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

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their meal.
She had determined what to do;
and, after soothing Jamie, and tell
ing him to lie still and try to sleep,
and giving Will picture-book to amuse
him, she began her preparations. She
must move up stairs and keep but one
fire. Besides the small quantity of coal,
there was very little oil. All was dark
ness down stairs. The wind seemed to
have blown the snow before 1t across the
prairie, and walled them in.
She carried bench upstairs, and set 1t
in the hall, and on this she put her dishes
and eatables; took the baby's cradle and
crock of milk up (how glad she was she
had the milk y, moved stand and trunk
out Of the room, and put table in their
place.
1t was dreadfully weary day; and she
was glad when the time came to get din
ner. The difficulties of cooking on the
little chamber stove occupied her; and
Will was immensely amused at the small
table off which they had to eat.
There was noise at the door,
and when they opened it Rover, the dog,
walked in. He had been left downstairs
and forgotten. Will fed him, and he
stretched himself beside the stove, wag-
ging his tail whenever they spoke to him.
jamie would eat nothing-he was really
i'll. Beckie saw that, but she did not
know what to give him The baby and
he occupied her attention all the after
noon.
She got supper ready early and put
Will to bed She was very much alarmed
about Jamie, and frightened when she
saw how little coal there was left; not
more than enough to make fire in the
morning. What should she dor They
must have fire. She went into the cellar
and knocked couple OF barrels to pieces
and carried the slaves upstairs.
She slept little, for Jamie tossed and
threw his arms out over his head, and the
cover off him, and called water! water"
every few moments. She had to keep up
the fire for fear he would get cold /; and
when daylight came, and she awoke from
an uneasy sleep in which she had fallen,
there was only couple of barrel slaves
left.
She must keep the children warm, and
she said TO herself, Il will do it If must
burn up all the furniture in the house."
Dressing herself warmly, she again
visited the cellar. There was an old
barrel in the corner she had overlooked !;
on removing some bits of iron from it she
found about bushel of coal. She carried
this upstairs, and with the slaves of the
barrel soon had bright, warm fire, and
a good breakfast set out for Will and her
self. jamie was so i'll he did not notice
anything; and the baby, who was always
good, slept. From the window was TO be
seen only the same dreary waste Of un-
broken snow.
All her energies this day were taxed to
keep the fire going She dressed viii
and the baby as warmly as possible, and
collected and burnt every available small
article in the house. The potato masher,
the wash board, the tubs, the shelves in
the cellar and the kitchen. the steps lead
ing to the cellar, the clotheshorse, the
bread board and rolling.pin were all split
in pieces and carefully put in the stove,
with bits of coal to make them last long
er. Before dark they went to bed, for
there was not more than enough oil in the
house to last a couple of hours. jamie
did not any longer know her; he lay NUT
tering in delirinm.
The morning dawned, and it was the
same as before. All night-although
nearly overcome with drowsiness and
fatigue--she had watched Jamie; bathed
his hot head, and put water TO his lips.
1t was all she could do. Help must come
with the day. She would not give up
She used the last of the fuel to make up
the fire, and managed to make the kettle
boil. After she had taken some coffee
and Will had eaten his breakfast, she len
him at play with Rover, and went below
stairs; and there, sitting down, had a
hearty cry She believed Jamie was
dying. She did not know what to do for
him. What should she do? Why did not
father conner Was he deads Then she
thought, He will come If he is
alive. The children must not see me
cry" She wiped her eyes. Il must
split up this table TO burn"
She lifted the ak and struck piece off
the edge-another-then she heard Rover
bark; again and again he barked. " viii
is making him, and he will disturb
JAMIE" she thought, and she dropped the
ak and ran up stairs.
"Beckie! Beckett" called viii, as she
opened the door, Rover is so funny he
jumped up at the window and keeps wag.
ging his tail and barking"
A look out the window showed her
somt thing moving over the prairie
toward the house. She could not tell
what it was for the showering Of snow
that accompanied il.
"Some one is comings Some one is
comingl" she exclaimed
AS it neared, the dog sprang up and
down, resting his paws on the window.
sill, and barking louder and louder, and
Will stood beside him, making little
springs and screaming:
" 1t is father, Beckie! 1t is father"
"We can see best now in the other
room; wrap this shawl around you"
Beckie darted through the door, and
threw open a window In the adjoining
chamber Rover sprang up, put his head
and most of his body out-lQoked as
though he wished to leap--tllen drew
back, as though afraid, and barked more
furiously than ever.
Now the barn hid the object---it was in
the barn.yard 1t seemed to move slowly
and take time--a long time to the eager
lookers-on--to advance. Rover barked
frantically; and, as if in answer, voice
from the moving mass, in which they be-
gan TO distinguish figures, called:
"Beckiel Beckiei"
+" 1t is father 1t is father! Yes, yesw
She ran down and opened the kitchen
door Now she could hear but could not