The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-03-13


In the church. yard cold they laid her
Isd her softl, sown to rest, -
With white On her breast
Poor little Nell"
Mrs. Nichols.
Oae frosty evening Of November found us
iourneyiug over the prairie. 1t was past the hour
of the SUMS setting, though the sullen luminary
had not deigned to lift even the corner OF his
GUM cloud-veil, to give US parting peep Inc
cold gusts, with sweep of more than twenty
miles to the southwark, came raving about our
ears piercing through every pore Of our muifs
and mufflings, and finally died away In the groves
skirtipg our western prospect, as surf-oeats Ole
uron the ocean shore The roads had been thrown
into chaos by "the equinoctisl" and its train OF
attending storms, SO that we had been dragging
through the day at a most unsatisfactory rate OF
travel and were far enough from our anticipated
haven
Dear me : il there not house on this Eyer
lasting prairie ~ spoke at last Of the company,
in tone half smothered by tppet and buffalo
robe.
UPlenty of log cabins in the woods yonder,'
returned the one addressed. "Would you like
to make a call I"
al mean, is there not public house, a tavern
of some kind, where hslf-frozen traveller might
dod FIRE to thaw his fingers by7"
oYes-we shall come to S Corners di-
rectly There-there is the house, away beyond
that swell tits log-two-story-d'ye see %
That house is the village, eh %
Il did not say it was village 1t is point
where four roads meet, and clumsy enough roads
they are, to be sure!"
Aswe drew near to the house, a curiously hud-
died together combination of logs, mortar, and
whitewash, more for convenience than elegance,
we took notice of an upright pole in front OF it.
which had once evidently, held up grateful in
vtation to goers-by. But now it only creaked
most tantalizingy and inhosptably in the wind
They've taken down the sign, you see-oatS
are scarce this season." soliloquized our driver
reconnoitering "But never mind calculate
we can find accommodation"
After moments parey with an old man in q
brimless white hat, who sauntered through the
doorway at our approach, and nodded assent, with
IN air of disnifsd nonohalsnce to our eager In
quiriss we were lifted from our carriage, glad
enough to unbend our stiffened muscles by the
blazing ire that had beckoned us through the
window-panes.
A supper was soon smoking before us, fit fol
hungry TRAVELLERS brace Of prairie chickens
fresh from the fences and hooks where they
swarm at that season. garnished with minor dishes
OfOnions, sansages, and sour-krout" the favorite
dish Of the German immigrants.
The two daughters of the old host had spread
the board for US and, after their task was finish
ed noticed that both went at once to the win
dow, laid their heads each against pane, and
peered anxiously out
They aren't coming, be they2" inquired the
father, who sat knocking the ashes from his pipe
in the corner of the wde-arm chimney.
mo; but it's high time they were back
There's all the COWS to milk and fodder yet, and
then D.
The near tramping of hoofs cut off the girls
sentence, and in a few minutes couple of young
men hustled in, shook their shaggy over coats and
shsggier locks, and drew up to the blazing logs tc
unstiien their benumbed fingers.
What's the news2n
Anything found, Royal ~ inquired the sis
tiers, eagerly pressing to their side, while the ia
Their thrust his pipe into the corner Of his mouth
unIghted, in his eagerness to catch the answer
"No-oh, mol" replied Royal shaking hi.
Bonded head sorrowfully, so that his long, blscl
hair fell like veil over his eyes, that were fixed
on the glimmering Goals
The child neverll come to light alive,p OK
claimed the other, starting up to face us, in from
OF the lire, with his hands clasped behind hi.
back Never, if she's out on the prairie thi,
bitter cold night! Ugh it's tough enough to Kill
a clever coon, much likeler a slim chance Of ,
little girl like her"
Poor thing" responded the sister feelinplv
it's two nights, already she's been out o'doors
and starving the while ~
TOthsr night wasn't chill like this. Sb,
won't stand it, you may depend on that.D
don't reckon she's out at alp remarked IN,
father, with deliberate nod "she was purity
chiidn-- f'
s.y az new pink morning. glory, the dar
interrupted one Of the daughters
Iury enough to 'tice some of these child
s'eaiers that struggles about I'd Law nv little
""ser Snes Tar enough away by this dsyp
Whose child is lost ~ We ventured to put in
AT pause Of a moment
-, nsii'tie Nelly Waring ma am-child to John
"arins' that lives over three miles yonder. on
tue prairie You see, MISC
But will give the short story in nv own
Norus' with the additions and cancellations that
afterwards CLEANED from others.
John Waring had come from New ENGLAND Ia
the West" with his fathers family, TO win a
'u'''''ence from more generous land than the
nome OF hills and valleys The parents remained
u 'ne part where they landed but John, with
cue helpfui, ready-willed and ready handed wife
DIS youth, resolved to improve the tempting
''c''''ies for farming So he purchased a @Iot ,
y" our prairie, built him snug nest and took
home his dove to cheer il.
they we're far from any peishbors, but that
"'A'.ered little to them. Each Was little world
the other; and very happy, as we'll AZ very
f'OSperoas were they in their aowsr-girt retire
aen'' Toward the close Of the third year, John
.au laid BY enough to build what thorough going
a'"er ranks far before house In Importance
sO0a, eapacious barn Very spacious II was, with
% stalls and lohs, in abundance, where one
night, indeed, clay up much goods for many
,'ara" One could not well blame its Trainer
vt the thrill OF satisfaction that warmed his
Aear' when the last rAftsr and clspboard were
nailed, and the complete building, in its new coat
~fea paint, blushed in the blAss Of sunset. His
1u'y cheerful, hslpnsss with hands tucked uu.
W her apron, came ous BY his side TO ninsls