Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-01-22
Over the Prairie. and through

the Woods. The DAYS of staging be-
tween points are past with US Grand
Rapids people nevertheless, now and
then company choose to resort TO the
old fashioned social way of travelling
rather than conform to the convention
al rules and customs of modern times.
/ 1t IS more coy to loose ones self in buf-
falo robes, ensconced behind warmth
giving comforters, with large hat
stones baked to crisp, for foot rests.
and behind spanking team, to skim
over the prairies, and shoot through
the forests waking the echoes with roll
licking laughter aud songs, than to
imprlson ones self even in palace car
where the rumbling thunder of clang-
ling metal is continually stealing the
poetry out of ones soul giving in ex-
change therefore a very prosy prose.
So We thought, four of US, last week,
as We packed ourselves in capacious
sleigh and shot out for New Lisbon in
the early morning. The air was bracing.
the road good, and the team full of
equine lightning. At an early hour we
found ourselves little Of the roud,
but it happened to be a capital place
for We found most hospitable people
and such a dinner at friend Riggs as
would make an epicure glad after tax
ing as a tonic the north wind witout dill
ution. As night began to let her cur
tain fall-we don't mean to be poetical
and prepare to pin it with a STAR
we declare, we fear we are becoming
so.---we drew up at the pleasant vii
lage of New Lisbon. Placing our
selves at the disposal of Bro. \. @.
| Wright, he very unceremoniously or
dered Us to be delivered over to the
tender mercies of Mr.. and Mrs. Sage
where we were made to understand We
were to be prisoners on pare!e for three
days. We will state just here that our
object in visiting New Lisbon was toat-
tend the Convention of the Congregat'l
Churches of the Lemonweir District.
Castle Sage Is the most agreeable place
for voluntary detention we ever got in
to, and if to love the Lord brings al
ways such punishment, why ! We are
ready to keep right on loving, as we
trust may do even if we are called up
on to experience some of the sterners
comforts of good old St. Paul who, I'm
fortunately never knew the hospitality
of New Lisbon. The three DAYS OF
tarrying were days of pleasentness.
The convention was a grand success in
every particular All enjoyed its SEES
sions, and undoubtedly all felt, to say
the least, q sense Of qualification and
satisfaction, in coming together, move d
by the genial influences of love for
all humanity, as unselfsh as deep,
hearty and unwaverins. Old friend
ships were revived, new friendships
created, and very many grand good
people whom we have known for wears,
and get hare nerer konlcn, we know
now, we trust forever. We met Of our
former acquaintance Lawyer Hatch, Mr.
Ball, DR.. Secor and wife, Dr. Morrill,
and wife, Hon. Mr.. Nichols, and
many others whom memory will make
doubly dear to US heneforth. But all
things must have an end 50 had the
convention, and with it, our incarcera-
ton in Castle Sage.
Early on Friday morning, the trio,
"a quartette no longer for we had dis
patched Mr. Webster vta rail to Mr..
Houston's to wed Our deputy post
master, --bade good-by to our genial
keepers whose hospitality will ever be
remembered, and ''tucked in" and
most kindly cared for by friend Clar-
ance, We slid out Of the quiet village
in the quiet morning while its scores of
chimneys were sending heavehward
columns of pink-tinted smoke, glad be.
tokenings, perhaps of haven Of rest
for weary pilgrims, who, after a
weary night journey welcomed their
appearing joyfully, as did the Israel
ties of old the pillar of fire that went
before them in that memorable march
out of the land of bondage Nothing
Of interest trahspired on the homeward
Journey other than making a checker
board of the prairie, for we made in
Vulnerable curves and parallels all over
it, and ran smack into haystacks, and
into dooryards, and went anywhere and
everywhere except where we ought, in
, our endeavor to find highway hidden
by the sitting snow Of the night before.
/