and joined by few planks loosely put
together and if it fall apart in mid prairie NeO
much the merrer for him, his wild companion,
and wilder colt!
These people are not of "the aristocracy,D
even of this corner Of America. They are among
the lineal descendants of Adam, who earn their
bread like their superlatively great grandfather,
" in the sweat Of their brow !" and who, IL they
take only one HOLIDAY from the labors of the year.
will claim it for Christmas, in memory of the
could countrieo across the wide ocean.
Have care of the frost, friends Ii claims toll
of all who invade its domain to-day, and thick
must be the shield that can successfully ward off
its shafts! One morning poor man was thus
crossing this prairie on foot, in the luli after
fierce snow-storm with young boy he failed
at last, and dropping down into'the stagnation of
DEATH sent on his young companion to battle for
life a little longer. The youth reached house
after an agonizing effort but in the amputation
of both his feet he paid the forfeit of the rash
attempt, which had proved fatal to one-nearly
so to both.
There is no service to-day in that speck of
church that you spy afar by the woodland Pres
byterians cannot quite follow their Episcopal
brethren in this form; aud those who are neither
one nor the other care for little besides feasting
and frolicking.
But the rides are over-save where the drunk
en- shout of few rough jewellers from town rings
through the frosty air. Alas that " the poison
which steals mems brsinso should flow 30 freely
and 80 widely upon Christmas day
merry dinner circle has Farmer Rathburn,
with little knot of old friends, and his neigh
bors from the unroofed domicil yonder Jessie
has forgotten her dreams and her griefs in the
excitement Of responsibility for the perfection Of
her goose sauce and plum-pudding
"Bide bit, bairniesp she urges, as the hun
CRY children crowd around her, sadly to the dis
oomposure of her operations.
"Oh! aunty jessie give | and Henry corn
dodgerw clamors one, as Jessie turns the article
from the fat stone over the hot ashes.
"There taxi it, and gang AVA VII yes |
sail be brain crazed, sure p she adds, smiling
The dinner is over, the fragments carefully
gathered up by the same heedful hands that spread
the luxurious board. The guests have vanished !;
the children, with buns and cakes in hand, have
sauntered into some neighbours kitchen. Jessie's
own tireless hands, too, have washed every china
| cup and platter rubbed each to glossy whiteness
and set it into the old.fashoned crockery cabinet
opened only on state ocoasions-an heirloom from
generations passed away.
Jessie takes up her coarse blue huntingdon
her busy fingers would ache II idle for moment
and seats herself - the chintz cushioned settee
by the low window, to look out and muse.
Davie stalks in presently, stacks bis gun above
the mantel-p piece, then throws brace of par
tridges at her feet, and himself down beside
them.
"Yere in luck, laddie,n she observes, looking
at the still feathers, whose chapgeable beauty is
disfgured by blood. stains.
Backwoods children are trained by stern ne
cessity to look upon the shedding of a wild birds
or beasts even innocent blood, with other eyes
than those whose daily meat is gained through
the hands Of a butcher, behind whose shsmbes
they, Of course never cast a glance or thought.
The pioneer invades the territory of bird and
beast, and is forced TO keep good his title for a
time by perpetual warfare with those who claim
the right of possession Pigeons come down in
hardly-earned clearing; wolves steal into his
sheep-fold; rabbits burrow and gnaw ruin in his
bit Of q garden plot nameess birds Of the air
steal away his precious little store Of home-rased
fruit. He has no adequate means Of defence
except his gun, and he often learns to use it too
remorselessly.
q shot them on the wing, Jessien he excaims,
with warmth then suddenly lowering his tone
Jessie whapll you bid for a secra2 Anything
better than these mittens-they beat buckskin
hollow for keeping fellows fingers warm-thaps
factp
"a secret for why-for whop
"For the bonniest assie pve set eyes on but
she must promise TO forgive oil my saucy tricks
Come-bid!
"Dont tease me- laddie out VII it, quick ~
"There, then,r cried Davie, tossing the brown
ish travel-worn square over her shoulder; "don't
say Santa Claus didn't give you nothing, for he
brought that In his budget, only 4 was too con-
founded cross. But what ails you, Jessiep
Jessie has dropped her knitting to the floor,
and grasped the letter spssmodically. She knows
the handwriting too quickly and too well, though
the pest-mark be n strange one!
What's come to you, J essie 7" insists the half
frightened boy, as she still sits speechlessly mo-
tionless, her parted lips growing paler every mo-
ment III call mother down, that | will %
and he springs to the ladder.
"Nae, nae, bde bitw she whispers, by vio-
lent effort, the color coming back suddenly to her
cheeks and forehead, as she starts up to hinder
his call "I1s--it's only---oh thanks be to
Heaven and she burst into tears, the too full
hearts overlooking
@Don't cry, Jessie II amt black seal ~
pleads David, who in his boyish logic can con.
ceive OF only one cause for tears. Don't spoil
YOUR eyes before you come to read itp
"Bess ye, boy, It's nae hni kenned he was
nae false. ! kenned he was nae dead kenned
It always hcye'--she pressed her hand TO her
throbbing side " but my heart has been sair-
sair weary O waiting Bide while yet, lsdde
Gamma choose but greaW