Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1867-12-19
fl Real Life Sketch.
SIXTY PEET UNDER THE SNOW

In one of the interesting serie
lof papers on Terra Nova, or Coas
Life in Newfoundland, by "Harr,
Bolingbroke," an old poetical cor
tributor to the columns Of. tn
Riverside Magazine, "Skippe
Nat" thus tells us how he wa
showed up in Labrador:
In the fall of '37 l volunteeret
to remain on the Labrador all tn
winter, because there was goot
deal of stuff of one kind and an
other that our vessel could no
take away. AS there was small
settlement further down the coast
| thought l shouldn't want for com
pany, although, indeed, it was &
dreary prospect l had before me:
and not without considerable dan
ger. However, when the schoon.
er put to sea, and | found myself
all alone, / contrived to make the
best of it; and went about pre-
pairing things for the long winter
My hut was built under the
brow of a steep hill, not far from
the shore; and with little fixing
up-such as covering the roof
with sods and stopping the seams
with moss-I contrived to make
it snug little nest enough
Then had a good stock of wood,
plenty of ammunition, Bible, and
some other books, with large sup
ply of provisions. / soon began
to like my Cruse mode of life and
enjoyed myself more than one
could suppose. Sometimes-just
about tea time mostly, a fit of lone
illness would come over me; but it
gradually wore away, until it seem
ed like dream that ever | had
mingled with my fellow-creatures
in a civilized land. 1t took me
some weeks to get my hut in order,
my wood cut, my provisions slowed
away, and everything put ship
shape in comfortable trim against
the dreary days ahead.
1t was we'll | didn't daily in my
labor. for no sooner was | in a con-
dition to face the winter than he
began to tace me, and almost
every day he assailed my fort with
wind, frost and snow, hail, sleet and
rain.
About the first week in Decem-
Der it began to come down in real
earnest, and the wind being low,
there was in two days an even fall
of some six or eight feet, which
indeed was almost level with the
caves of my house. By hard shov-
cling l kept an open path to my
we'll, that gushed up at the foot Of
a rock, and being a spring, never
was much frozen. / thought it a
wise thing, however, to set up a
pole, with remnant of an old sail,
near by, so that in case the well
was covered up, ] should know
Just where to search for it.
On the third night of the storm
the snow came down thicker and
faster than ever, the wind increas-
ing from the north-east-a per-
feet hurricane. / got good sup
ply of water, piled up a roaring
fire, and sat down to listen to the
bowling wind, to read my books,
smoke my pipe, mend my tongs,
and cook my meal-such being my
indoor employment. Somehow l
lid feel low spirited that night. 4
couldn't help thinking of those
who were SO far away from me, 4
Gelt my utter loneliness weigh up
On me, till / actually began to
pity myself, as if / was some poor,
'orlorn creature, cast adritt from
The world, and all cares and COM
tort. Tears came in my eyes, and
almost repented that | had con-
,ented to remain at all. Howev-
er, when l began to consider that
the same God who was watching
my loved ones at home, was also
in my humble abode, a
mid the storms and SHOWS and
night say, when / thought of
his, I gained comfort, and, wrap
ping myself up in my blankets,
lay down to rest like a little child
that goes to sleep holding its moth
er's finger in its fist.
P,,t Oh hour tho xr;,d roorod