The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-04-17

smiles tnat would dance In dImples all over her
face Mcdonald sssented passively, as to point
of necessity. Ssbra wept herself almost into
Mysteries, shut herself into her innermost cham
Der, and refused to be comforted. When con-
WINGED that it must be, she sullenly and gloomily
acquisced, with rebellious heart-repinings that
would not be quelled Several of the sterling
yeomanrv of their native burgh had emigrated to
Prairie de la Fleur, and won lands and wealth
there, as well as reputation and influence Guided
by these circumstances, the guardians of the
Spencers purchased for them, by proxy, farm
of richly-promisng acres on the prairie, and
turned them adrift on the Atlantic and on their
own resources.
"Yon is the big prairie my lssses ~ exclaim-
ed the Scotch friend who had met them at the
Lake landing, and piloted them in his huge box
wagon through a sea Of mud-waves and slues,n
for it was in the time of early spring
ooh! but the skies are blue and bonnyW cried
Jeanne, jumping up from her board-seat in delight
"Tak, heed, Missln warned the driver, as a
grand lurch of the vehicle nearly tumbled her
into the black pool below "Ye're safest to keep
seated and the hoos is but mile awa' Dye
spy the snake o. the chimney? n
Ssbra, muffied closely in her plaid, hood, and
veil, was nursing her silent vexstion at Jessie's
hilarity and heartlessness, as she would think it
Mcdonald was meditating on the armchair that
should receive him at the close of the jolting
journey, and the supper which good Dame X
would be sure to have waiting their tardy move.
ments.
They remained with their friends several
months, until comfortable little house had been
prepared for them on their own fine farm 1t was
by no means log building; no, it was little
white cottage-not with two rooms either, the
very highest number to which most of the prairie
architects dared to aspire No; the "Spencer
Cottage" actually numbered five rooms, finished
and furnished; and after it had been painted
within and without, it was the sweetest nesting
place ON the prairie.
The neighbors and friends from all about came
to congratulate the trio on their installation as
master and mistresses of the snug new domicile,
and to offer more substantial gifts, moreover,
which few suspected how greatly would be
needed.
Sabra's education had left her both indolent
and ignorant of housekeeping duties. jeanne was
well-disposed enough; but poor child, she had
been in leading strings all her lifetime, and had
never yet learned how to use her own powers.
"Wemus maxi up baking of bread, it seems y
remarked Sabra, listlessly, one morning, as she
cut slice from the last white loaf Mrs. X. had
sent In.
"Ken ye the hoo to maxi it, Sabra 2n suggested
Jeanie looking nxiously upon her bit of buttered
toast.
ooh, it's the -four and the yeast and the milk
to be MKT, that's a. Pye four cakes O. corn
yeast frae Dame X
The mixture was compounded after due
degree Of puzzling consultation.
moo it's to be warked and bate!n exclaimed
jeanne, trumphantly. "pll gle my hands tot
Mac, wsd ye put on the oven fre?'
Mac" was as ready to oblge as a brother
he anI FL 6ra la1ip ND
roaring in suitable style The dough was knead-
ed very patiently and well by Jeanie's strong
young arms and, though watched as never yet
mouse by cat it did swell and crack open at last
Jeanne gave the signal. The Goals were hurried
out Of the oven, and The pans were hurried in.
Alas for madenly anticipationsl In an hours
time, when jeanne anxously removed the oven
lid, and peered into the dim, low vault, she saw
three black, mummy-like, shrunken loaves, in
place of the fair white rolls that had entered
ooh wae's mep she cried, with such uncom-
mon energy as to startle her brother from his
newspaper, and Sabra from her embroidery Both
rushed to the spot, and gazed on the smoking rel
les Of the staff of life"
"Never fret, ycanie,n said her brother, con.
solingy. otis only the buym to be cut off VII O
sharp knife, and it's likely bread beneath ~
The knife was brought, and, having pierced
the lava-like crust, disclosed a fresh calamity
the bread was unbaked, Notwithstanding its burn
ing. The inexperienced housekeepers were sad
ly at fault in respect to the mysteries Of a new
oven.
"An' what's to do" CALCULATED the dsmayed
Jeanne, after they had looked and lamented for
come minutes.
"Why, Macs to gang over to borrow of Dame
Kn
"But hoo's to pay Nae, nae; I'll gang my
sci, and I'll taxi her coonsel o. the bakiugp And
with this sensible resolution Jeanie set off on q
two miles walk.
But their household disasters and tribulations
were by no means at an end Every letter in
the A B c of farming, as well as of housekeeping,
was to be learned
Mcdonald, in stocking his farm, had purchased
a fine Durham COW, which little girl came from
the nearest howell every night and morning to
milk, receiving as her wages a small pitcher full
Of the foaming liquid. As the weather grew
warmer, and the supply of milk suddenly in
creased, the sisters were advised to make their
own butter.
jeanne took care to make previous inquiries;
and, having procured patent churD, they poured
in their cream with q vast deal of satisfaction,
and commenced churning it. For two long warm
hours jeanne stood at her post uncomplainingly;
with the perspiration pouring down her peony
cheeks--but in vain. She even muttered over it
the charm she had heard from some Of the super
stitious peasantry but to no purpose the butter
would not be coaxed to "comen Tired, disap-
pointed, and responding, she pulled on her cape
bonnet, and went to ask the advice of her nearest
neighbor, the mother of the little milk-9irl
"Dear, that's cur'usw exclaimed the woman,
turning from her ironing table to listen to the
story. Butter gets bewitched by times and
then you have to burn it Now, my great grand
mother, she'd a churning, and she shuck and
shuck il till she knew ID was bewitched, and then
che says, sPll burn the jade, that will says
she and she heated horseshoe piping hot, and
dropped IL into the cream, and the butter came of
an instant! And what do you Think There was
an old beggar woman dreadfully off with burn
in her arm that very self-same day, away in the
edge of the district They never made doubt
she had bewitched it out of a grudgep
"But hoo is it that L wad burn II % asked
Jeanie
ooh, as for the matter of that, it'll answer Just
as we'll to scald it, Take pitcher of bling hot
water, and pour in bit while you shake it
upn
jeanne went home and fulfilled the directions
to the letter, except that she over-did in the ap-
plicstion Of the water, emptying her full pitcher
into the foaming cream.
/" IL nae will come ~ she added after another
hours useless toll, and, dropping into chair she
actually burst into tears
Sabra caught up the churn-dash, and welded
1t zealously for ten minutes then, In fit Of i'm
patience, she emptied the whole curdling mass
into the swill barrel-and there ended her at
tempts at butter-makingi
Mcdonald was not more fortunate in his sphere
The hands" Of farm, as we'll as of a watch,
will 90 wrong continually, If the moving power is
unstable and unsteady. His corn field was de.
Stipulated by legion of pigeons his potato patch
was invaded by the cows one unlucky night, for
want Of two guardian rails in the fence, and near
ly ruined and to crown the climax Of his "ill
luck" as he called it, the staple production of his
arm--his wheat crop-was almost total failure
He had neglected from day to day to harvest 1t
In the sunshine. But the sunshine would not