The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-02-13

"'He will come here in the morning. Jim Lee
il coming over with him and he will stay around
here about week. He stopped two weeks at his
sisters on the way, and he says he must certainly
reach home by Thanksgiving
and, il he does, our folks will get letter
from us just at the right time. They will all be
at home-ThsnkfuI, and Sarah, and Eunioe, and
Eben, with their families. They will all be there,
James-all but us , and the tears sprapg to her
eyes, as she thought of the pleasant old festival
and the family gathering beneath her fathers
roof
"Her husband drew her head to his shoulder,
and, gazing thoughtfully into her eyes moment,
said
"sYou were ever a home bird, Mary, and |
have sometimes thought, when | am all alone in
the woods, that did very wrong in bringing You
so far away, to this lonely place.
@'No, no James; how could you ever think so.
have been so happy here she added, glancing
at the fair, round face 10 the cradle. only
thought at that moment how pleasant it would be
to see them all once more-for you and and baby
to step in upon them Wouldn't they stare she
went on, smiling at the picture her words brought
up; for you know that they don't know anything
about baby yet but shall write all about her. and
tell mother that We are going to call Der Clara,
after her. You are sure George will tome in the
morning, JamesP
with her babe on her arm, and smile on her
lip at the thought of meeting her old friend,
Mary Sherman sought her bed, to dream, per-
chance, Of yon pleasant old homestead.
Some two hours later she was awakened by a
YELL that struck the terror of death to her heart
1t was the terrific war-whoop Of the savsges. Her
husband sprang TO his feet, and seizing his rifle,
made for the door The heavy wooden bars still
resisted the pressure from without, but at that
instant the blows of half a dozen batchets fell
upon the thick plank
"'The chest-quick- ne, Maryp he
whispered and, following his motions rather than
his words, the terrified woman united her strength
to his whicS.ssemed at that instant almost super
human, and they succeeded in moving the heavy
wooden piece of furniture; which contained oil
their household valuables, against the door.
"Going to the back part of the house, where
there was a narrow door seldom used, and then
completely hidden by the clinging roses, the hus-
band bent his ear for moment, and listened
breshlessly-
"tThe devils are all in front, Mary ne whis-
pered going to the bed and pressing one kiss upon
the soft cheek of his child as he placed it in her
arms. Ely, dearest; this is your only hope |!
Quick | will follow as soon rs | have placed a
few more things against the door. It may help to
deceive them. For Gods sake, fly ~ he repeated
in agony, as he unclasped her arm from his neck.
Take the path to the big oak in the east woods.
will be with you in a moment Oh, God he
murmured, aDhe disappeared in the darkness ;
and the strong man reeled as he turned to his
barricade.
Drawing her scanty night clothing around
her babe, TO shield it from the bitter Winds Mary
Sherman fed like leaf before the gale, in the
direction which her husband had indicated. In
the edge of the wood stood the giant oak, and,
croaching behind its great trunk she awaited, in
an agony that no words can describe, the coming
of her husband Unmindful of the cold, sleety
rain that drenched her thin garments, but press
ing her babe more closely to her breast, she kept
her eyes strained in the direction of her home as
if she would pierce the thick darkness that lay
between them. Suddenly ferooious yell rent
the air. and the tall spiral flames shot up from the
matched roof of her home, casting red glare
over the clearing and bringing into clear reliefth
dusky forms of the yelling savages With groan
OF agony, the wretched wife sank down at the foot
of the friendly tree.
I" From this state of happy insensibility, she
was at length reused by the walings of her child.
The poor little thing was almost dead from cold
Instinctively, she orept along few yards, to
where lay great hollow log which she had often
noted in happier days Creeping into this shelter,
with her baby in her arms, she awaited in fear
and agony the coming dawn.
"She almost shrieked in return, as she heard
the yells of the departing Indiana, they plung.
ed into the woods, and once she raised her child
to flee, as low growl from the other end Of her
strange shelter fell on her ear. But fear of the
foe without gave her courage to remain and face
that within, if need be; and when the gray light
of dawn stole into her shelter and she saw mon
strous bear rise from his bed in the opposite end OF
the log and stalk slowly toward the forest without
even CHANGING at her, she drew her child closer to
her breast, and thanked God that the brute heart
had been more pitiful than man.
"When George Allen and his guide from the
settlement reached the clearing Of his old friends
the next morning, they found their comfortable
cottage smouldering heap of ashes, and about n
rod from that narrow back door lay the happy
group of the evening before-the scalped and
lifeless body OF James Sherman his insensible
wife and re little child moaning by their sdeD
Didn't she die on the spot Miss X ~ exclaim-
ed Kate Lee. "Surely no woman could survive
a night like thatW
"No, Katie, as is our day, so is our strength.
Mary Sherman lived-lived TO bring up her IA
therless cbld---lves now, to bless with her coun-
sci her children in the third generation and your
young eyes have failed to perceive any traces Of
this baptism pain'p
"Our eyes, Miss r. Have We seen her ~
both my young friends exclaimed at once
You have looked upon her face to-day, dear
girls; for Mary Sherman is now Grandmother 81