Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-03-15
A Dakota Romance.

Four years ago, a 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 emf |
grants had made and written back about. |
Intelligent i'm 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 i'm 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
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 tepder
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 certain ship from
one of the more nOrtherly Swedish ports
on a 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 shOIld
meet, with swelling heart, at Glyndors
But that tain came and did not bring
them. And others, and others; and then
came the awful tidings that the emigrant
ship had been lost in storm of the North
sea, off the Norwegian coast, with all on
board. Lunds fellOw-settlers heard the
shocking news, and were aStOnished at his
bearing under the blow. Impatient and
forever jOurneying prematurely to the
Glyndon station before, he now became
suddenly quiet and firm in his whole
manner, and to every friendly inquiry an
swered that he was as sure of seeing his
wife and children coming out of the ears
To meet him yet as of God in heaven
They will GENE. They will come.
know it," were his words over and over
: again. The tidings of the wreck seemed
: to have been no more to him than an ad
monition to- miraculous faith, and, while
not disputing them in terms, hi
manner appeared to set them III
t vincibly aside. He secured friend, OF
G agent. at GlyndOn to watch for that sure
ly coming train and send him w% whel
: it came. and worked on unweariedly as a
e first to make the new home more pleasan
d for his children and their mother. Thi
winter his neighbOrs had been drawing t
the conclusion that he was harmleSsl,
!, and mercifully mad, until an incident o
the latest fearful snOw-stOrm in their trac
. changed their minds. One night, whel
= the gale roared, and earth and air wer
!, one undistinguishalle swirl of white DIES
olatiOn and ,eath, Lund thought that n
heard cries for help borne upon the pit
= less blast. and started out upon trust
u horse to save or be himself overwhelmed
!. Many man in the Territory was lost an
= frozen to death that night at halt the On;
e lance frl m home traversed by the klndl
/ Swede to rescue others from the like fate
81 but he went on through the wild tempe:
's to the place of the cries, and came bac
~ from thence to his house as safely, til
+ good polar spirit of the snow, pilotln
from death a wagon i'm which were maj
10 his wife, and three children, who but 10
&c him must have died in the storm. Thanh
IN ed beyond words by these as their her0
OF bcnefactor, he seemed troubled to FIN
a. that the half-froZen children were thrt
Or instea of two, and talked so strangely
Id his own little ones coming to him that tn
r rescued family knew not how to III del
in stand him. They We're on their way
Sc Glyndon, they said. to meet an Easter
train bringing friends of theirs, and nj
quick, almost fantastic declaration that I
SnOulu accOtFpdnv tiltih uil"ei "''Ni
snow was not calculated to make MI
w more comprehensive. On the secon
a day thereafter, when his guests starte
&c anew, he really was their companion
n though without further explanation. an
ur was at their side, watching with then
H. when the train was expected. 1t came
q. the Eastern mail-with its young advel
s, turers and middle-aged spectators, an
d old men, women and children; and anon
lat these last were the wife and three lit
lot ones Of the Swedish enigrant! In Il
M, wreck off the Norwegian coast some
No the passengers had been saved. III
or mother, with her own two children al
in one rOOr little babe whose parents M
ire been lost, were taken on board DAMS
ship. which after long voyage reach
Iii Boston, where a German consular age
nd gave them the means to go onward to {
be West. Such was the story poured in
;ar the ears of the husband and father, who
lot faith had been deeper than the depths
of the sea, and whose humanity tender
lit welcomed to warm fOster-paternity ii
an. third and tatherless waif that had be
lis foreshadOwed to him by the three childr
N