The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1875-12-31


and she's powerful fretful and childish
like.n
"Thaven't tasted food since morning"
sobbed the woman, weakly, "and the
children and 1 are all half-starved."
The tOw-headed urchins were by this
time nestled as closely as they dared
around the smOuldering fire.
Madge, from her snug covert under
the bedding in her fathers wagon, had
heard all.
"Alieep' she cried, "AIice! wake up !
There's sick woman in camp, and she's
half-starved. And somebody's come
who will go for the doctor at daylight.
Let's get up and get the woman some
thing to eat"
mot if I know myself p' growled
Alice. "Shut up and let me alone"
81 wouldn't be such lazy, selfish
piece of worthlessness as you are if l had
to hang myself to get rid of my shiftless
body ~ exclaimed Madge, as, in petu-
liant humor, she crawled from her COM
Portable retreat and sought the camp
fire, where the five tow-heads sat and
eyed her curiously.
$50 you're hungry ?n she said, gazing
inquiringly into the face of the eldest of
the group.
Eyes; and we hain't got nothin' to
eat but some meal, without any salt or
meat"
"We've got big camp-kettle, and
lots o. milk and cream" said Madge,
running to fetch the kettle, and placing
it, half-full of water, upon the Goals,
while she knelt in the ashes to blow
them to blaze.
"What are you going to do Pr asked
Mrs. Morrison, as she watched her from
the tent.
"Feed these people on mush and
milk, and the sick woman on mush and
cream" was Madge's decided reply.
where's the salt ?"
"In a jar in the dish-box," sighed the
mother, turning to her husband, who
had fallen into deep, tranquil sleep,
and seemed, by the Pickering light of
the salt-grease lamp, to be happily
dreaming, so sweet and peaceful were
the smiles that played over his bronzed,
bewhiskered features.
In less than half an hour the hungry
children were busily engaged with great
tin cups of mush and milk, while the
one earthen bowl belonging to the Nor
rison household was given to the fam
ishing invalid, containing a shaking
mound of the jelly-like compound of
corn meal and boiling water, smothered
in the richest and purest cream, which
was each day converted by the chemical
laboratories of the family cows from the
juicy grasses of the prairie into the
sweetest and best of human food.
'Pve been hungry so long my appe-
tite is gone," sighed Mrs. Andrews.
"Women are crotchety creatures,
anyhow" said her husband, demurely.
''The very devil himself couldn't please
'em."
'If men or devils had to endure the
baby business under these circum-
stances, I guess they wouldn't be angels
under itv' retorted Madge.
"Come, daughter, don't be saucy r'
cried her mother, deprecatingly.
"He commenced it !" was the sharp
retort.
"Children must be seen, and not
heard" continued the mother.
"Why did God give 'em tongues and
opinions and wills if He didn't mean
they should use 'em ?n said the child.
"There's no use in trying to control
that girl !" sighed the mother; "yet
what on earth would become of us all
without her?
"JasonW W called the feeble mother,
from the depths of the Andrews wagon,
"this poor baby needs food and bath.
I haven't any food for him, and he's
nearly dead"
"Bother the youag-onesF exclaimed
the weary husband, as he took the wall
ing babe from its feeble mother and
shook it vigorously, in his nervous inn
patience.
40, Jason! You'll kill the little crea-
ture p' cried the mother, pitifulIy.
"Plenty of 'em left if didu' retorted
the father.
"Tm astonished at that baby for hav-
ing the amazing impudence to be bornW
exclaimed Madge, her eyes flashing
with indignation, as she took the
nesting, feverish little waf in her un-
calmly arms, and gazed with angry de-
fiance into the face of its father, who
hung his head as if abashed.
"The little ootzy cootzy sail have its
supper! An Madgey'n fight for it, if
sc is tired, so Ter will % exclaimed the
child, as she, under her mothers direc-
tion, fed it diluted cream, while, with
its little pink toes turned up before the
fire, it both kicked aud ate vigorously.
'I'm cold ~ cried the voice, in the
wagon:
"If hadn't anything else to do but
stay in bed, could keep warm ~
growled the tired husband, as he strug-
gled to pitch the tent and prepare the
beds for the weary children, half of
whom were already asleep by the fire.
mo woman ever had any trouble