Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-01-27

A WINTER EvENIN TALE.
BY REV. j. 7. TRowBRIpGE.

VI pluUSef llle TeCOlIGcllOH Oh WDlCil
warmly associated with the joys that in my child
hood cheered the long winter evening, and en- :
deared the Preside ofhome The scenes and in.
cidents of the story are, at this moment, as WV
idly pictured upon my imagination as if it were
no more than week ago, that l was wonder
loving child, sitting in the chimney corner and
listening, with intense interest, to the graphic
descriptions of life in the back woods, which the
aged orator of the hearth circle knew SO well how
to portray. l don't know that can do better
than to give the narrative, as nearly as possible,
in the story teller's own words.
After undergoing the solicitations Of the young
er members of the family, for some time, with
exemplary patience, the old man scratched his
nose, looked thoughtlully at the fire, and finally
cleared his throat to speak; the unmistakable sign
from which we judged that he has been taxing his
memory or his invention, to frame the elements
OF some new story.
'Wel, boys, if you have your lessons for to-
morrow"
"Oh, we've got our lessons by heart !'' inter-
rupted chorus of voices.
Sand you, Margaret % asked the old man,
patting the head OF n fair-haired girl, who had
drawn her little chair to his side in order not to
lose word of the expected story.
Margaret's intelligent eyes and truthful brow
assured him that she had moi neglected her task
'Then keep still, says the old man. knock
ing the ashes out his pipe on the andiron, sand
/ will tell you story about John Pillnan and
the wolves"
81 beg of you not TO tell that horrible story !"
exclaimed the mother of the children. ''Il will
brighten them so that they will not get over it in
week.
cit won't frighten me-" lsped little Margaret
81 like wolf-storles."
''tIa Ha You are brave girl Well, |
shall have to Tell you the story, for can't thhls
of any other.''
'sYou remember hearing me tell about old Cap
tain Eddy, who was shot by the Indian IN Clapp's
Hollow, and ran all the way TO Beaver Brook,
with bullet in his shoulder
"And had the bullet taken ont, and kept in
suuff-box for his children to look at.' chimes in
Margaret. sob, remember that -
''Dou't talk - exclaimed julius, the oldest of
the children, in tone of authority. "Let grand
father tell his story"
cas- was going 10 say, Captain Eddy's old
est daughter married John Pitman, and went to
live with him on the very outskirts of the settle
ment. The red skins had all been driven away
then, and the settlers were no longer in continual
fear of being shot down and scaIped the minute
they put their head out Of their houses So John
who was bold fellow, six ieet high, and weigh
ed hundred and eighty without an ounce of
spare flesh either, for he was all bone and sin
ew-John, | say, put him up a log house two
miles from Beaver Brook, and began to NOW
down the trees, and burn logs and stumps, and
break up the New land, like perfect Napoleon
Of the woods
"Johu and Sophronia were happy couple,
assure you. Industrious as bees, both of them !;
and never heard Of their having dispute. John
used to work hard all day, and Sophronia was
sure to have glorious supper ready for him by
the time he came in at night,
"One cold morning in the winter time-and
now am coming to the story-John went up
the river to grand log-rolling and Sophronia
did not expect him before night. She was all
alone that day; and she busted herself repairing
her husbands clothes and making his home COM
Portable, as every good wife should do. John
told her that be would return in season for supper,
and so anticipating great pleasure when he should
come home cold and hungry and find The great
fire blazing and the table smoking with good
things, she set about her preparations with the
happiest heart in the world.
In those little clearings, surrounded with the
great trees of the forest, evening comes on
great deal earlier than it does here, where the
woods are all cut away. In the shadow of old
oaks, cheslnuts and naples, standing like vast
army between Johns cottage and shutdown, it be-
gan to grow dark i'll the middle Of the afternoon.
There was not much snow the ground at that
time /; but it was midwinter. and the woods
around must have looked wretched, dreary and
gloomy to SopEronia, all alone IN the new log
house. After John left her IN the morning, she
never saw human being during the day nor
any living thing in TACT, except the pig and cat,
and deer or two. that wandered by the door,
But as / said, Sophronia was cheerful and
happy, expecting her husband and as soon as it
was quite dark, she had a rousing fire warming
The log house, and half dozen great potatoes
roasting in the ashes for Johns supper. Then
she raked out a full half bushel of glowing red
Goals upon the hearth, and set the spider on over
them, loaded with several slices of steak-ven-
son steak-for John had killed nice fat doe OIL
ly the day before.
Well, the potatoes were cooked beautifully,
and the venison broed to charm; and Sophron-
ia was thinking how nice It would be il John
should pop into the house at that moment, when
she heard the howl Of wolf away off in the
woods.
sSophrona listened T; her heart almost stopped
beating. She knew that John was armed with
his rife and his axe, and that he was bold and
strong and that he was no more afraid of wolf
than of dog; but she could not help shuddering
as she thought of his being pursued and attacked
by whole pack OF wolves, enraged and embold-
ened by hunger.
The howl was repeated, and echoed and ech-
oed through the depth of the forest. The hideous
sounds came from the direction of the log rolling
and Sophronia fancied she heard shout.
Was it her husband that shouted p eagerly
asked little Margaret, with her anxious face up.
ward toward the narrator.
The old man smiled indulgently, and patting
her head, continued his story.
Sophronia thought it was Johns voice, but as
all was silent for the next minute or two she
thought she might be mistaken. So she placed
the broiled venison between two plates by the
fire, where it would keep warm, and waited anx-
iously for repetition Of the shout.
Whilst she listened, another howl-and an
other--then half dozen in full chorus-came
through the woods in the same direction. You
may imagine how the young wife felt, when she
thought Of her husband
'Oh, dear!' said Margaret, with tears; but
couldn't he kill them with his axel'
Don't interrupt me, dear child. Think of
poor Sophronia, all alone in that wilderness with
wolves all around her, and her husband away
But she feared only for him. Anxiety for bis
safety IUnnd not Lot her rest. 90 throyvng cha yl