Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1871-07-05
Both and Neither. -
BY MRS. W. A. LAWRENCE.

LAAOON-tOOt4 LluNC NOu a.
and miles, away out West, to hear sto-
ries from an old woman who wasn't born
in this centuryl
- That's cause why, " said Robin,
leaving his building blocks in zlgzae
fence, like the wOrm-fences on great
uncle's farm.
60 yes! an old story like you, that
wasn't born in this Gentry" coaxed
Daisy
''Well, what shall it be about :"
go, once upon a time, ," said Dai
:" Hoot-toot off with your fairy
books -
20, well, then, great-gran'ma, tell
about bears"
'.No, said Robin, "tell about In
jins,-dreadful Injins with stone hatch
cts In their belts.
WELL said great gran'ma, Il
viii tell you about both, and yet about
neither.
How can you asked Daisy. Is
it riddlel"
''Wait and see; and you mustn't
interrupt me while 1 am telling the
story. When was little girl"
80, that Is just as nice as once
upon a time, =" said Daisy
But yOu interrupt me, F" said great
gran'ma.
Daisy looked a little ashamed, and
great-gran'ma began,-"When L was a
little girl, about as big as Daisy"
Were you ever as little as Daisy,
gTeat-gran ma asked Robin.
Yes, / was, more than seventy
years ago Ny cheeks were as round
and smooth as Daisy's and my eyes
were as bright and my hair was as
brown as hers. But | must go on with
the story. When / was little girl
about as big as Daisy, my father lived
in Western New York, which was then
very wild country. The thick, dark
woods We're all around us, and they
were fun of bears wolves and Indians.
In the winter my father and brothers
trapped beaver and otter and mink for
their fine soft fur, and early in the
spring they carried the skins to- the set
Element, forty miles of, and exchanged
tl1, a. salt, s,ss..t>.r g., ..sNSS-, stIss
other necessary things.
lone frosty spring night, while our
father and oldest brother were gone on
this Journey to the settlement, We sat
round bright fire in wide open fire
place parching corn, and guessing rid
dies. and talking about fathers com
ing hons, and what We would name the
new COW h6 was going to bring
with him. Mother was very much
afraid of bears and Indians, and al
WAYS anxious while father and brother
John were away That evening she
seemed more anxious than usual We
had all learned, even the baby, to he
quiet in an instant when mother said
'Sh-sh-sh! as she did many times that
evening. Then she wOuld stand on a
bench and listen at chink high up in
the wall, or lie down with her ear at
the crack under the door. And once
she took up the gun which father had
left with her, and examined it to make
sure 1T was all right and ready to be
fired of. At last she said, Be quiet
now, children, while | put the baby to
sleep. Girls, you may take your knit
ting and see how many rounds you can
knit. Put in a mark where YOU be-
gin, so you will make no mistake in
counting. Boys you may shell that
basket of corn to make the hOminy to-
morrow, and see who will get the big
gest pile of cobs.
fFWell, there we sat on our low
benches round the nice fire, very quiet
and busy, talking only In whispers, and
mother singing little songs to the baby,
when there came strange noise right
over our heads,-cFedE, cre0k, cFedk.
Mother stopped singing and we all list
ened. Credk, credk, cre0E, came the
noise again. Mother gave the baby to
our oldest sister and ran for the gun.
Keep very still , she whispered. ut
is something on the roof.
is it Injun, muvveri asked our
little brother, his fat face all knotted
up with trying to keep from crying.
"fNO, Bobby, it's only a bear,
think. Mother will shoot It if it comes
to the ladder Crack, Crd-dck, Cra-o-
dck went the noise again
90 I-i-injins p" said our big sister,
and she shook so she half-waked little
Sarah
"'Stop that, Patty, and keep the
baby still said mother. Billy, lay
some fat pine on the fire; and, Nancy,
bring the bears grease to throw on too,
if anything tries to come down the
chimney
g Cru-d-ock, crack, Munp, rattlety
bang Something heavy had pounced
upon NnG 1OOcG lkDOL III tdlC lOIl-
+" I=i-l-injins said our big sister,
and her teeth went chatter, chatter, so
you might have heard them out of
doors.
1--WE all looked right at mother.
Her face was as white as a Sheet
only spot about as big as red cher.
~ in the middle of each cheek; and
her eyes were like cats in the dark.
All at once there came little tap, tap,
tap, tap, tap, right in the midst of us
O. Bloodl' said Billy, in a very
hoarse whisper, pointing to little
pool on the floor.
''' It's killed by the fall said moth
81. She went up close and looked at
the pool Then she looked up at the
ceiling. Quite stream was running
now. All on a sudden mothers face
changed, and she put her finger into
the stream and tasted it. Then she
ran and put the gun in its place
Nanny, said she, fbring a gourd
quick and catch the molassesi Patty,
lay the baby on the bed, and You and
Billy come up the ladder with me.
The maple sugar has fallen down and