The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1859-07-21

Fathers protection, or a Mothers love, went
out into the world, with those two young girls
looking to me for strength, and I so weak and
! helpless But God remembered the orphans
and when noble hearted Harry May offered us
home in his pretty cottage, | laid away the
image of Archie Sane, shrouded with faded
hopes; and became a loving wife. And for two
years we were happy in our cottage home, and
then misfortune came there too; and my hus-
band was taken SICK and after a tedious and
protracted Illness recovered to find trouble, and
ruin, in his path. Just then while we were
seeking for comfort in our trouble, we received
letter from an eccentric widower uncle, stating
that he had bought half section of Prairie land
in the state of Illinois and requesting Harry
to move on it, help improve it, and receive a
certain share of the land and produce, for his
trouble. After much serious thought we con-
cuded to accept the kind offer, and straight
way babe adieu to our old home and proceeded
hither. We found not here the pretty cottage
we had left, but in its stead poor house, very
small and incommodious and it seemed, too,
all alone on the bosom of the great prairie, not
stick or stone near it, neither fences, trees,
brooks, nor rivers; and yonder town was then
in its infancy. All there was sadness in Har-
ry's heart, and my own, when we thought of the
dear home we had left, and the plenty which
had once been ours; and then remembered that
we were penness and dependent upon the bounty
| r. L. A.. o1o
John, and his son Rufus, had concluded to make
their home with u.s. and all the care of this large
family was to be mine, as Uncle said that hired
help would be too much expense; and Rose
/ vowed that her hands should not be soiled with
house-work, and I knew her too well to expect
her assistance. AS for Violet, oh I could not
let my poor little Violet toll with me, but then
she could tend Willie sometimes, and that would
help me great deal Oh the long weary
days of labor that followed, the countless meals
to be prepared just to suit the fastidious taste
of Uncle John; the baking and the washing
that mnst be done; and then, too, poor Violet's
cheeks grew so pale, and her footsteps seemed
slower. each passing day. And Harry, too had
his trials, the heavy prairie sod must be torn up,
and the sod corn planted; the fences were to
build, and he was expected to do the largest
share; and then, too, the horses which Uncle
John owned and thought to break the sod with
were difficult to manage, and not strong enough
for the task; but at length that difficulty was
happily arranged by our nearest neighbor offer
ing to him his six yoke Of CATTLE and large break
ing pillow and often that, day after day, Harry
followed the pillow, driving the cattle, with that
continual gee, and haw, which almost deafens
one while Uncle John would follow after, cut
ting the freshly turned sod with an axe, and thus
planting the corn. But one day there came a
CLEAN Of sunshine to our poor home in this way ::
One of Uncle Johns eccentric whims CHANGED
to take pleasant turn, and he purchased two
fine young Horses, and presented them to Rose
and Violet; Rose with saucy shake of the
head which tossed the brown curls back from
her white brow, expressed herself perfectly
delighted" with her present, and declared that
her dear relative was a generous old soul; J"
but Violet, the darling took the old mans hand
in both of her own, and rained thereon shower
Of tears and thanks, until he was compelled to
turn away to hide his own emotion. The hor-
SEES were beautiful blacks, and matches, except
ing that Roses had a white spot on his fore
head, for which she named him Star, while VIC
let insisted upon calling hers Archae. A few
days after Uncle Johns generosity had thus
displayed itself, we determined to take day
for pleasure, and go to the timber" for en-
joyment. The wood was five miles away and
so we prepared our dinner, and placed it in
baskets; and Harry and I rode in the two
horse wagon, carrying the provisions along, while
Rufus and the girls followed after us on horse
back. A right merry time we had, too, in spite
of our home troubles, with the tall forest trees
about us, and the clingng woodbine casting its
fragrance around us and swiftly passed the
pleasant hours until the sun low in the west
warned us that it was time to return and Rose
springing lightly into her saddle, and with
mock adieu, galloped on ahead, leaving us, as
she said, ~ to pack up and start at our leisure.
We had pleasant ride home, in the cool Of the
evening, and the breeze as it came to us across