The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-05-05
THE PRAIRIE FIRE.

The round golden gun rose slowly ND
into the gray morning sky; long, very
long before the first dim streaks Of dawn
had stolen in through the assures in the
rude canvas tent, Horace Gray and his
young wife, Gertrude, were ND and
doing. Only the first night of their stay
In their new Western home had passed,
and there was much for them to accom-
phsh ere the sun went down again. They
had brought only few of the. most
necessary articles of household furniture
with them; and Horace was to return
that day to a rude settlement miles away,
to bring the remainder.
Such was their haste that no fire was
klndled, and the remnants of the last
nights supper sufficed for their simple
breakfast. In few moments the horses
were harnessed and waiting, and then
!. Horace Gray came back to bid his wife
goodbye ere he started. Softly stealing
his arm round her slender waist. he
gently drew her towards the tent-dcor.
: where they could gaze upon the mapni-
ficent prospect around them. Away in
the distance as far rs the eye could reach.
containing acres upon acres, stretched
the wide, rich prnirie, covered with long,
tangled grass, crisped and Drowned by
the October frosts, ripping gently in
the soft zephyr-like winds which pIayed
through it like tho blue waves of the
great ocean which stretched so many
weary leagues away, over the tops of the
great trees which bordered the western
horizon.
Opposite them, not many hundred
yards away, ran and sparkled little rill.
dancing joyously in the glad morning
sunbeams, curving partly round the
tent, and parting just below it only to
unite few feet beyond, leaving n little
miniature island of fairy-hke beauty and
proportions, around which the low muir
mur!ng ct the waters made perpetual
On the left hand, far away in the dis,
'5ant east, stretched long growth of
heavy woodland, now 'crusted with the
autumn gold, as if aping the rich west
ern sunset, seeming to mingle its bill
lowy foliage with the dim, gray sky
which bounded the distant horizon. In
the north, behind the tent, only the great
grass grown prairie rolled away as far as
the eye could reach, covered with the
lights and shadows of an October morn
ing, gemmed now and then by the few
gorgeous autumnal flowers which the
frost had left untouched, and which
gleamod richly forth in the mazy depths
of the brown; tall trees.
Horace Gray gazed long and curiously
mt thus truly magnificent scene and then
bending tenderly over the slight form of
his delicate yolng wife, he said, earnest
ly: have not. yet asked nv Gerty
how well she likes her new home"
These words. were spoken anxiously,
and the speakers voice trembled a yery
little but the young wife looked up with
Albright, cheerful smile upon her face, as
she said, enthusiastically: "There isno
need of it,. Horace; love it already. ]
little thought, when L left my dear East
ern home, to what fairy land you were
taking me. :" know I shall be perfectly
contented here, with this lovely scene
spread ont forever before me. Only
see, she continued, her sweet, girlish
lace lighting up more and more, what
SOFT, beautiful sky stretches above u.s.
and what splendid country around
HOW gorgeous is the 'coloring of these
late howers.;; how. soft and billowy. the
prairie looks how grand and solemn
those dark old woods .yonder and how
sweet and peaceful that little rill which
meanders along 80 joyouslyl Oh, m,
Horace will we not be happy here. 2"
She lifted her eyes confdinely to he,
husbands face, as she concluded speak
ing, and with a glad, happy heart ht
clasped her again and again tenderly tt
his BOSOM.
"Dear Gerty, he said, earnestly. "]
have 80 often feared that you woulf
droop and pine in this lonely place, tina;
u makes @s very happy to bear 70,