The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1875-09-30
nn.. rorE asp Tar SKsH.
NJ TRAkxLES D. sACF.

I aNe1 warm JAY VIII ofthk AHN WAS
ous Of their dens. They viii be rsve~oas,
aad like "a not they viii bncak iaio ihs
yard aud carry ca some Of the sheep. !
saw bear tracks % the moantsln shIs
morning.
Well, said Mrs. Pope, they needn't
expect to ast any Of our sheep. II they
come proving round here, I'D drive
them OF 10 some way. We need the
sheep too much TO have them carried OF
by bears.
/ wish you understood using the gun,
wife. When am gone, l worry about
leaving yoa aud the baby al day alone.
The woods arc 80 near, ehH't help
thinking some wild animals may come
dowu from the m0antains and attack
yen.
You needn't fear about that, answered
Mrs. Pope. To be sure tis lonesome
with neither mau or dog about. pre-
sumo should feel safer II ! understood
handling a gun, but don't believe any
thing will come near In the daytime. So
don't worry abont us, only be sure TO
get home before dusk.
Wen, goodbye, then. Don't expose
the baby or yourself TO any danger, and
III be back before night.
So saying, Mr.. Pope, with a bag OF
grain on his horse, started Off TO mill,
leaving his wife aud baby alone in their
solitary log cabin In the wilderness.
This conversation occurred in the town
Of Kirby, VT, In the spring of 1871,
when that region was but little settled,
when even women understood they were
in constant peril from wild beasts. Jesse
Pope's cabin stood close to the foot OF
the Kirby Mountains, in whose rocky
fastnesses bears, catamounts aud wolves
had their inaccessible dens. Bears es.
pecially, were so thick as to be source
Of constant dread TO those who had hockG
or were compelled to leave their homes
unprotected, while they went to the
larger settlements on necessary busi
ness.
Mrs. Pope fully understood the peri
that surrounded her during her husbands
absence Her cbeerfnl talk with bel
husband was not mere bravado. She sale
what she did, as much to keep her owl
spirits up as to dispel her husbands anx
iety. She knew that he must 90 to th'
mill, and there was no way for her bu
to stay at home and be SIS brave as pos
sible. She was brave. woman. Mature
had endowed her with courage, and th'
surroundings of her early life had al
tended TO foster and strengthen it. Sh'
fully understood her situation, and wheI
her husband passed out Of sight she knew
she and her baby we're alone 10 the grea
wilderness, beyond the reach of help
should anything serious occur. But sh'
had always lived in the wilderness. Thl
howl of the wolf aud the growl Of thl
bear were familiar sounds to her, ant
she had become accustomed 10 lionel!
| life in the woods. So, instead Of shut
ting herself in the house, she went OF
with her work as usual.
| Afler the breakfast dishes were wsshe,
and put away, she brought out the liael
wheel aud went to spinning fax. The,
must have clothes for summer wear, ano
that was the season to spin and weave
before the summer fully set in. ] cal
remember my mother and her spinning
wheel, and can imagine just bow Mrs
Pope looked, sitting with one foot on th'
treadle. l can hear the buzz Of the wbee
as It flew round; can see just how ofteI
she dipped her fingers in the little cup 0
water, as she drew out the 1bres o
hax, aud dexterously shaped the stronI
symmetrical thread in q manner tha
would astonish modern housewives.
All the long forenoon her musics
wheel kept humming its pleasant tune
stopping only now and then as it's mil
tress either erowed to the baby In th
cradle, or looked out TO see that no will
animals were prowling about. Moo
came and went, and nothing disturbe
them. The baby In the cradle went 0
to sleep, and she kept on with her worl
After time she rose and looked OF
again. This time she saw an sstoundIn
sighti Coming down the mountain sit
from the woods, she beheld full-grow
bear, not hundred yards distant. /
was on bis way to the yard where Il
sheen were in fold, aud she knew be vi
after the sheep. she had gun, but th
would not avail anything, for she hi
! never learned TO use II. She had an a
but she knew an sx 70 be poor weap'
s 10 fight bear with. The next thing O.
thought Of was pitchfork. Their 70
sheep were a treasure to the family. A
their winter clothing was 10 come fro
the sheep, and now that they were
peril, she was aroused to action. 4
one absorbing thought OF saving the she
baulshed aIl sense Of personal DANCE
instead OF shutting herself up in I
r. boase she darted out and closed the do
lest anything should mclest the bah
e z Tbsu summing iuto tbe log barn, $
sua,ched mp tie Pitehfork, ran afou
the barn, aud planted herself direc
& in the bears path. BrAndishing !
pl,chfork and screaming at him, she
tempted to scare him back to ,he woo'
But The bear was ravenous WIKI hung
and be came s,raiekt down the bill at
showing his teeth and growing nerce