Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-02-22

and there was the bnghtlng heat, ana dtrdW
there were the babies, and besides, there were
the Indians
Yes, an Indian story Truly honestly"
rs my little friend Trotty would say, n live
Indian story and though it isn't very long
one it is every word n true one. Most true
things are not very long, in this world, unless
! you except the moral law or the multiplied
ton table or n few such things as that.
John, and Susan, and Tam, and Titus, and
Betty, and the new baby, and the newest new
baby when it came) got along pretty well
with everything else but it rdsnt pleasant
to see an Indian come walking by with tom
ahawk just as you were quietly sitting down
| to supper; and they got "a little tired of sleep
! ing with one ear open, listening for the awful
| echoing sound of the cruel Indian war-cry
and whatever might be urged against life rs a
coachman in England, at least it was IL life in
which ones attention wasn't called so fire.
| quenty TO the top of ones head.
Mine is fairly sore. laughed Susan, with
thinking how it would feel to be scalped."
But Susan was such n brave little woman
| And if there is anything very much needed in
| this world. it is brave women.
I'm hny gum" she said So she lad
| gun. IN b. a good shot she said. And
| quickly she became MS good a shot as John.
| And when John was at work in the woods or
the garden, Susan gathered her brood about
her in the house, and, lynx-eyed as a sentry,
and fne-earsd as mother, mounted guard.
Now, there came II time when nobody had
seen any Indians for so long while, that even
the wise heart of the mother forgot to fear.
So quickly we forget TO feel keenly about any
! thing in this world if we do not see it,-au
absent duty or an absent friend or an alb
sent terror,-all alike they grow trihe dim
and dull.
And one day when Titus and Tam said.
Just -gallop ON the prairie mother. with
old Jerusalem" their mother said, well, |
don't know. and their father said Il guess
I'D let em;" aud the lynx eyes, and the keen
ears, and the wise head of the mother said her
not uay-and so it happened.
Old Jerusalem was the big white horse the
faithful ugly, grand old horse. that took steps
almost as long as Il kangaroo's, and was more
afraid of an Indian than Titus and Tam.
So Susan kissed Titus goodbye tenderly-
for he was the good boy of those remarkable
twns-and that was why they called him
Titus and kissed Tam little more tenderly
still, because he wasn't SO good Titus, and
80 had got called Tam 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,
clinging with shining bare feet to Jerusalem's
white bare hack-for they were magnificent
little riders seven years old now, and brave
as cubs.
Susan stood watching them after John had
gone back to his work--stood watching long
after they had swept away into the great
green beautiful sen of the treachcrous prairie
grass.
Uneasy? Not exactly. Sorry She had let
them goy Hardly that She was sensible
little woman; and having done what She
thought was right, had no idea of being troub-
lehby 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 new baby had cried at least five
minutes at the top of its new little lungs.
Titus and Tam and Jerusalem got pretty far
out on the beautiful. terrible prairie How
beautiful it was. 1t did not seem as if it ever
could be terrible if it tried. The green waves
of the soft grass rolled madly. The wind was
| high. The sun was so bright they could not
look at it, The strong horse bounded with
mighty leaps. The boys could feel the mus
cles quiyering and drawn tense in his soft,
warm body, as they clung 1t was like being
horse yourself. They did not know which
was horse and which was boy. They laughed
because they could not help it, and shouted
because they did not know it. Iii. Hi. q,
the sun, and the mad grass, and the wild
wind Hi. Hi Ii-i-i! Who could be two
boys on such n day, on such "A horse, and not
yell like little wildcats
| y
ha' got tired of yelling.
You bet - said Tam, loudly. Hi! Iii.
Hi. Yi-i-ee-ee"
Il guess We ought to so back, said Titus
pretty SOON Titus was 50 much more likely
to remember to be good
30. no. said Tam, who was generally u
little bad when there was a chance.
Father said to come home pretty soon, 20
said Titus.
81, 1.,.f,sl .f-
mother said to hold on tight! Hi! Vi!
vi"
All what was that; What ras it: Could
Jerusalem answer? Can the wild winds talk Z
Will the mad prairie speak; The sunshine is
tongue-tied, and the great sky is dumb. But
something answered Tam O. Shauters shout.
o, there O, Titus! Quick quick, quick.
Turn him round, Tam Turn Jerusalem
round IhjuHS! IHjUaS. O. ! wish We
hadn't come, What shall We do. what shall
we d0 ! o. Tam. they've all got horses, and
they're coming Strdighi Get up Get up
o, Jerusalem do hurry. Old fellow do get
us home! Good boy Good old fellow,
o, Tam They've got arrows, and they're
-to--SAOOt'
Pretty little Mrs. Jacobs had got the new
est baby to sleep, and got the baby that was
mt quite so new to sleep, and given Betty her
patchwork, and sent her husband out his beer,
/
started supper on the way, and don't know
what else besides, when that fine mothers
ear Of hers detected through the sough of the
wind upon the prairie, sharp, uneven, and,
to her notion. rather ugly sound.
Betty was sitting in the door, but she heard
nothing The sleeping babies did not stir
from their baby dreams. John was in the
garden, but John heard never a sound.
Only the mother heard it. Only the moth.
| in,
stant was out with hand upraised- so,
again bareheaded, stern-mouthed, anxious.
hearted, watching as those watch who have
lived much face to face with death-without
II word, She did not even call her husband
The time had not come to speak.
1t might have been three minutes; it might
have been less or more who could tell
: when John Jacobs, digging heavily over an
obstinate potato felt u hand laid lightly upon
his shoulder His wife stood before him
She was rs pale as one many hours dead
but she stood quite still.
John she said, in II low voice, come in
to the house a minute"
He obeyed her in wonder and in silence
He just dropped his hoe and went.
Now, shut the door, said Susan. He shu
it, shut the windows"
What's the matter Susan? Anything
wrong? Amt the boys in? What You
don't mean
"IIush-sh, Before the children Dent
john I'll tell you in minute. Bolt tn,
front door -
He bolted it.
Lock everything. Draw the shutters
4 Fasten them with case-knives besides the but
l tons. Is the cellar door tight? Betty, taxi
4 care of the babies minute for mother John
, come here :"
She led him to the little attic, and from tn,
I narrow, three-cornered window pointed to tn
prairie, still without a word.
4 And still, how beautiful it was How tn
e wind played like one gone crazy for Joy will
r the tender tops of the unbroken, unboundet
grass. And soft, as if the world had gone t,
. sleep for very safety, fell the magnifcen
western sun. Beautiful, terrible, treacherou
a thing