The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1876-01-07
CHASED BY INDIANS.
"A Ride for Life. !
A TRUE STORY by ELIZABETH STUART
PHELPS. ..--.--

H ii-i q .llr
How long ago [ cannot tell1but long
enough for two little boys to have grown
into two great men, and you can judge
how long that must be as well as /
there lived in gentleman's family in
England a pretty housemaid and an hon
est young coachman, and in course Cl
time-hOw much time or how little
cannot say, for this is matter in which
it is not so easy to Judge of time-the
housemaid and the coachman fell inlove.
1t was a very foolish thing to do, OF
course; but people do foolish things in
this world doceasionally,evens so foolish as
that, and don't know any better way
than for wise people, like you and me,
to look on and say, "I'm so glad it was
not | !" and then walk off. 80
The coachman's name, by the way,
was John, and the housemaid they called
Susan.
So one day, when Susan was standing
in the garden door with a clean white
apron on, and cruel pink ribbon in her
hair, John. came By with the silver
handledwhip in his band, which, he was
going topoIish up. He said: "Shsan,
don't like these goings-on with the but
Ter, and that's sthe TRUTH
EOuSd4 Sttluy Just OllTltlitS iitT Iesiu 50
that the unkindest bow in that merciless
little pink ribbon shown like star in
her beautiful hair, And what if do
take walk with the butler of an even
ing when / like? 1t amt any mans
business, John Jacobs" N
q don't know as it is,'' said John, re-
flectively ; it had never struck him in
that light before He wished it were his
Il - l. =
wouldn't say so; and Susan wished the
same, you may be sure, but she couldn't
say so; so he went away to the great
coach house with his whip, and Susan
sat down on the steps with her thoughts.
And so, pretty soon, when the honest
coachman came back, the pretty house
maid was crying. -if-.-...
Said John: Why, Susan"
Said Susan: "G-g-go away"
Said John; Z" You don't mean as you
cared because | was cross to you?
Sobbed Susan: " l d-d-don't know-owp'
Said John e Susan, will you have
me?"
Said Susan I" Yes, | will"
Now Pm not going to write you a love
story, because [ don't believe the editor
would think that was proper; but / had
to tell you about John and Susan, because
that was the beginning of everything,
and, as a love story is the beginning OF
everything, perhaps the editor will eX-
cuse us this. 5--- f
The long and short of it is that the
honest coachman and the pretty house
maid were married.. .1ea.
At least, that's the short of it; that
generally is the short of it; the long of
it comes afterwards.
The long of it came to John and
Susan when their children came. Two
at a time to begin with twin boys;
beautiful" boys, their father said-and
| their names were Titus and Tam O'Shan-
ter. And before Titus and Tam were able
to walk across the kitchen to the molasses
jug on their own feet, dear me bless it!
| there was another! -. f.s--g -s.as. So.
"But she's a girl" said John, and
won't cost so much
For John had just reached that des-
perate point in a young mans life when
| he first begins to suspect that it costs
| five times as much to support five people
as it does to support one. This is great
| discovery in domestic science, which
| you will.Obserxe, rs yOu grow older, peo-
pie seldom do make till they have
five people to support. s-.ss
| Oul buGll, YOU see. WHeu JDG llbbie
1 Ct think her name was Betty, but | can
not be quite sure) was beginning to
| talk, she had a Htle sister to talk to
| and that was serious.
Said John, decidedly, Ny dear, we
never can manage it in the world. How's
one coachman's wages to do all this?"
L Said Susan, .dejectedly ffor the-baby
and one twin had cried all, night 9. !
don't know, John, Can't we go to
| America?
And what should we do in America? ?''
aid John.
Live - said Susan: and her tired
black eyes snapped.
Well, the long and short OF that was,
they came to Nebraska; and here, per
haps, my story should properly begin.
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 bufalo's head in every
depot in Boston, to show the world how
much more delightful is the society OF
! bUifalos than the society of Bostonians.
When John. and Susan and Titus and
| Tam . Shnnter, and Betty, and the new
baby came to Nebraska, that plucky
young state was, for the most part, an
! uolv hOwlinp wilderness