Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-10-02

BIZ ELINoR BROOKS,

When the "Franklin" doors were wide
open the bright freight glanced in
every corner Of the room, so that
grandma's fingers, aided by the practice
Of many years, could easily guide her
knitting needles around the little
stocking that was always her evening
work.
Grandma, Z" said Jason, one even
ing, when they had quieted down after
a very noisy romp, :" Grandma, tell
us about the time when you were a
little girl and used to 60 after the COWS
through the woods, and chased the
bear"
"Oh," said grandma, twill You never
be tired of hearing that old. storys
You must know it all by heart by
this time; you had better tell it to
me-"
"Oh, no, no, grandma, please do
tell us that one, }" cried the other chill
dren, knowing from experience that
coaxing would bring grandma to terms.
And grandma commenced: when
I was little girl it was all woods
around here, there were no houses
except the log house we lived in, and
there was not another one nearer than
the Cooper settlement which was three
miles away. I remember the day We
came here: I was ten years old then,
about as old as some Of you are now;
my brother Alex was two years young
OF than ]. My father had come on a
few weeks before the family, to build
house for US to live in. He and Uncle
John had cut down trees and built
house of the logs, and had made Chin
ney of wooden stats, The side next
the fire was plastered with clay. The
hearth, Of large, fat stones, was not
laid yet, but father built q roaring fire
on the ground at the bottom
of the chimney, and soon there was
ready nice bed of Goals for mother to
put the supper over. Uncle John had
caught q nice spotted trout in the
creek to have ready for our suppers,
when, all tired and hungry, We reached
our new home. Mother put the fish in
the frying.pan on the hottest Goals and
some potatoes to roast in the ashes.
and q short-cake in the bske.kettle.
"Oh, nothing will ever taste so good to
me again." said grandma, i" as the
supper did that night" We we've all
so hungry, and so happy, and 80 glad
to be altogether again. can remem-
Der just how the fish smelled ash sat on
the board floor, with my feet hanging
down to the bare ground where the
stone hearth WAS to be, Watching
mother as she moved the irving. pa8
from one place to another on the coals.
SO that it would get the best heat.
II remember, too, looking up
through the roof that still lacked sew
eral boards at one end, and seeing the
great branches of the forest trees wav.
ing against the blue sky far above our
house. They seemed so high, 30 far
away, that thought Heaven would be
very near if one could but climb to
their tops"
Grandma here lapsed into a reverie
which lasted so long that the bows be-
came impatient, and were greatly re.
lieved when she reused herself with q
sigh, and continued: "There were
but few Indians here then they had
mostly gone farther west those that
still fingered along our creek lived by
hunting and fishing. They would moi
work, and they sU0uld steal, so we
were all glad when they wandered of
IN search of their tribe. I think they
were Cayugas. The deer and bears
were mostly gone, too they rctreated,
rs did the Indians, before the white
man. Father and Uncle John SHOT
two deer and bear the first year We
lived here, but they never saw any
after that first year. I never saw 3
bear in the woods but once. and IlI
tell you about that now.
My brother Alex and I had to 90
for the COWS every night. They were
pastured in the woods, and sometimes
strayed mile or two from the house
One of them had a bell on her neck. &c
that hearing it, we might know in what
direction to look for them, as the,
always kept together-two COWS and 6
little black heller.
One night Alex and I were so bus,
at play that we forgot all about thu
COWS until we were startled by father
voice, asking us where they were
Great was our CONSERVATION to fini
that it was past shutdown, and gettin,
darker every moment. We begged o
father to go with us; we were afraid
But he said, mo, this will teach YOU ,
lesson you will not forget, you must q,
alone. There will nothing hurt Won.
=" We hurried of through the woods
starting at every shadow we saw ant
every sound We heard. By the tim
we found the cows it was so dark tina
we could not have told old "white
face" from the other only she had til,
hell. The black heifer was MISSING
we hunted awhile, and, not findin,
her, concluded to 20 back without her
as it was getting so dark We were afraii
we could not find our way home. w
started the COWS along, and had gon,
but few rods when a black obiec
started out from a clump of under
brush and followed on behind tho COWS
.. Halloo," said Alex, "there's th,
helter after all; I'm glad she's come
father would have scolded Us for leav.
ing her," When the heifer heard hi,
voice she stopped, turned, and looked
at us. as If she was inclined to com,
toward MS instead of going home. I'M
we shouted at her with all our MIGHT
for we didn't want to lose her ace;n
and she turned and trotted after til,
COWS. Several times she stopped Il
the same way, and we had to shout AMI
drive her along. I remember that Ale,
said, Nan, what does all that heifer
seems to me she acts queer" Whe,
we came to the cleared land, the heife
stopped again, and when we tried I,
drive her farther, she growled ct "a
and, turning suddenly, climbed rich
over the top of high rail fence. an,
we heard her run, growing, of int
the woodsi
Its bear!" exclaimed Alex: "let'
run !" and run we did. We raced tn
COWS home at such q rate that the linz
ling bell brought mother out Of tn
house to "wonder what in the worl
those children were racing the COW
for; it would just ruin the bui
ter" But telling our adventur
soon cut short her reproofs: sh
hurried us into the house and fastene
the door and windows, and as soon q
father and Uncle John had started q
with guns and lanter., to see if it reall
had been bear. Sure enough, by tb
light Of the lantern they found bea