The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1875-11-01
THE PIONEER BOYS.

iuI lVNLbih DVics
SO long ago as it takes for little boys
to grow great men, it was not so easy to
live in Nebraska as it is now, when the
great land commissioner Of the great
railroads hangs buffalo's head in every
depot in Boston, to show the world how
much more delightful is the society Of
butIhloes than the society Of Bostonians.
When John, and Susan, and tho
children, Titus aud Tom O. Shanter, and
BETTY, and the new baby came to No
hraska, that plucky young State was, for
tho most part, m ugly, bowling wilder
ness.
In the thick OF tho Wilderness Mr.. and
Mrs. John jacobs dug out for themselves
homo. Literally, they dug it ont with
their own bands. Susan was tough
little woman, with stout hands and q
stout heart, and she dug too. l think,
if the truth must be told, she rather en-
ioyed leaving Titus and Tam with the
other babics-thcro's no guessing how
much care one baby will take Of another
till you've tried-nud taking m ax to
help her husband fell trees and cut un-
derbrush, or taking hoe to hoe her
row in the darling little garden, out Of
which they meant to make n living, II
they died for it.
It was only because they meant to, so
very hard. l fancy, that they made the
living without dying for it. 1t was al
most worse Mt first thau coachman's
wages in Mother England. There was
tho newness, and there was the home
sickness, and there was the distance
from tho market, aud there was the bit
ter cold, aud there was the blghting
heat, and always there were the babies,
and besides, there were the Indians.
John, and Susan, and Tam. ard Titus,
and Betty, and the new baby, and the
newest now baby (when it camealong) got
along pretty we'll with everything else !;
but it wasn't pleasant to see an Indian
come walking by with tomahawk Just
,ls You were quietly sitting down to sup
per and they got IL little tired OF sleep.
ing with one car open, listening for the
awful, cchoing sound Of the cruel ln-
diau war-cry; and whatever might be
urged against life rs coachmRn in
England, ut least it was life in which
ones attention wasn't called SO frequent
ly to tho top OF ones head.
"Aline il flirly sore" laughed Susan,
"with thinking how it will feel to be
scalped I'll have gun," she said. So
she Ind gun. "I'll be good shot,
abe said. Aud quickly she became as
good shot rs John. And when John
wrls Mt work III tho woods or the garden,
Susan gathered her brood about her iu
tho house, and, lynx-eyod ms a sentry,
and iine-eared US mother, mounted
guard.
Now, there came time when nobody
lad seen any Indians for so long while
that evon the wise heart OF the mother
forgot to feel kceuly about anything in
this world. II we do not SEQ it IN ab-
sent duty, or m absent friend, or an ab-
sent terror-all alike they grow a triac
dim or dull.
And one day, when Titus aud Tam
said : "JuSt ono gallop on the prairie,
mother, with old Jerusalem, their
mother said: "Well, 1 don't know"
aud their father said ~ guess I'd let
EN- :" aud the lynx eyes, and tho keen
ears, and the wise he,pl OF tho mother
said her not nay-and so it happened.
Old Jerusalem was the big white
horse; the faithful, ugly, grand old
horse, that took steps almost as long As
II kangaroO's. and was more afraid OF IN
Indian than Titus and Tam.
So Susan kissed Titus goodbye ten
derly-for hc was the good boy Of those
remarkable Withstand TINT was why
they called him Titus and kissed Tam
little more t1nderly still, because he
wasn't so good as Titus, and so had got
called Tam and she said: "Hold on
tight r. and John came out and said
"Come homo pretty soon" and lam
rot Oh first, and Titus got on behind
him, ard Jerusalem gave one great
bound, and away they shot, clinging
with shining bare feet to Jerusalem,s
white bare back-ior they were magnif'
cent little riders, seven years old now,
and brave rs cubs.
Susan stood Watching thom after
John Ind gone back to his work-stood
watching long after they had swept away
into the great, green, beautiful sea Of
the trcachGrous prairie gnlss.
Uueasyl Not exnctly. Sorry she had
let them GOT Hardly that. She wns
sensible little woman, and having done
what she thought was right, had no idea
OF being troubled by it, till the time
came. But still she stood watching, her
hand above her eyes-this way-and she