New-York tribune., 1872-12-02

a IN mt on ak pair OF wooden socks inside their
bufiaolinod noccasns aud said they wore three nome
snnn Iannel shirts under their greatcoats. III was
common thing for the TO come In IRON the shpss
with frozen hands got in the run OF IeW yaius
from he house. but basin OF cold water or applcau"
Of snow speedily them right, and nobody thought OF
complaining Of such tribes.
THE BURDENS OF woMASKIHD on TUE PRAiRr
The worst thing Of those first prairie Winters WI a by
means the cold or the noessant work. the sol de but
tho violence done every taste and scnsibD y by tho
rouehness and meanness into which we Sero thrust.
One vital thread of refinement was All the settlers wife
and family could feel thTob6ins IN sae faint homeslck
was N possible There saw won educated in the
q ySs @ Ss up cg U %ss
about her. tending the frospite hired mans hand
to husband and children only .rretfu that she could
not exchange her useless CUT for greater efficiency
at once IN her strange SUI rOundings And this was
no more than the spirit OF every the prairie
BY way of encourageme ht, their driving, ambitious
TSuay our 1 oSeS how sadly
We missed the little co Aveniences that we're thrown out
as not worth paying. freight for. of them were
not to be had for loyeo money, and the prices OF com
mon things were bRh enough TO make them dubious
he cor IN to am od o negbbor for nothing Of
the sort VAS to Oe found but glazed red pottery ih We
s & S,1Sa ober ~ aG hod SH Suoe there was no rc
placing the nests ofboXes the cake tins and lnuh cups
thin as perforated safe but for price that would buy
wardrobe in the East. Brushes aud erooms were kep
saored, and tho lamentaton extended even TO new
mop that had been left behind The sight OF those use
less books made me savage the thought Of the nvalu
able things that might have in their place, and
been real helps about work Freight never better
paid than on such ndispensaoles Among other cnee IN
iul conditions OF our ist Winter a the WAFER ucu VI w
Spring gained by melung snow on the Coohng
stove. There cstern but the irOst crackeu the
hastily applied plaster, and the water all ran Out. p
ieye the horses watered In this way Nhen tney
were not taken away TO neigh0ors Ihere was heu
neghbor out OF sight over the south rise an eshth OF
mile away, and one mile and half west, another
threeQuarers of mile north while east we might traye
three miles the unbroken prairie without seeing
house. You SEQ we not in the Lonesome country
tile first settlers used 10 tell Of VII they were gad
hear family had come WITHIN SIX mles OF theln
The prairie was very much what the souh-westfh iah
are now in respect to society and convenienees.
RETROSPECT
Yet looking back after 15 yearst does not seem thai
p the first Winter OF Western life gloomy or beyond
our strength in its burdens. II had 10 all TO ove
again we would shrink though to be woult
know how to make the hard places easier this time. So
much of what we had endure the result OF hurry
II and ineXperence. Both mind and body found then
tonic that strOug clear air OF the praes. We Learned
to blind and dull TO the rough board walls
a the iet windows the cooking table within yard 0
the writing desk, land the cupboard IN line WIN th'
bookcase while let our perceptions out 70 Ieyel III m
n splendid Winter landscapes about u.s. Nothing was
there which not fine. The PALE giassIIke SKY non
n which the blancned snow plains, wave on wave %
drifts caught the COLOR changed pcrpetualy iron
glory 10 anOther-nOt 50 blue sometimes WIen lh'
cleaning at their wbItest, as the shadow
that lay in their holdings for the plain was IKE gea
field OF CaTrara At ii would be black witt
depth overhead, while the distant woods stood out IL
violet and color under tue siyery hOrzOni tlel
sunsets Of gold aQua-marlne and earminc, l0l
lowed by nights OF blazing stars OF which one might
fires. think souls lived of OF that sky the frs
years OF prairie life II was wide, 80 embracing We
with its maguGcence out OF the unkempt cabin, tread
ing those shining courts; and We came back 10 kneadng
and scrubbingbr with strength tha could Las
through the heavy work, and with something in ON
minds that not soled by The dirt helped to remove
port US through that Winter suppose il there mad booI
to bear We should have found endurance Tor IT,