River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-06-28
THE BABES OF THE PRAIRIE.

/ nave GOOD long nap, Tor he isn't q, Dll
well. There, take your primers and read
your 4 ID C's.n And the mother took
from the upper drawer of the bureau the
I carefully treasured books.
But I'm so tired of sitting still, said
the little boy. "Mayn't we go out doors,
ma? Say yes, do. Wen only go down
/ to the barn. Say, mayn't We 90 to see
the two little bossiesln 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-theres
good ma. Cause the bossies are so
/ cunning l do love to see Them
+" Yes, go 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 hearl"
They had been gone half an hour or so,
when they came rushing into the cabin,
exclaiming with one voice: Ma, ma.
mayn't we have our little pals and go
strawberryingl 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.
"How glad they - 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 dam
ing was uneven. There was a pleasant
drowsiness 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 III
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 a lit
tie while. for ms back aches terribly and
my head is nist ready to split with pain.
William says | ought to take a nap every
day after dinner but dear me. wonder
when the sewing and mending would get
done if did
As she spoke ,se drew a 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 unintentionally slept
on, and did not wake until the cry of
the hungry babe in tho cradle reused her
up.
With quick, nervous movement, she
sprang from the bed and drawing it to
her bosom. ran to the DIOR. To her sur
prise it was almost sunset. Her first sor-
row was, that she should be belated with
I her supper, and the Thought of her tired
husband coming home ;snd having to wait
a moment for his meal vas not to be en-
! durcd. With the baby slips still clinging
( to 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 up
her kindling basket and ran to the chip
1 pile She had filled it and loaded her
arms with wood, when she suddenly re-
membered 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
4 ing some fresh water, she filled the kettle,
ground the coffee, and put down the bacon
to fry.
Il 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 a hasty but careful look at the stove
/ 10 see that the fire was burning bright,
/ she threw on her sun-bonnet and ran to
/ the barn. There were no sleeping chill
dren there She looked in the calf pen.
/ The two little red bossies were nestled
closC to the bars, looking out impatiently
| for their mother-cows but no little boy
and girl stood near them.
"Willie-Mary-my children
The words were screamed out as only a
| frightened mother can scream. Echo an
swered her, and then the silence was I'M
4 broked
A stream headed up into the prairie a
l little further on, and beside it clustered
4 a Young growth of cottonwoods. 1t was
4 her last hope. and with frantic steps she
ran there Mary's little sun-bonnet lay
on ,he bank. the strings stained with
/ strawberry juice. but where rested the
4 golden locks 1t had so often shaded
The mothers limbs shook as with
/ spasms, her throat felt choked. her brain
whirled. 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
enough to realize truly her whereabouts.
And il was only after many struggles
that she al length rose and tottered to-
ward home.
The baby was screaming in his fathers
arms. and he, poor, weary man, as he now
paced the floor with the little wrestling
child, and then stood with il in the door
way, trying to peer out into the gather
ing shadows, wondered and wondered
again where his wife could have gone.
Something moved between him and the
barn. II came nearer-it assumed shape
lit made light footsteps-it was her, his
Mary.
What has happened, motherl What
ails you. Where are the children
Speak, Mary, for Heavens sake, and tel
me what has happened"
A sob, a groan, and the falling Of hel
body on the floor were his only answer
Willie-Mary-m children-lost
lost on the wild prairie.-'
In broken accents the words struggled
from her lips. as life r. turned to her
Then. as her heart once more bounded
with strong, though uneven pulses, she
reused herself, and stsndiLs upright
caught her husband ~ the arm, al UClC
him -, a few 1.rsof 4arSe capfanreS tho caf