Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-01-23
Cuerald Correspondence.)
Frozen to Death.

EDITOR HERALD There was liy-
ing near the mouth of the Wild Rice
river of Dakota, not long ago,'a new
ly welded couple by the name Of
Fletcher, refined, hospitable people,
50 much so as to be the surprise OF
every one who CHANGED to meet them.
1t was sometime during the latter
part OF October that | was one OF q
party invited TO their evening meal.
The place of entertainment was IN a
little log cabin whose length, / should
| Judge, would not exceed twelve feet,
nor was the breadth Of it far from
eight, while nature had adorned the
floor in her own peculiar way. Two
rough boards, supported by props,
served the place Of q table, and upon
which were spread some very delect
able viands, which, somehow, seemed
to make aught the fitness Of things,
in way that the little cabin rose to
commodious proportions, even the
two rough boards cast forth a mirage
of mahogany, and the three-legged
stool on which | sat seemed q whit
more comfortable than the old fash7
toned arm chair would have BEEN
The hostess, very charming little
lady, with sweet, confiding coun-
tenance, was lastly attired accord
ing to the foibles and iancies of mod
ern fashion. Her husband sat by her
side, manly, frank looking man,
large Of stature and Of admirable
proportions. The eatables were just
as palatable and nice as we were apt
TO get at home at meal which our
mamas had served up for company.
So when the time came for our de-
parture, it was more than once re-
peated, "What an enjoyable evening
we bad spent in that little cabin. .
Though they were then preparing u
more fitting habitation in which 10
dwelI,yet there seemed an incOngrui-
ty of outward appearance to inward
facts which has served to fasten the
memory OF this gathering in my mind
in way that it will be long time
before it is forgotten. But one Of the
number is gOne-one who had gath
cred around that board, our hosts
dead.
He was returning from the Sehey-
enero river, a distance of xix miles.
The way lay over prairie waste
The winds were blowing fercely,
paving up the snow and hurting it
from drift TO drift with cutting ven-
geance. The day was biting cold,
yet he ventured forth fearlessly to
meet his fate. Night coming on, con-
founded in the gloom he lost his way.
There he wandered-God knows
where. The winds wrestled with
his strength ; the piled up snow ia
tigued it the cold pierced him with
its chill, yet be struggled on, to catch,
at last, a glimmer of his cabin light.
But all too late. His feet were froz-
en- through and through. They fail
ed him Of bis weight. Then he crawl
ed upon his hands and knees, How
hard to give up life. But no, death
held him in his grip, and the flicker
ing light grew dim and DINNER, till
all was lost in night-darker than
the darkest night. Then the one lone
star of heaven looked through the
mist of darkness on a corpse Then
the drifting snow piled high above a
corpse. Then the raging winds kept
moaning as if saying these sad words
of mourning, dead dead dead =
Then the icy frost crept and crwled
like subtle ether through the frame-
work of the dwelling, repeated as by
echo, these sad words of tiding. And
the little lamp, grown weary with its
watching, re-repeated what the echo
said But the one in waiting still
kept waiting, for she still had hope.
In the morning when the sun came
forth and the winds were lulled to ST.
lence, within stones throw of the
dwelling they found his lifeless body.
How it took away all hopel How
it changed all joy to sorrow How
it broke the silent spirit Among
the sad things of the year so lately
persisted, 10 the catalogue Of mourn
ing we inscribe these lamentations
NJ.