The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1858-11-26

which had also boengivcn him ior part
ing token.
The little family arrived, after some
mishaps (to be expected) such as losing
THEN whip, leaving their halters and theil
water pail at brook, etc., at their lodge
in the vast wilderness. But in two years
they got well ahead, in spite of Loake',
destructive and obstructive habits; fol
he was hard-working fellow. Fields we
cleared and titled around him he had
built a small frame house adjoining the
log hut: nighbors had come in at no grea,
distance, and a village was growing up not
far from, him.
In spite Of good advice, he had con.
nected a wood-house and stable with his
house.
Take care Leake," said a friend, il
needs a careful man to build so. A FIRE
in winter up in this cold country is some
thing dreadful; it's like gunpowdsr-a
fash and all is gone"
ooh, never fear" said Leake; ''
have had my portion of ill fortune in this
world my luck has turned"
(Mr. Curtis often impressed on the
children that what shiftless people call ill
fortune and bad luck is but the inevitable
consequence Of their own imprudence or
carelessness.]
1t was during the third winter of the
Leake s residence in their new home, that
! just at the close Of short winters day
the merry tinkling Of slcigh-bells, was
heard, and the creaking of the runners on
the hard frozen snow, and little cutter
"a single sleigh stopped at Leake's. 1t
was expected, the door opened, and shouts
of JOY followed, and glad greetings of
uncle and aunt and COUSINS
"Uncle Ben" and his family had come from
Connecticut to make long protracted
visit. When supper was ended the card
bearing the domestic axium caught Uncle
Ben's eye. 1t was nailed TO the wall over
the mantle piece.
"I declarer' he exclaimed, "well,
never expected to see that bit of pastboard
again. L give you credit mark for pcserv-
ing that, john
"You must give that credit mark 10 Ly-
man, brother, he preserved the card but
= fy~.--4---yyy.r s>-~-Sssc-~-s. s~~si.ss'E hT,l'
care"
Uncle Ben smiled: "You," he said,
you have taught him, John, but wrong end
foremost--wrong end formost.
The evening passed of pleasantly. The
brightly. A basket Of 6ue apples from
the old "home orchard in Connecticut"
was unpaoked, and nuts were cracked and
eaten. The elder talked about old times
Leakc gave the history of his tolls on his
new farm, aud his successes. He told
Che had some right TO boast, for he had
worked diligently how much land he lad
cleared, what crops he had raised and con-
cluied with
"My barn is full have plenty Of
wheat, and corn, and oats in the loft over
my wood house and pork in my cellar ;
and my wife has taken care of tho trinkets
butter, and appple-sauce, and pickles,
and the like" and he ended his boast of
rural riches with saying / guess, Ben, my
old neighbors could not twit me now"
"Your old neigobors, John, always
knew you for an honest, hard working
man it was only your careless ways, your
want of order, that troubled us. You
sknow that l used TO tell you that if You
put ever so mnch meal in a bag with hole
in it, it would run away"
4" Yes, yes, know; and just so Lyman
talks now. Among you, you put an
old head on his young shoulders
And thus the cl ers talked and the
youngsters had their pleasure the vi-itors
telling the wonders of jugglers, and wax
work show, and delight incident to their
down-co"ntry advanced civilization, and the
" New State" children relating adventures
with bears and wildcats, and their own
personal concerns with tanning squirrels
and catching rabbits, and finally the even
ing closed with a game of " forfeits," in
which Lyman, having been sentenced TO
the penalty of bowling to the prettiest,
kneeling to the wittiest, and kissing the
one he loved BEST" declared that all these
dues were to his cousin Sally. His cousin
Sally protested and resisted the girls all
joined her, ard after scramble together,
Lyman's oldest sister caught up candle,
called Cousin Sally to follow her, they
made good their escape to the bed room,
and bolted Lyman out Lyman retreated /;
the evening was far advanced and the
Leake's and their guests separated for the
night, but not till Lyman performed a
duty that had been postponed by the
arrival of his uncle
While his mother was preparing her
little affairs for the morning breakfast, Ly-
man went 10 the wood-hou 10 split kind
lings for tho mornings fires aud having
finished, he could not resist the temptation
of showing his well-preservcd axe to his
Uncle Ben.
:" The boy is fool abont that axe"
said his father; If it was made Of gold
he would not be more choice of il he even
hides 1t away from me that gave il to
him"
I l.