The Sierra citizen., 1854-02-18

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that in few years would be his. Captain
Lees was half a mile from uncle Solomon's s,
half hill and half valley, with a superior
growth of timber.
Three days more, and there was another
little home to shelter the dear ones of
Captain Lee. 1t was pretty situation
Great oaks lowered above the lowly dwell
ing, and a bright little brook sang merrily
as it wound along.
Very soon they were comfortably settled
although experiencing privations that in
their New York homes they would have
deemed more than they could endure
Then, too, the savages at Greentown, five
miles up the stream from the little settle.
ment, had vowed vengeance on the emigrants,
and the fear that they had brought their
children, from homes and friends and
civilization, to meet perchance a horrible
death by savage cruelty, was torture to a
parent
In few months, things wore a pleasant
aspect; and little clearings, with the blue
smoke rising from the log and brush heaps,
made the new cabins seem cheerful and
home-like. The rough cribs were soon
made to hold the yellow ears, and rude
garden patches did look gaily, even though
they were quite filed with potatoes and
turnips and onions, for the housewives
would find a strip or corner in which to
plant red hollyhock, Or gay poppy, or
some of the sweet, wild flowers with which
the wilderness was beautifed.
1t was June, and Nelly Bond and Tommy
Hill were to make the first wedding in the
wilderness. Just like it is nowadays, there
was buzz and hustle and fixing for the event;
Pounded corn wouldn't make bread good
enough for a wedding. OH no. The
mill was in Knox county. Uncle
SOlomon's horses were oxen, as were Pap
Bond s; so Captain Lees eldest boy, Frank,
was to go with their white horse, Granite.
Frank was only ten years old; yet he had
often been to mill and knew the road WELL
but he always dreaded going through the
'twelve-mile woods" for there was only
one house, and that was the widow Lanes,
by the ''Forest Fountain"
Good Matte Lee put great piece of
corn bread and bit of wild hog meat in
the pocket Of the captains big-caped over
coat, and fixed it on the back of Granite,
for Frank to ride on, with the injunction =
"Now, frankie. you must get home by
noon tomorrow; for the wedding is to be
in the evening, and Nelly said you might
come, too son; don't you know we are to
have such good cake for breakfast on
Sunday morning, and that's what you like
Leaving Frank to go eighteen miles, and
sleep on the mill floor, making three or
four meals out of the contents of the capa-
cious pocket, we will look into uncle
Solomon's cabin,
The rough puncheon floor is nicely sanded,
thanks to little Kate's busy hands, and the
dishes on the rough shelves are arranged so
as to show the blue roses to the best
advantage. Aunt Policy is brushing uncle s
fine blue coat, and thinking of the time he
wore it when she was the bride
Tommy is rubbing lard on queer-looking
pair of shoes, occasionally pausing and
looking down the valley towards neighbor
Bonds. He had heard Nelly say they
would have to borrow his mothers bake
kettle, or they would have nothing to make
tea in-he knows she will come after it.,
and he thinks he had better go and bel D
her carry it home.
Mother Bond opened her brown eyes very
wide when Frank came with the fine yellow
meal, and told her he did not know what
he would have done had it not been for the
widow Lane, for when opposite her house,
old Granite got frightened and threw him
off with the meal, and Mrs. Lane, dear,
good woman, shouldered the two bushels
and put it on again. Frank declared he
WOuiu dlWu ioNc ueI next TO his mOtler.
Mother Bond had consented to cook out
of doors, under the gnarled maple, and
Nelly had filled the spacious fireplace with
leafy bushes. and the broad stone hearth
with a carpeting of green moss, fresh
gathered from the wild rocks down in
Sylvan Dell.
Then from among the rank grass that
edged the stream she had untwined the
wild creeper vines, and made them to twine
among the boughs in the fireplace and all
about the old Buckeye clock" on the wall,
and the prim portrait of her grandmother,
and the sober-faced picture of Gen. Wash
ington on horseback.
They were a motley group-the hardy,
sunburnt men, women and children, congre-
gated together to witness the first
wedding in the wilderness. The clergy
man was plump, rosy old man, trimming