The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-02-06
A Dakota Romance.

-Four years ago, young Swede left his
young wife and two children in the old
Northland, until he should cross the
oceans to the poor mans paradise of the
West, and there make for them and him
self such home and harvests as other emil
grants had made and written back about.
Intelligent in his social class, he lost no
time after landing here in fastening to the
cheap lands of the Northwest, and Invest
ing the modest sum. he had brought with
him in as many virgin acres as the great
er portion thereof would buy. Fargo, in
Dakota Territory, was the place of his
settlement, and while winning there the
esteem of his human neighborhood and a
fair average return for his toll, it was
nearly four years before he had redeemed
and civilized his new estate sufficiently,
by tireless labor AMI sacrifice, to make
him satisfied to summon thither the tender
and helpless ones from across the sea. At
last, however, one Of his home letters said
"Come" and the epistle in answer there.
to informed him that wife and little ones
would surely sail in a certein ship from
one of the more northerly Swedish ports
on certain day. Thenceforth he counted
the months and weeks with something
less of patience than had been given be-
fore to harder years, and kept himself
alert for the eastern train that he should
meet, with swelling heart, at Glyndont
But that tlain came and did not bring
them. And others, and others and then
came the awful tidings that the emigrant
| ship hud been lost in storm of the North
I sea, off the Norwegian coast, with all on
board. Lunds fellow-settlers heard the
shocking news and were nstonshed at his
bearing under the blow. impatient md
forever iourneying .prematrrols to the
| Glyndon station before, ne now became
suddenly qNiet and firm in his whole
manner, and to every friendly inquiry an.
Swcred that he was as sure OF seeing his
wife and children cching out of the cars
to meet him yet as of a God in heaven
They will come. They will potne.
know it, were his words over and over
again. The tidings of the wreck seemed
TO nave been no more to him than an adj
mention to miraculous faith, and, while
not disputing them in terms, hi;
manner appeared to set them in
vincibly aside, He secured friend, OF
agent, at Glyndon to watch for that sure.
!ly coming train and send him word whel
1t came, and Worked on unweariedly as al
| first to make the new ho,:le more pleasant
for his children and their mother. This
winter his neighbors had been drawing tC
the conclusion that he was hafmlessly
"
the latest fearful snow-storm in their trac
changed their minds. One night, whel
the gale roared, and earth and air wert
one undistinguishahle swirl Of white des
olation and Geath, Iund thought that h,
heard cries for help Borne upon the pitt
less blast, and started out upon a trusty
| horse to save or be himself overwhelmed
Many man in the Territory was lost an(
| frozen to death that night at half the dis
tance from home traversed by the kindly
Swede TO rescue others from the like fate
but he went on through the wild tempes
to the place of the cries, and came bacl
from thence to his house as safely, th'
good polar spirit of the snow, pilotins
from death a wagon in which were man
his wife, and three children, who but fO
him must have died in the storm. Thank
ed beyond words by these as their hero
benefactor, he seemed troubled to flint
that the half-froZen children were thre,
insteai of two, and talked so strangely o
his own little ones coming to him that thu
rescued family knew not how to ur der
stand him. They were on their way t.
Glyndon, they said. to meet an Eastern
train bringing friends of theirs, and hi!
quick, almost fantastic declaration that HI
should accompany them thither after th'
snow was not calculated. to make hin
| illolS Cpnl l'IeIicuslDlt. vi lllc ScCOil'
day thereafter, when his guests starte,
anew, he really was their companion
though without further explanation, ant
was at their side, watching with them
when the train was expected. 1t came
the Eastern mail--with its young adven
turers and middle-aged speculators, ant
old men, women and children; and anon!
these last were the wife and three littl
ones Ct the Swedish emigrant. In tn,
wreck off the Norwegian coast some o
the passengers had been saved. Th,
mother, with her own two children ant
one poor littie babe whose parents hat
been lost, were taken on board Danisl
ship, which after long voyage reached
Boston, where a German consular agen
gave them the means to 90 onward to tn,
West. such was the story poured int,
the ears of the husband and father, who's,
faith had been deeper than the depths 0
the sea, and whose humanity tcnderl,
welcomed to warm foster-paternity tina
third and tatherless waif that had beer
foreshadowed to him by the three children
of the snow.-N. Y. tTorld.