Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1874-03-05

work. The wind and snow came so
violently she could scarcely stand up
against it and would have fallen but for
the snow-hoe, which supported her.
AT length she reached the cOw.house
Crumpies and another cow stood there.
Fortunately the snow had, in measure,
drifted away from the cow-house door,
and was piled against fence few feet
of. With two or three digs OF her snow
hoe she cleared it away, so as to open the
door sufficiently for the animals to go in.
Passing in herself, she had to sit down a
moment before she could do anything,
although the gathering gloom there
alarmed her.
In an excitement, and with fierce anxi-
ETY. about getting back, she went to work
and MIXED both cows, threw them corn,
ran into the barn for hay, and then she
thought of the horses in the stable; she
gave them oats, shook the hay in their
managers, and was Fastening out when she
saw the milk cans which her father had
left on bench there. She seized them,
and, pouring the milk into them, put the
tops on securely, and tied them around
her waist 1t was dark almost in the barn,
and she got out as quickly as she could,
k0ctCACA tIAC COW AOuSC uOOly hhu oAIC
more was amid the raging elements.
Confused she stood, scarcely knowing
which way to 60. There was no sign of
the path she had made. Could she fight
her way backs The fury of the tempest
had so increased it seemed as though
nothing could live in it. She was almost
numb with cold-but the children! the
baby! With no spoken words, but with
the spirit of Peters Save me, perish, !"
in her heart she attempted to press on.
Blindly she went, staggering under the
weight OF the milk, which she chung to as
life for baby, the flakes dashing in her
face with force that almost took her
breath, and the wind rocking her as
though she we're reed.
She was so cold she could not stand this
much longer. She would soon drop. She
would be frozen to death she knew; but
even as she thought this she pushed on.
She must be near the gate; she tried to
see it, but there might as well have been
a wall before her.
The wind swept by in fearful gust
that rocked her back and forth, although
she was walled up, as it were, on each
side. What was that it had barred just
in her path9 The roof of the dog kennels
Yes, it was; and she was then inside the
yard, only about thirty feet from the she'd
She put her hands straight out before her,
and with all her strength made her way
forward. Would she never get there!
She could not stand it much longer. Just
then her outstretcLed hands came with
force against the shed. She gave
a cry of Joy; staggered along, feeling for
the opening; found it; and, for second,
stood there gasping.
Even in that instant it seemed as though
she would be covered up. The storm
and howled like an army of
dsmons.
She never could tell how she reached
the kitchen door and got within. All
she did know was that she was aroused
by Jamie's crying; that she found herself
upon the kitchen floor beside a mass OF
snow; her milk safe; and that it was
quite dark.
She was not conscious that she, a girl
of thirteen, had accomplished feat that
night which many strong, brave men had
lost their lives in attempting-the feat OF
going dozen yards in that storm.
She was very weak, and her limbs
ached, and she could not drag herself to
the stove to renew the fire, nav low.
jamie put in fuel, while she shivered and
trembled. 1t seemed as though her blood
had frozen in her veins. The baby was
crying. She attempted to get up, but
fell back and burst into tears. Fright
ened at her appearance and manner,
Jamie began to sob, and this aroused
her.
"Get the baby's bottle, jamie, and
warm her some milk"
jamie wiped his eyes, and did as she
told him.
Jamie fed the baby, and sat by the
stove, leaning over ii. The children
must have their supper; but she felt her
self totally unable to drag herself about
She remembered some highly-spiced
blackberry cordial her mother had made
and kept for sickness. jamie got her
some. She drank almost teacupful,
then dragged herself to the se'tee and
laid down. She fell asleep, and was
only awakened by Wills tugging at her
dress.
"Beckiel Beckie! / want some supper;
and it Is so dark ~
She got up 50 much revived that she
fastened to get light, put the a-kettle
on, and set the table. When she tried to
draw in the shutters she could not move
them; the snow was banked up against
the windows and fell in on the floor. 1t
was with difficulty she could close the
window again.
Beckie was SO very anxious that she
could not eat any supper. Will had
good appetite; but jamie complained OF
a headache, and said he did not want any.
Beckie persuaded him to come to the
table and drink a cup Of tea. She took
the baby up, and sat there feeding it until
they were done; then she laid 1t In It's
cradle, for it had gone TO sleep.
After getting coal and wood Tor the
night from the shetland there was not
much there-she went upstairs to see II
there was any fire. She slept up there
with the baby, and the boys bed was
down in their fathers room. Turning
the damper in the stove, the room was
soon warm. She told the boys to get into
one of the beds in her room, heard viii
say his prayers, undressed the baby and
went to bed herself
Wearied with the days exertions she
slept soundly 1t was later than usual
and intensely cold when she got up the
next morning. Her first glance out OF
the window showed they were buried In
snow. As far as her eye could reach,
there was a trackless waste OF white, I'M
l.~v