The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-05-02

DAYS rest very much, yet / WAS so
anxious to be again at place that L
could call home, and my husband de-
string that / should have voice in
the selecting of that spot, we travelled
on until about six miles out of Law
renee which was then mere infant
town, wepitched our tent. which con-
sisted of two or three quilts stretched
over some poles, in which we deposi-
ted the contents Of our wagon, and
then set about building our cabin.
We cooked and eat out of doors, for
our tent was too small to admit any
thing except our goods and bed which
was made on the ground. will just
mention for your amusement and in
struction the manner of cooking. We
had a stove before we left home, but
could not haul it, so we traded it for a
calf. You see we had stopped right
in the open prairie and there must be
wood and water both looked after be-
fore we could proceed to cooking; the
fire was at last prepared and the opera
tion commenced. [ had tea kettle
in which to boil the water. skillet
for bread, coffee pot for coffee and
frying pan for meat-this was all we
had to cook with; little corn meal
and old bacon with little coffee was
all we had to cook and / think even
Mr.. Greeley would have been moved
to compassion if he could have seen
US then. This is q pretty windy coun-
try and the wind blew great gale
that whole week. and when Iwould
put my dough into the skillet it onld
blow all the fire from under it, and if
I put it on ihe opposite side, it would
be covered with ashes before I could
have time to cover it up. and the smoke
would almost smother me. and in this
manner | have cooked many meals,
with my sick child in my arms. We
moved into our cabin on the 22d day
of October, just six days from the!
time we arrived on the spot. You
would langh if you were merry and
cry if sad, to see that cabin now, IL
by Ia feet, and as stood in the door
and looked around on the wide spread
piairies with not a human habitation
visible, for we were the first settlers
on the south side of the Wakarusa.
] could say with Alexander Selkirk,
81 am monarch of all survey,
My right there is none to dispute"
/ will pass over many things of in
terest till the 1st of December, when
our three little children were taken
sick with the scarlet fever; the two
eldest, however, recovered, but our
darling babe who seemed ever more
fit for heaven than for earth, was taken,
a lovely child she was. with soft cur
ling hair and bright blue eyes; she
died on the 9th of December, less than
two months after our arrival in the
Territory. l had watched with her
night after night, till / was almost
worn out with fatigue and anxiety.
My husband was also taken very sick
having labored beyond his strength,
and the Lord only knows what would
have become of us in this trying time
had it not been for young minister
by the name of Griffin, who came into
the neighborhood about this time.
He cut us some wood, brought water,
went to look after some person to
make the little coffin and dig the little
grave. Oh think fond mothers, you
who have lost household jewel what
would be your feelings and what must
have been mine, you who have double
coffins covered with Grape and velvet
DC. / say what must have been my
feelings to see the remains of my angel
child deposited in a coffin or box
made of boards, or shakes as some
call them, left from covering our
house, for there was no such thing to
be had as plank then. The young
minister before mentioned did all in
his power to sooth and comfort us, he
sung and prayed with and for us, and
was very Kind. May the good Lord
reward him four-fold is my sincere
prayer. Our babe was so quiet all the
time of her sickness that we did not
ffallv realize the danger she was in;
she did not cry loud enough to be
heard across the house. The whole
time she was sick she seemed perfectly
easy and happy when in nay arms.
My husbands mother came and staid
with Us day or two previous to It's
death. She and the minister were
with as that night long to be ienaem-
bered on account of its painful rscoi-
lection; they prevailed on me TO take
little rest and said they would watch
with the child. / laid me down but
not to rest, for my mind was filed with
fearful apprehensions; it was but a
short time after ] laid down when ]
heard my husband called, and his
mother told him she thought the try
ing time had come, my ear caught the
sound sprang from the bed Just in
time to clasp my darling to my breast
and see its parting gaze. OIL mothers,
fond mothers, though it is more than
two years since that memorable night,
its scenes are pictured as yividly on
my imagination as if it had been bat
yesterday. and ] am SO full of what
some would call woman's weakness,
that the tears win come unbidden
while recall them. There was not
woman in ell Kansas with whom ]
was acquainted except my lnother-in-
law and her daughter, and they lived
six miles of I: thoy came however and
prepared the shroud and performed
other little Offices of kindness that in
old settled States are usually left for
other than kindred hands to do. The
remains of our darling were deposited
on the north side of the famous Blue
Mound, the first white human being
buried there, but now there Is quite q
! grave yard, there are those two brave
young men. Saeke. and Jones who
died martyrs to freedom with many
4 u =