New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-02-06

ness, and there was the distance from th
= market, aad there was the bitter cold, an
there was the blighting heat, and Away
i. there were the babies, and besides, ther
. were the Indians.
Yes, an Indian story. "Truly, homes,
IT," as my little friend T-otty would say
J. live lndisn story; and though it isn't
very long one, it is every ord true one
Most true things are not very long il
this world, unless you except the mora
D law or the multiplication table, or a few
such things as that.
John, and Susan, and Tenn, and Titus
o and Betty, and the new baby, and tn
newest new bsby (when it came) got alonf
, pretty we'll with everything else; but i
wasn't pleasant to see an Indian com,
! walking by with tomahawk Just as yor
, we're quietly sitting down to supper; ane
they got little tired Of sleeping with on,
ear open, listening for the awful, echoine
sound Of the cruel Indian war cry; anc
whatever might be urged against life as
coachman in England, at least it was 9
life in which ones attention wasn't called
SO frequently to the top of ones head.
'Mine is fairly sore" laughed Susan,
with thinking how it will feel to be
scalped."
But Susan was such brave little woman
And if there is anything very much needed
in this world it is brave women.
'I'u have gun, she said. So she had
gun. I'm be good shot" she said.
And quickly she became as good shot as
John. And when John was at work in
the woods of the garden, Susan gathered
her brood about her in the house, and,
lynx-eyeu as q sentry, and fne-eared as a
mother, mounted guard.
Now, there came q time when nobody
had seen any Indians for SO long a while,
that even the wise hear, of the mother
forgot to feel keenly about anything, in
this world, if we do not see tan absent
duty, or an absent friend, or an absent
terror-all alike they grow tritle dim or
dull
And one day, when Titus and Tam said
'Just one gallop on the prairie, mother,
with old Jerusalem" their mother said
"well, I don't know, and their father
said II guess Id let en- and the lynx
eyes, and the keen ears and the wise head
of the mother said not nay-and SO it hap
pened.
Old Jerusalem was the big white horse;
the faithful, ugly, grand old horse, that
took steps almost as long as kangaroo's,
ind was more afraid Of an Indian than
Titus and Tam.
So Susan kissed Titus goodbye tend
erly-for he was the good boy of those
remarkable twins-and that was why they
called him Titus and kissed Tam little
more tenderly still, because he wasn't so
good as Titus, and 80 had got called Tam;
and she said "Hold on tight" and John |
came out and said "Come home pretty |
soon;' and Tam got on first, and Titus |
got on behind him, and Jerusalem gave
one great bound and away they shot. |
elinging with shining bare feet to Jerusa-
lemts white bare back-for they were |
magnificent little riders, seven years old |
now, and bra We as cubs
Susan stood catching them after John
had gone back to his work-stocd watch
ing long after they had. swept away into
the great, green, beautiful sea Of the
treacherous prairie grass.
Uneasy? Not exactly. Sorry she had
let them go? Hardly that. She was a
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 did not
go into the house till the newest baby had
cried at least five minutes at the top Of its
new little lungs.
Titus and Tam and Jerusalem got pref
" far out on the beautiful, terrible prairie.
How beautiful it was! 1t did not seem as
f it ever could be terrible if it tried. The
green waves Of the soft grass rolled mad
y. The wind was high. The sun was
70 bright they could not look at it. The !
trong Lorse bounded very mighty leaps. :
The boys could feel the muscles quivering J.
nd drawn tense in his soft, warm body. =.
S they clung 1t was like being horse :
ourseH. They did not know which Vas
lorse and which was boy. They laughed
BECAUSE they could not keip it, and
houted because thej did not know it.
Ii Hi ! 0, the sun, and the mad grass, P
nd the wild wind Hi Hi Yi-i-i Who
ould be two boys on such prairie, on !,
ach day, on such horse, and not yell !.
Ike little wildcats?
''It's pretty" said little Titus, softly, 6
ghen they had got tired of yelling.
You betr' said Tam, loudly. Hi! .
Ii! Hi! Yi-i-ee-ee!' a
Il guess We ought to go back" said :,
'itus pretty soon; Titus was SO much y
acre likely to remember to be good.
ooh, no" said Tam, who was gener-
lily little bad when there was chance. .
Father said to come home pretty II
Don, " said Titus .
"But," urged Tam, with bright air.
mother said to hold on tight. Hi VI. {.
ir'
"Ah! what was that? What was it? 7
ould Jerusalem answer? Can the wild 8
'inds talkn Will the mad prairie Speak? a
he sunshine is tongue-tied, and the great =
~ is dumb. But something answered h
am O'Shanter's shout.
O, there! 0, Titus! Quick. quick, quick! g,
urn him round, Tam. Turn Jerusalem g g
ound! Injuns! Injuns! Oh, wish we !;
admit come! What shall we do? Oh, -
am, they've all got horses, and they're y
oming straight! Get up, Get up! Oh, e
erusalem. do hurry! Old fellow, do get h h
s home! Good boy! Good old fellow! -
Oh, Tam! they'v got arrows, and they're !,
shoot! ~
Pretty little Mrs. Jacobs had got the W
ewest baby to sleep, and got the baby c,
lat wasn't quite SO new to sleep, and o.
wen Betty her patchwork, and sent her n
usband out his beer, and swept the
itchen, and built the fire, and started IL
lpper on the way, and don't know what c.
lse besides, when that fine mothers ears D
hers detected, through the sough of the Ii
md upon the prairie, sharp, uneven, s,
nd, to her notion, rather ugly sound.
Betty was sitting in her door, but she b
card nothing. The sleeping babies did il
OF stir from their baby dreams. John e,
as in the garden, but John heard never in
sound. ~