Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1872-03-26
NUMBER 10.

IuleaSinS LanuiOTu. 'IHcre mas Dccn Il
party of Sioux about this quarter for
few days past, and no doubt Blue Jack
has fallen in with them. The party is
hardly large enough to attack your train,
and | understand they have gone up
toward Dakotah. Blue Jack has an
Indian wife somewhere up there.
Upon the second day after leaving Fort
Mcpherson, the emigrants made their
midday hault in a grove of cotton-woods,
upon the bank of tho south fork of the
Platte, at its junction with a wide, tree
fringed river which descended from the
northward, and here they concluded to
settle
The site of the village was selec ed
exactly at the junction OF two rivers, upon
low bluff overlooking the two streams.
Then apublic square was carefully laid
out with mathematical exactuess.
Then each mans ,Ct was assigned him.
Mark Heber's was next to Whtman's
on the eastern side of the square, facing
west. and his future garden ran back to
the edge of the low bluG.
Mark [Ieber did mans work, and
from the first day OF this hard toll Whit.
man ceased TO class the youth among the
boys.
ln the course Of week, eight strong
Lighthouses, each a story in height, and
pierced with loop-holes, and each pro-
vided with a single capacious chimney,
were finished and fronted the little
square.
Mark Heber's house was simply az
ranged, built upon the plan generally
adopted by the settlers. There were but
two rooms, one being entered through
the other. The inner room was 10 be
Gays. The outer room was TO be parlor,
dining Kitchen library, and Marks
bed d.room.
The house is your province, Gay said
the youth, upon the morning al;er The
house was finished shall leave YOU TO
furnish it and transform it into q home
ruriU WON upon Vuv 7vvvnUuv. n You
need my help when the slockadc and
block-housc are finished. | viii turn N.Y.
self into house carpenter
i slIa'n't need you, sir said Gay
saucily. You attend to the farm, and
leave the house to me-.
The shelter provided, the eight houses
were left entirely to the management of
the women, the men working upon the
stockade, which was constructed upon
strict military principles and was a model
Of worth and excellence.
1t required tSo weeks and .ho labor of
sixteen men to complete this work.
Whitman and his family had been living
in their house for n week. All the
t6e 'itfebers, but Gay with pretty tyran'
h.d ,.i .uo~oa Mark &c cross the
threshold of his house since he had
finished it.
Now, when Mark unyoked his oxen
turning them loose in his own yard, aud
drew his wagon under great cotton
wood in his back garden, Gay called to
him with a bright smile, saying that he
might enter the house with her.
lie came pleased and smiling, but
paused upon the threshold in mute amaze
mcnt.
Was this the room with four rough log
walls which lie had given into heI hands?
Was this sunny little home u log house
on the plains
1t seemed incredible
For little clever-witted Gay, with her
delicate, skillful fingers, had fashioned
lovely home out of her barren materials,
such an one as would delight The eye to
rest upon, and her sole helps had been
two kindly boys OF fifteen years, who had
worked under her directions.
Its the pretliest room | ever saw
cried Mark, with enthusiasm. There
isn't house in town like it. Won't the
people open their eyes It'siustlovcIy"
cried Mark delightedly. You arc reg
ular home fairy, Gay. You were meant
for the frontier, and you are the fairest
flower on all the plains . My precious
little sister,
He drew her to him and kissed her
tenderly. But Gay, most unaccounta6Iy'
broke from him blushing like rose.
I'll call Whitman in to see the house,
exclaimed Mark, not noticing Gays con.
fusion. We shall set up for the oristo-
Gratis of the town
He dashed out in boyish cXuberance
and called in the entire population Of the
village.
They all came in, and there was gem
eral request that Gay should chrsten the
settlement.
Gays eyes frightened, even while she
shrank from the honor thus put upon her.
Il can't she said. Mr. Whitman is
the oldest of Us all, and is our Mayor.
Let him name tho village
Then I'll call it Heber, in honor OF our
little Cav cried Mr.. Whitman. What
do YOU all say, my fricnds!'
.Heber it is !! cried dozen voices, in
acclaim.
At that moment boy who had been
playing upon the platform inside the
stockade came in, gasping The words;
'IadianSr The above we publish as n
specimen chapter; but the continuation
, of this sIorv will be fnnnd In Tie Now