Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-12-30
A BACKWOODS STORY.

| Aohu VI IlSlculuS, dua ILLS 10 one Ol
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GA young married couple, whom we
will call Mr. and Mrs. Edwards, had
settled few years ago ON what was then
an immense forest on the shores of Lake
Ontario. They made clearing which
they converted into a little farm, and
built a hut, which in a few years gave
place to more substantial log house; and
there they lived, with still afew wildcats
and bears for neighbors, while other
neighbors more to their liking were
slowly increasing in number around them
when this thing happened. ~.
They at that time had four children
and the name of the eldest was Maria.
She was aged twelve. The other three
were boys-Edward, nine; George, six;
and the baby, not quite old enough to
walk.
One afternoon the children were at
play, when Edwards was chopping in the
border Of the woods few rods from the
house tt- et..-H rr
"The wind had blown over large elm
tree, tearing it up by the roots, which had
lifted large mass Of earth with them,
and left hole in the ground six or eight
feet across and one Or two feet deep.
i" Over the north side of this hole the
mass Of roots and earth rose like the mud
| plastered end of log hut and afforded
the children a pleasant shelter from the
wind that autumn day as they played
| hnrCn J1o +ha +Ia hOJ
low behind the roots their stable.
j. . Mr.. Edwards was chopping at the
PROSTATE trunk near where it joined the
roots, and the children were having a
merry time just on the other side of that
shaggy wall, when suddenly he left his
ak sticking in the log and cried out: q
boys, it won't be safe to play there
any longern
| "' Why not?' asked Edward, who, like
some other children [ have heard of, al
ways wanted to know why he couldn't
do this thing or that, and often didn't be-
lieve much in the ao7y after he had
learned it. wish you'd let US; it's
real nice here.
g But this log is almost off. It will
drop in a few minutes, and then the
stump may drop back where you are by
its own weight. I've known roots to do
such a thing. So away with you, and
take the baby, if Maria hasn't taken him
already
"' Maria has gone to the house and
left US to take care of the baby said Ed
ward.
''' Well, take care of him, then, and
yourselves too '...+. .P
$50 the boys took the baby out of the
hole, Edward giving him a ride on his
back, while George drove, and went to
play in the woods little farther off.
"Mr. Edwards continued chopping,
and the boys soon became SO much inter
ested in some new game that they forgot
all about the baby while he, left to take
care of himself, and thinking, no doubt,
the hole behind the upturned elm roots a
very comfortable place, crawled away once
more in search of it g. ....s.l
Suddenly the trunk Mr.. Edwards was
cutting parted from the stump, and the
root, as he had more than half expected,
flew, back into its place with dull, heavy
thud.
"'There, boys, he cried, triumphantly,
you see now Ddg 1 didn't want you to
play in therer - q
"The two boys fastened to the spot to
see what had occurred but the father no.
ticed that Edward, as he ran, looked about
him. alarmed and confused.
What are you looking for, Edward y
his father asked. Where's the baby?'
''' He was out there-iust a little while
ago II don't know where he is Ed
ward stammered, and began to cry, with
terror. .I-It az
"He remembered that it had been all he
and George could dc, to- keep the baby out
Of the hole any time that afternoon, and
that he had last seen him. creeping away
in that direction. He was naturally a
good boy and very fond of his little BROTH
er. and the thought of what had now hap
pened through his negligence filed him
with the widest grief.
a. Oh, he is killed, l know he
shrieked, running frantically around the
stump and seeing how closely the tremen-
i dous mass had crushed down again into
the hollow. i '''.f
"Maria hearing the alarm, came run
ming from the house, followed quickly by
her mother. 4 terrible scene ensued.
The mother and children were beside
themselves with fright and terror. And
/ no wonder! Think of i'll that dear little
baby crushed under the stump, which 3
I hundred men could not novel ~ -.
@ Mr. Edwards alone kept his head
4 clear ."arl1s- aE
- Look In the woods he said TO his
wife, all about He may be behind some
log. Edward, Maria, run to the neigh
bors! tell them to bring their oxen and