The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-01-06
BURNING THE rALLOW.
yY MRS. NOODLE.

The winter and spring os 1881 bad pass
cd away. The latter was uucomm"niN
cold aud back ward; 80 much SO that VIC had
= yeay heavy fall oi snow upon the 18th
nd 18th of hlay. and several gentlemen
drove down To Coburg in n sleigh, the
sno. lying upon the ground to the depth
+ several inches.
A late, cold spring in Canada is gener
lily succeeded by a burning. ho, summer;
nd the summer oi 81 was the hottest J
yer remember. No rain fell upea The
earth tnr many weeks, I'LL nature dropped
nd withered beneath one bright blaze ol
z4night and the ague and fever in the
woods, aud the cholera in the largo town.
md cities, spread death and sickness
through the country.
Noodle had made, during the winter, n
large clearing Of twenty acres around lhe
house The progress Of the wnrkmen had
been watched by me with the heenest in,
terest. Every tree that reached the
ground opened a wider gap in the dark
wood. giving Us broader ray Of light and
clearer glimpse Of the blue sks. Bm
- hen the dark cedar swamp fronting the
house fell beneath the strokes of the axe,
aod we 90, first view of the lake, my joy
A5s completes; new and beautiful objec,
.as now before me, which gave me the
gtestest pleasure. B. night aud dav, in
,an.hine or in storm, water is ALWAYS the
,bbIime feature in n landscape, and ~
view can be truly grand in which il is
w,ning. From a child, it always had
, he most powerful effect upon my mind.
from The grea, ocean, rolling in majesrv, &
the linkIing forest rill hidden by the how-
ers aud rushes along ils banks Halt the
solitude ol m. forest home vanished when
the lake unveiled lis bright face 10 the blue
hesvens. and saw sun, moou and stars
nd waving trees reflected there. would
81, lor hours at the window. rs the sh@des
# evening deepened around me, walchip2
the massy foliage Of the forests pictured IL
The waters, till fancy transported me back
10 Eugland and the songs of birds and The
la,glng nfcat,le were sounding in my ears.
II was long. ver> long, before ] could
ttscit1 ne IN mind to ieirn and practice
,ti iha mental emptn ments which are ne
,e.-ars il a go d settlers wife.
Tia ta'a Hbsence ot trees about the
aaaf- 10 II nrw settlements had always
4, szzcu ,ne, in country where he IN
tense heat pt summer seems "a demand ~
lie shade ihat can he procured. NJ mas
unnd had Ief, several berutifnI rock eIms
he mos, picturesque tree III the coun'r
uear our dwelling. hut, alas! lhe first high
gale pr0straled all my fine trees, aud !eii
our log cottage entirely exposed to the
fierce rays Of he sun. The confusion o!
"a uncie4r tallow spread around US on eve
7, SIDE; huge trunks of trees and piles o'
brush gave = uttered and uncomfortable ap
pearanc t. the localitv, and as the weath
or had Heen yer, dry for some weeks,
heard my husband daily talking with his
choppers as to the expediency Of firing The
fallow. They still urged him to wait q
little longer till he could get breeze Il
carry the fire we'll through the brush
Business called him suddenly to Toron-
10, bu, he left a strict charge with o'd
Thomas and his sons, who were engaged
IN tue !DD, DF no means 10 aNeUlpt " uui !
il off till he returned, as he wirhed to b'
upon the premises himself, in case Of any
danger. lie had previously burned all ,h'
heaps Immediately about the doors
While he was absent, old Thomas aud hi
second son fell sick with the ague, ant
! vent home TO their own township, leavin!
J In, surly obstinate Nonng man, II
charge of the shaniy where they slept au'
kept their tools and provisions. Mauaaha'
| had sen, to fetch up my three COWS, as 'h
children were languishing tor milk. and
Mary and remained alone in the hous
with the little ones. The day was snltrN
aud towards noon strong wind sprans
up, that roared in the plnetops Ike To
ldHshng | ofdstant pillows, but without Il
he least degree aba,ing the heat. In
children were lying listlessly upon III
floor for GOODNESS, end the girl and wer
finishing sun bonnets, when Mary sudder
Iy exclaimed: