The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1877-06-28
THE BABES OF THE PRAIRIE.

THE BABES OF THE PRAIRIE.
" BE quiet now, Willie, and you too,
Mary. Sit down on your little stool and
be just as still as mice. I've just got
the baby asleep, and I want him to
have good long nap, for he isn't bit
we'll. There, take your primers and read
your A B C's" And the mother took
from the upper drawer of the bureau the
carefully treasured books.
"But I'm SO tired Of sitting STILL" said
the little boy. "Maynt we go out doors,
MAJ Say yes, do. Well only go down
to the barn. Say, maynt we 90 to see
the two little bossies2'' And he looked
up pleadingly into her face.
Little Mary jumped up at the same
moment, and tossing her primer on to the
bed, joined in with "Do, ma. do-there's
a good ma. Cause tho bossies are so
cunning, do love to see Them"
Yes, 60 little while-but mind and
be good children, and don't take down
the bars so the calves can get into the
garden-do you hcar2"
They had been gone half an hour or so,
when they came rushing into the cabin,
cxclaiming with one voice: MA, ma.
mayn't we have our little pals and go
strawberrying? There's whole lot of
them right on the gopher mound, 'tother
side of the barn, and they're just as red
and ripe as they can be. Do let us go
and get them. There's enough for nice
shortcake, and pa loves them so, and
they'll taste so good to him when he
comes home from the mill so tired"
The indulgent mother took down the
little pals, and handing one to each, and
bidding them be careful and not stain
their clean aprons, watched them until
their little dancing feet had carried them
to the place they spoke of.
SHOW glad they are!' she said to her.
self, as she turned from the door, "and
how proud they will be when they get
their pals full" And she resumed her
patching.
Tired she certainly was, and half sick,
though she would hardly have owned
that, and as she sat there now, "plying
her needle and thread" she was sensible
of unusual fatigue, and in spite of all her
efforts, her patches set awry, and her darn
ing was uneven. There was pleasant
drowsincss in the soft hush of the golden
summer afternoon, and after while she
yielded to it involuntarily, and closed her
eyes. Starting up ere she had hardly lost
herself, she ran to the door. The two lit
tie ones sat side by side upon the gopher
mound, and the echo of their CHEEKY voices
was the only sound that broke the intense
quiet OF the prairie.
"They are so busy, and the baby is SO
sound asleep: believe I'll lie down lit
tic while, for my back aches terribly and
my head is just ready to split with pain
William says ought to take nap every
day after dinner, but dear me, wonder
when the sewing and mending would get
done if did"
AS she spoke she drew mosquito bar
over the cradle, and turning down the
neat patchwork quilt that covered the
bed, dropped off her shoes and stretched
her weary frame on the white sheets
The weary woman unintcntionally slept
on, and did not wake until the cry OF
the hungry babe in the cradle reused he1
up.
With quick, nervous movement, she
sprang from the bed and drawing it tc
her bosom, ran to the door, TO her sur
prise it was almost sunset. Her first sor-
row was, that she should be belated with
her supper, and the thought of her tired
husband coming home and having to wait
moment for his meal was not to be en-.
dured. With the baby 8 lips still clinging
t. her bosom, she hurried to the stove and
took off the griddles and raked out the
ashes: Then putting the only half salts
fed child in its cradle and giving it a
crust of bread to bite on, she caught IN
her kindling basket and ran to the chip
pile. She had filled it and loaded her
arms with wood, when she suddenly re-
mcmbered she had not seen or heard the
children yet. She looked anxiously to-
ward the strawberry bed. The little fig
ures were not visible. For moment she
was paralyzed with fear. Then she re-
covered herself, and saying: "They have
got tired and gone to sleep in the barn, as
they did Saturday." she hurried back to
the cabin and built her fire. Then draw
ing some fresh water, she filled the kettle,
ground the coffee, and put down the bacon
to fry.
II shall hardly have time to make
them their shortcake-poor things, they'll
be disappointed but I'll save the berries
and make one for breakfast" And Civ.
ing hasty but careful look at the stove
to see that the fire was burning bright
she threw on her sun-bonnet and ran tc
the barn. There were no sleeping chill.
dren there. She looked in the calf pen
The two little red bossies were nestled
clos. to the bars, looking out impatiently
for their mother COWS. but no little boy
and girl stood near them.
"Willie-Mary-my childrcnv
The words were screamed out as only a
frightened mother can scream. Echo an.
swered her, and then the silence was nm.
broked.
A stream headed up into the prairie
little further on, and beside it clustered
young growth of cottonwoods. It was
her last hope. and with frantic stems she
ran there. Mary's little sun-bonnet Law
on the bank, the strings stained with
strawberry juice. but where rested the
golden locks 1t had so often shaded?
The mothers limbs shook a. with
spasms, her throat felt choked, her brain
whlrled, the color went from her cheeks
and the light from her eyes; she sank up-
on the grass, feeling the weakness OF
death. 1t was dark before she revived
cnough to realize truly her whereabouts
And it was only after many struggles
that she at length rose and tottered to
ward home. W.
The baby was screaming in his father,
arms, and he, poor, weary man, as he now
paced the floor with the little WRESTLING
cnlld, and then stood with it in the door.
way trying to peer out into the gather.
ing shadows, wondered and wondered
again where his wife could have pone