Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-04-13
Cbuita ritrraturr.
anny nj ore.
THE PEMALE HUNTER OF rHE WEST

WOOIkNtuns IlGE ilOliCI uiCu NullS 0bO "'No
an infant, and when she arrived at the age
of fifteen, her father also died, leaving her a
poor friendIess orphan. 1t Is not surprising.
that, at this tender age, she married Mis-
souri, hunter,-an acquaintance of her de-
ceased father-double her age in years, but
just her equal in poverty. Her whole for
tune was composed Of COW, an old feather
bed, rusty frying pan, broken set of tea
cups and saucers, ditto of knives and forks,
with horn handles, two large pewter plates,
and wooden bowl, Of Indian manufacture.
Such was the legacy bequeathed by ber de-
ceased parents. Hei husband S wealth might
mate well enough with such portion brought
into matrimonial partnership by his wife
A black, bobtailed pony, large wolf dog
and long heavy rife, constituted the sum
total ofhis goods and chattes. So far, the
mutual contract might seem fair, without cx-
travagant odds on either side. There were
other considerations, however, which made
the bargain, one might say, fraudulsntly un-
equal. She was pretty, rosy checked, ru-
by-lipped, halthy lass, with sky-bue eyes,
golden ringlets, and CHEEKY laugh, slender
in form, but Of wlvy elasticity, and con-
stitution Of the most tenacious vitality. He,
on the contrary, was pale, lean, hungry
looking hypochondriac, who might be sup.
posed, from the wry faces he displayed when
forced to an exertion of his limbs in profta-
BILE labor, to regard work an unpardonable
sin. The entreatios and example of his
young wife, it is true, did for a while stimu.
late him to just sufficient effort, in the way
of deer-hunting, to keep them from starving
The couple then lived in Western Missouri
Fanny, with her own delicate hands, cleared
out aud cultivated small field, and mana
ged her domestic economy with 50 much
thrift, that, Notwithstanding the laziness Of
Tom, they began TO accumulate slowly.
Bat an event occurred, in the sixth year
Of their wedlock, that changed the present
current Of affairs, and startled her in her
wild schemes A great revival, under the
guidance of the Cumberland Presbyteri-
ans swept over the West.
1t seems that on Sunday the Cumberlan-
der discussed the passage of scripture, Take
no thought Tor the morrow, &c. Tom Swal
lowed the text, but rejected the comment
and misinterpreting the sentence, literally
came to the deliberate conclusion, that il
was sinful to provide for the wants of the
wicked body ) and resolved to act accor.
dinghy.
1t was in vain that the industrious VIII,
debated with her theological spouse. He
tears, arguments and rcmonsrauces all en-
ded alike in his usual spasm ofjcrking bu
as TO any other sort of eAcrtion he would no
bulge u peg.
Fanny case was now critical in the ex
treme, for, strange to say, she i'll loved he
husband with II love that in spite ofevery mag
inable damper, continuedt to barn on ardent
ly ia her aiec,lonate heart till death. Sh
could not make up her mind to leave him
Besides, they had now five children, and i
was absolutely impossible to support fami
ly on the products of their paItry, stony farm
In this emergency, that weak woman sad
denly developed an energy and inviacibiit,
OF lofty purpose which the annals of til,
world cannot surpass.
With interchangeable patience, she practsec
and learned to shoot, till no marksnan in al
Missouri was her match and then as soil
tary huntrosS, took to the forest, and sool
supplied her husband and babes with choic,
abundance Of meat. 1t is not recorded o.
More that he manifested any aversion to
wards the venison feasts which his bette
half provided with 50 much labor, howevc
much he had been opposed to the use of sucl
worldly means himself as the expenditur
OF one neodful thought for the morrow.
The wild region of Missouri at last settlet
up. Sunny fields, waving with golden grain
stood in the place of the old green wood
which had furnished shelter and sustenanc
for the abundant game. The Buffalo fl y
farther off, deeper into the grand prairie,
nearer to the Rocky Mountains. The moon
beams fell broad and bright on the opes bo
toms where the brown bears used to nestl
among the matted canes. The red deer ha
been scared away by the sharp sound of Co
Inns axe.
1t became necessary that Fanny shoul
move She sold her slender improvement
on the banks Of the silver O>age for car
yoke Of oxen, aud small sum of money
and loading the crazy vehicle, with he~ 81
children aud 'jerkcr' believing Tom, sh
start,d for Arkansas. In this new countr,
then a territory, she selected locality fit
miles from any settlement. Here, wild al
imals roamcd in the greatest plenty, and he
rude board table groaned ocneathed Ct
thom) heaps ol savory luxuries This wor
der OF a wife now added rapidly to the
humble property. Her care worn, wasted Fl
nrc grew rounder her step, as she saddle
the black pony, more elastic; and the viii;
tie bllthcr by which she summoned har wo
dos to tho hunting foray. Even the lauo
sometimes rang out as in the merry thouof
less hours of her early youth-loud, lon
and clear as the sweet tones of bell-metal
One thought of most gloomy charact
alone disturbed the calm flow Of her ioyo
affections. Her children were growing
with tho rapidity of hasty summer weed
and utterly without education, or even t
prospect OF an opportunity to obtain it. I
idea haunted her day and night She turn
it over in her mind in every conceivable W,
but still could find no solution to the tort
ring problem. She had learned to spell VIII
child at an old f I'D school-thatis to S;