The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-10-04
The Babes Of the Prairie.

There, there, take your primers and your
A. b. C's.' And the mother took from
the upper drawer of the bureau the care
fully treasured books.
"But I'm so tired Of sitting STILL" said
the little boy. "Mayn't we 60 out doors,
Ma? Say YES, do, Wen only 90 down
to the barn. Say, mavn't we go to see
the two little bossese" 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 a "Do, ma do there's
a good ma. Cause the bossies are 50 Gun
ming | do love to see them"
''les, go Il little whIe-but mind and
be good children, and don't take down
the bars 50 the calves will get into the
barn-do you hear ~
They had been gone half IN hour Or SO,
when they came rushing into the cabin
eXclaming with one voice: q Ma, ma,
mayn't we have our little pals and go
strawberrying There's a whole lot Of
them right on the gopher mound, t'other
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
short cake, and pa loves them SO, and
they'll taste so good to him when he
comes home from the mill 50 tired
The ndulgent mother took down the
little pals, and handing one to each, ani
bidding them to be careful and not stain
their clean aprons, watched them until
their little dancing feet had carried them
TO the place they spoke Of
'llow glad they are y she said TO her
Il t,p Il klnt, Il
how proud they will he when they get
their pals full" And she resumed her
patching.
fired She certainly was, and half sick,
though She Wonld hardly have owned
that, and 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
daning was uneven. There was a pleas
ant droWSineSS in the soft hush of the
golden summer afternoon and after a
While she yielded to it involuntarly, and
closed her eyes. Starting up ere she had
hardly lost herself, she ran up to the door.
The two little ones sat side by side upon
the gopher mound, and the echo OF their
cherry 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 a lit
tie while. for my back aches terribly, and
my head is Just ready to split with pain.
William SAYS | ought to take 4 nap every
day after dinner, but dear me, wonder
when my sewing and mendng would get
done if | did"
As she spoke she drew Il mosquito bar
over the cradle, and turning down the
neat patchwork quilt that covered the
bed, dropped of her shoes and stretched
her weary frame on the white sheets. The
weary woman unintentonally slept on,
and did not wake until the cry OF the
hungry baby in the cradle reused her up.
With Il quick, nervous movement. she
sprang from her bed, and drawing it to
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
a moment for his meal was not to be en-
dureu.
With the haby's lips still clinging to
her bosom, she hurried to the stove and
took oil the griddles and raked out the
ttSiICN ltll putting lllC oiiiN llttll-H.ttlo-
| fled child in the cradle and giving it Il
crust OF bread to bite on, she caught ~
her kindliny basket and ran to the chip
pile. She had filled it and loaded hcl
arms with wood, when she suddenly re-
membcred she had not seen or heard the
children yet. She looked anXiously to-
ward the strawberry bed. Their little
| figures were not visible. For moment
she was paralvZed with fear. Then she
recovered herself, and saying: 'Thel -
| have got tired and gone to sleep in the
| barn. as they did Saturday. she hurried
| back to the cabin and built her fire. Thcl
drawing some fresh water she filled the
kettle. ground the coffee, and put down
| the bacon to fry.
''I shall hardly have time to make then
| their short cake-poOr things, they'll be
disappointed, but I'll save the berries anl
make one for breakfast" And giving {,
hasty but careful look to the stove to see
that the fire was burning bright she
| threw on her sun bonnet and ran to the
barn. There were no sleeping children
there. She looked in the calf-pen. The
two little red bosses were nestled CLOSE
to the bars, looking impatiently for theil
mother COWS, but no little boy and cir
stood near them.
"Wilie Mary my children ~
The words were screamed out us only /;
frightened mother can scream. Echo an
swered her, and then the silence was un
| broken.
A stream headed up into the prairie {
little further on, and beside it clustered {
young growth of cOttonWOods. 1t was
her last hope, and with frantic steps she
ran there. Marys little sun bonnet lay
on the bank, the strings stained will
strawberry juice; but where rested the
golden locks it had so often shaded?
The mothers limbs shook as viii
spasms, her throat felt choked, her brail
whirled, the color went out from he
cheeks and the light from her eyes, sh,
sank upon the grass, feeling the weak
ness of death. 1t was dark before she re
vived enough to realize truly her where
abouts. And it was only after man,
struggles that she at length rose and tot
tered toward home.
The baby was screaming in its father
arms, and he, poor, weary man, as b.
now paced the floor with the little wrest
ling child and then stood with it in tn
doorway, trying to peer out into the gath
erng shadows, wondered and Wondere,
again where his wife could have gone.
Something moved in the path betweel
him and the barn. 1t came neaIer-it as
sumed shape-it made light footsteps
was her, his Mary.
"What has happened, mother? Wha
ails you? Where are the children Speak
Mary, for heavens sake, and tell me wha
has happened"
A sob, a groan, and the falling Of he
body on the floor were his only answer.
"Wille - Mary-my children
lost on the wild prairie !"
In broken accents the words struggles
from her lips, as life returned to hel
Then, as her heart once more bounde
with strong, though uneven pulses, sh
reused herself, and standing upright