The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1852-10-30

move. She sold her slender Improvement a
on the banks of the silver Usage, for a cart, S
woke of oxen, and small sum of money, and
loading the crazy vehicle with her six chill
drcn and '.,jcrker" believing Tom, she started
for Arkansas. In this new country, then a
territory, she selected locality fifty miles
from any settlement. Here wild animals
roamed in the greatest plenty, and her rude
board table groancd beneath (to them) heaps
OF savory luxuries. This wonder of a wife
now added rapidly to their humble property.
Her care-worn, wasted figure grew rounder
her step, as she saddlcd the black pony, more
elastic; and the whistle blithcr by which she /
summoned her wolf dog to the hunting toray. !
Even the laugh sometimes rung out as in the
merry thoughtlcss hours other early youth, /,
/ loud long and clear as the sweet tones Of bell
metal
/ One thought Of the most gloomy character
alone disturbed the calm flow of her JOYOUS
reflections. Her children were growing up
with the rapidi,v OF ha>ty summer weeds,and
utterly without education, or even the pros
rcct of an opportunity to obtain it. The idea
haunted her day and M ght She turned it
over in her mind in every conceivable way.
but still could find no solution for the tortur-
ing problem. She had learned to spell, when
a child, at an old hc}d school-that is to say.
she had gone as far in Dilworth as three Syl-
tables, which, by the way. was nearly the eX-
tent Of her lame teachers accurate intorma-
ton in the pedagogical art. But her memo
-, rv had long ago lost in the inverse ratio otit>
acquisitions. till She could scarcely hc said to
=, know her letters Often DID she bitterly re-
1 grct her idlcncss in the early school house,
=, and excaim. .as she tondlv kissed her children
on returning at night from the toilSome hunt
If | had only learned to rcadI could now
II teach Won, my dcarS." And her tears would
Y drop like rain.
II At lcn"th an incident occurred that hrot
III with it a suggestion shaping itself into a fixed
al plan, which enabled her finally to vanqui>l
ii the prrpcxinc difficulty. The author cannot
i do better than to give the ancc'!otc in her
ld own artlcSS words. As related to him in Texas
ht some twelve months ago
r. fused to cry about it every nirht," said
v She ''hctorc going to sleep and then | would
v dream it all over again for indeed it was sad
Y to think Of knew that hv hard work VT
v rould. after while be well enough off tc
\. move into the settlements. where decent pco
Y. pie live: and then | thought how Shockinn i
Il would seem for my voung ones to have NJ
n. more learning than the wild Indians. tn,
mt bows were more than half as tall as their fl
,l ther and Pcggv'S pretty head was even a
in high as my shoulders. 1t was enough Il
r make a fond mother cry. was then in tn,
If habit of goin" every two or three months #
e. Little Rock, with a pack of pctric>. to hu
lie salt and other things that we could not gc
m along without. One time brought back som
IN lunches of raisins for the baby They wcr
tie wrapped up in large newspaper. which cor
I'll taincd a number of curious pictures. Th
ny sheet was gazcd at with wonder bv the poe
he creatures, who had never seen such an ohie,
tie in their lives. Little Tommy asked N
with sparkling eyes, if it We're not a bird.
ar tried to explain the matter to him; told hi
mt what it was; that it contained tale abo,
it'd the whole world; and that when pvrSol
&c learned to read it, they could know all II
'pt affairs which were going on across the bll
mountains, and the biz rivers, and away ov,
the sea, as well as the sights they saw eve,
Ter day before their own doors
no "Oh, ma. won't you teach us how to rea
'"- 50 we can heartrom our old play places
III" Missouri :" said Peggy, who was then amc
me a woman.
sin The question liked to have broken n
,cd heart remembered how law had be,
when girl. and the idea was sharp sho,
de- inc pam, splitting nv side into nv very so,
,rS. wcptl like a child, till even my own chlldr
ike tired to comfort me. However. nv tea
INV did me GOOD. Tears always relieve the hea
. they commonly clear the head also \ Sl
den thought struck me great plan mi.
cX- say holy purpose. 1T seemed impoSsib
her but resolved to try it. That night | hl
cry ricd the young folks off to bed, and havi
on kindled good pine knot light, picked
ath the newspaper and sat down to see if cot
to make out any thug in it. smiled with [
hill Speakable delight on discovering that | 81
up knew all the letters, except the capitals /
try. soon had cause to weep again; for, at
eak dom" my best, and sitting up till daylig
and every line remained riddle | could
mas spell out the meanin" of single sentence
About sunrise new notion entered
ised head. determined to 90 again shortly
all Little Rock. and purchase SOME primers a
lita- spelling books, which | afterwards did
sup then began to learn in earnest. 1t was V,
oice hard for a while but sat up late, after T
of am the children were all asleep, and took
to- primer along with me when went to hr
tier | could study it as / rode. especially VIII
ever the woods were open, and before l got wi
such in reach of game; and then, when was r.
{ of ing. after lifting heavy deer upon my po
or walking up steep hill. l would pull!
tied out OF a pocket which had prepared
rain purpose in the side of my dress, and run o