Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1866-04-20
From the Plattsburgh Sentinel.
Female Heroism.
BY AN OLD SETTLER.

they will be read with interest and
pleasure.
Early settlers of our country were
obliged to trough it." and had few or
none of the more modern improvements
and facilities for making and taking
life easy. No tapestry carpets and
stuffed rocking-chairs for comfort had
they Never the sound of piano
but the dim aisles of the forest echoed
to sweetcr, because diviner melodies,
Cod has sn many voices there. 1T
seems to us that men walking daily
hand in hand with Nature, comes very
near his Creator, and the contact
makes him vigorous, rcverent, earnest,
real. People who have to struggle
for living do not, as general rule,
dwell to any great extent upon the
beauty and poetry that is around
them. 1t was so with the early set
tiers Of Clinton County. 1t was mus
Gle and pluck against the rude forces
of nature. Not only men, but women,
were brought face to face with hard
ships and danger; and their persistent
struggles with them strengthened and
made them brave. With this slight
introduction, we will proceed with our
story.
Nearly a quarter of a century ago,
VIXEN the town of Mooers was little
more than a wilderness, two brothers
by the name of \. and L. Stark pur-
chased Of A. C. Moore. Esq, tract
of land situated on English River; ;
and, after opening up three or four
acres, built a small block house for the
accommodation of h cir respective
families, until time and circumstances
should enable A. Stark to erect a dom
icilc of his own. Their wives had
small leisure or occasion to gossip, had
they the natural feminine prochvities
in that direction; 70 neighbors were
as scarce as "angels visits scarcer
indeed, if it be true that millions of
unseen spirits walk the earth both
when we wake and when we sleep. -
They were a mile away from any 9th
er inhabitant, in the heart of the for
est. Birds and brooks were never
entirely silent, and the swaying trees
all had a music peculiarly their own.
/ WILL ouioool, loJ ,,ot oil hoon JrivoD
away hy the advance of civilization.
Ravenous wolves still infested that
section of the town to the terror Oi
timid women and children. In the
latter part Of August, 1912, necessity
compelled the brothers to repair tC
= ElIenburgh for the purpose of cutting
/ and curing hay for the coming winter
: That duty done they returned home
1t was late in the evening when they
> arrived. They found Mrs. l. il
, the house with the little folks, bur
Mrs. A was nowhere to be seen
| Upon inquiry Mr. A. was inform
| ed that she and his nephew Lewis, ;
lad of nine years, were out gatherin!
l wood for the Sabbath.
4 why was it not gathered before
l. dark ?''
"On account of large, half famish
=, ed wolf that has been lurking abou
: and making threatening attempts upol
the family" Mrs. L then tol'
him his wife had got rid of their ur
: welcome visitor by shooting him. A
+ may be imagined Mr.. A. did no
wait to listen to a full report, bu
5 went Immediately in search of Mrs
e -. The glimmer of a lantern ligh
e at a considerable distance, served hiI
$ as guide to her whereabouts. Aftc
J. friendly saluta ions had passed b'
h tween them, he took her to do for he
:, presumption in being out at that hou
: when she was aware that wolves wer
e prowling about. She replied:
Il Il have killed the last one that wi
J ever dare to set foot on Mooretow
+ soil. have just completed the tas
of taking off his outside garment, an
have nailed it to the gable end of tt
- barn. Lewis held the lantern for II
II while | did it."
q OF course to be wholly satisfied u
N on these points, Mr.. A-must neeC
o. see the evidences of her heroism, aft
4 which they proceeded to the house,
4 A detailed account Of the affair W;
# then given by the ladies. which we W
q present to our readers partly in the
and partly in our own words. On Il
h preceding Thursday evening, after pr
a ting their little ones to bed, they 5
% down to 'have smoke" and enjoy
IN sociable time. While thus engag,
T they were startled by a terrific hov
+ apparently from some object on t
m door step, and then something jamm
against the door. Mrs. A. spral
to make it more secure. Mrs. L.
- partially swooned. Her sisters strc
mhn no ger spirit and encouraging words
~ assured her for the moment; but
- nf deafening growl caused her to hast
ho to safer quarters within an inner {
II artment. anwhil e Mrs. A
hha b. stood by the entrance way and call
T Of their large dog to her assistance; |
the poor brute in imitation of SUI
-. rior order of intelligence and cowa
Id ice, evidently considered "discreti
bo the better part of valor," and was
no where in sight. He had dishonoral
w retired under the bed. Saying
H. would have no coward about her,
NO dragged the cur forth; and, in
60 "twinkling of an eye" thrust him 70
- to the tender mercies of their enef
.lo A serious battle commenced; a
,Lo learning from significant sounds t
IF of it was an uneven thing, and that
na ~ dog was in jeopardy, she resolved
rescue him. She opened the door {
he sprang in; then it was instan
closed again. The wolf crawled til
\ n