River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-09-07

DdnQ, III was Llld1kleSS WORK,
but her love and devotion was
equal to everything. Had the young
soldier possessed 1.-THE Of her cour.
age and good sense he could have sur.
yiyed the terrible march to Canada in
as good ease as his fellOw.sufferers.
lie had fine constitution and no dis
ease. Day after day the heroic woman
prompted him on, taking the lead in
the bitter journey through swamps and
SHOWS, climbing cliffs, and fording
half.frOzcn creeks, and threading tan.
gled forests feeding him from her
own poor little store Of ember-baked
cakes, and eating almost nothing her.
self, till they were more than halfway
TO Sertigan, the first settlement on the
Chaudiere river, towards Quebec. The
whole history Of the women Of the
Revolution affords no more character.
istic picture than this-Fair-lady drag.
ging Faint-heart TO the war. II is
typical; it is allegoric. Only with
pride we remark it) very few of the
men Of that time were made Of such
stuff as rendered it necessary for their
wives TO use similar urging.
Having gone thus farWarner dropped
down completely discouraged, and this
time resisted all Jemima's entreaties
to rise again. She appealed to every
motive that could nerve a soldier, to
every sentiment that could inspire and
ennoble a man in misfortune and dis.
trrss but ii was all in vain. She told
him that relief must be before them,
and not very far away. For her sake
would he not try once more But her
pleadings and her tears were wasted.
The pluckless campaigner had made
his last halt. PROFESSIONALLY he was
very weak, and both husband and wife
were nearly starved. But comparing
the nourishment each had taken, she
should have been physically worse off
than he. II was her mental and moral
superiority that kept Jemima from
sinking as low as James. IL is not too
much to say to his credit that the poor
fellow was ashamed to live at his wife 5
expense, and that he should have
dwindled to such a gOod-for-nOthing
beside her whose champion and pro.
tector he ought to have been. lie
begged her to go ON and save herself if
she could, but to leave him and let him
die.
Jemima was not the woman to do
that. But her hope that the army.
finding relief, had perhaps already sent
back men to feed and bring forward
the stragglers, impelled her to go and
meet them. She might save her hus-
bands life by fastening the succOr on
the way. Failing to stir him TO make
another effort for himself, she filled
his canteen with water, and placing
that and the little remnant of her
wretched bread between his knees,
turned to go down the river in search
of help.
Good bye, James; you'll see me
again soon.
Good bye, Jemima but shall ney.
er see you again.
And with q heavy but dauntless
heart the noble woman hurried away.
She knew that ,'Ol. Arnold had gone
ahead of the army with some pioneers
some time before to procure and send
back supplies from the settlements,
and she believed that ere this the
troops were in the camp somewhere
enjoying the promised plenty. If she
met no one with relief, perhaps she
could keep on till she found her friend
If it was not too far. On her way
she did, indeed, meet boat coming up
the river. 1t was a birch-bark Canoe,
and in it were two army officers and
two friendly Indians. Overjoyed, she
hailed the party, told them her dis
tress, and asked them to take her hus.
band on board. But they replied that
il was impossible. They had been
sent after Lieut.. Macleland, q sick Of
ticer left behind with an attendant at
"Twenty-foot Falls" and the little
birch-bark canoe would only carry two
more men. They could only tell her
that the army had found supplies, and
where they were encamped. and spare
her food enough to keep herself alive.
Weeping, she turned back. and sadly
followed the canoe ~ the stream until
it was lost 10 view When she again
reached the place where she had left
her discouraged husband she found
him alive but helpless, and sinking
fast. Scores Of the exhausted and
furnished soldiers, his companions in
that fearful wilderness march, would
have been rs James Warner was, if
they had given way to their depress-
ing feelings rs he had done.
While the devoted wife sat by his
side doing what little she could for his
comfort, the canoe party returned on
the river, bearing the gallant. Maclel
and, the loving but dying officer. Poor
Jemima renewed her entreaties, beg
ging, with plteOus tears, that they
would take her husband in. IL was
40 matter for herself. She was only
a woman But could they not, would
they not save dear James!
No. All her prayers were useless.
In war, and in every deadly necessity,
decisions are quick and cruel, and the
estimates of men are peremptory.
| Maclcland was worth more than War
ner.
All hope had fled now. Jemima staid
faithfully by till her husbandbr athed
| his last. She could only close his eyes
and try TO cover his body from the
wolves. Then, when love had done
It's best, she strapped has powder horn
and pouch 20 her person, shouldered
/ his lillc, ana set ont on her weary
tramp toward Quebec Melancholy as
il WIS, one sees u certain sublimity in
the woman's act in selecting and car.
rying with her those warlike keep.
Sakes. Il was in perfect keeping with
the spirit or those tragic times. Ten.
der thOughtfulness of her poor hus.
bands martial honor outlived her
power 20 inspire him again TO heroism
ana made her grand IN the very for.
lnl-nmn.a ~ hnr snrrn., Nhn mn. L.