Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-03-06
From Democrats Young America.
Grsndpa's story.
BIZ AUNT NuiLY.

iBx AUNT XlLLy.
Nellie was crying in the parlor: she
had buried her brown head among the
sofa pillows, and had made herself
believe she was the most miserable child
in the world.
Soon there was q step in the hall, and
Grandpa Slade came in.
He was q little old man, and lived
alone in an old brown house on the
edge of the village.
He had neither child nor erandchild
living, and no near relatives but no
one could say he lacked friends. He
was "Grandpa Slade" to the whole
village, and I doubt if there was a
man, woman, or child within its limits.
who could not tell some kind act that
dear old man had done Tor them.
OF course they all loved him.
"Why, what ais my little Rirl :" said
he, sitting down beside Nellie, and
smoothing her curly head.
Then all Nellie's griefs came out in a
flood.
Erred won't let me shoot with his
new gun, and he's run away from me.
and he says girls amt good for any,
thing" she sobbed.
"Never mind Fred, )" said grandma.
II think girls are as good a. boys"
"Bnt grandpa, they can't have
guns?' said Nellie, dou5tfully.
"Come and sit on my knee, Pussy, I"
said grandpa, "and I will tell you a
story:
"When I was about your age. nv
father left his home in Massachusetts.
and went to settle in Vermont.
"We lived in a log house in the
woods, and the nearest neighbors were
twenty miles away. It was lonesome
life. We seldom saw any one unless it
might be an Indian now and then. and
then there were bears, and wolves. and
panthers in the woods. had nobody
to play with, except my little sister
than I.
"When we had lived there two years,
a man named Macarthur settled about
eight miles from us, and then We
thought We had near neighbors! The
first year tina, Macarthur lived there. he
and father started one morning to 90
to the mill, and they would 70 one dov
and come back the next. Father always
took his rifle with him, but he had
bought another on purpose to leave
with mother while he was gone: for. in
those days, no one ever knew when thew
might need gun.
1.-The afternoon of the second sdav
after father went, mother stood LOOKING
out at the open window, when suddenlv
she stepped back and took down her
rifle.
II was laying on the floor. and 7
Jumped up crying, What is it,
"Hush, Chester, and stav inst
where you are" said she.
"She went to the window and rested
her rifle on the sill and fred.
"When the smoke cleared awav. she
said: 1 believe have killed him. T
did not think could!'
"Then ran to the door. and ont
across the clearing was q big deer
lying. ~
1--WE went to him, and he was quite
dead. a~''0
"While we were looking at him,
father came trottiug M on Old White.
face; he had heard the rife. and" M
he sa:d' had {" hurried up to see what
was going on"
He WAS much pleased, and said :
wen, little woman, that was capital
By this time Nellie was quite com.
fortcd, and declared that hearing a
story was much better than SHOOTING
with tred's gun, which was onlv q
make believe gun any way, if he did
but, grandpa" said she, "did
your mother ever kill anything else o.;
Yes, Pet, number Of things" re-.
That same rifle was the means of
saving Olives life, when she WA ohon+
six years old. '''"'
ut was in the month of Febrnorv
and father was ut work in h;s sus,o,
bush, for there had been a few 49,,
days, that SET the sap running. The
sap-bush was some ways from the honse
and IN the woods. One bright mornin2
owe coaxed mother to let her 20 ont
there. 0"'
II was busy in the house, but there
was good path, and mother let her 90
alone. o.
few minutes after she started. We
heard an awful scream, and we both
sprang to the window. There wa
Olive fairly flying along the path, and
+" great wolf after her, and gaining on
her every minute!
" Mother snatched her gun, and WINS
ont doors in an instant. Olive had torn
OIL her hood, and held it in her hand.
" Drop your hood, Olive" called
and her voice was strong and
stern.
"Olive dropped it and flew on, and
raised her gun to her face, AMI
took aim just at the hood.
The wolf came up to it in a minute.
and put down his head to smell it, and !
mother fired. With one yell, he |
spraDg two or three feet into the air
md then fell.
" Mother held her gun in both hands |
and watched.
When he fell, she Just gave one
great sob and sunk down in a dead
faint
1--WE children had never seen any
me faint said grandpa, after q little
'nnse, during which both he and