The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-04-04
The Little Pioneer.

Our little pioneer friend was Just as full Of
mischief little girls usually are and the chief
actor in many ludicrous scenes, some of which
/ will recount to you by and by
Don't you think, children, il must have been
terribly prosy sort of life for year-old baby
of the ordinary type, to go numbering along
over the muddy prairios in that long plodding
line of emigrant wagons, sometimes sleeping in
mammals lap, and at others chucked between
the boxes and barrels that contained the crack
ers and bacon that comprised the main portion
of their provisions: chucked there, not only to
save her from topping over with the sudden
jerk of the wagon as the wheels bounced into a
rut, but to give mamma chance to prepare the
food for cooking, when once they should turn
into camp for the night
Sometimes the cooking was but poor at the
best, as the wood to be found in the timber was
soaked by the spring rains, and the klndling-
why, they had no kindling
will not attempt to describe to you the many
bitter tears shed by the poor women in that
plodding train of OK teams, for they were in de-
spair to think how they had been led away from
comfortable homes, and made to toll amid such
terrible scenes and privations
But mammals trials and heartaches did not
seem to trouble baby much, for the faster the
homesick tears fell the harder baby jumped
and crowed. She rather liked it when they
forded the broad streams of water that lay
| sparkling across their path, for then mamma
| scarcely breathed as she clutched her tightly in
! her arms, and the water bubbling up around
| them, AMI sometimes running into their house.
as if to play "hide and seek" among the bar
rels, looked like great field of animated silver,
especially when the sunbeams danced gayly up
on them in their boisterous way. Baby didn't
mind going up and down the mountains bit,
| for, though mamma had to turn her face toward
the twilight beneath the wagon-cover, to keep
from topping over, as the great OK team toiled
up the steep path, all baby had to do was to
watch the long dark line of teams that looked
like great serpent winding through the valley
| beneath them, and thump her impatient little
| feet against the boxes that contained their food
But poor auntie, sick almost unto death,
stretched upon hard couch spread along tho
| boxes, could not turn around as baby and
mamma did, but watched the great animals
above her-thor backs bent into the shape of
! a hoop iron-in an agony of terror, momen-
| tarily expecting them to turn summersault
and land in her bedroom, where she stood on
her head awaiting the catastrophe. Then when
| the great bleak summit was reached, and the
animals went bracing themselves down
the narrow zigzag path, every moment
| in danger of the huge prairie schooner
| they were hauling tumblng on their
backs, mamma faced about and braced
herself for plunge into the yawnipg depths
below if the faithful beasts should lose their
| footing. And baby, clasped TO her shuddering
breast, clapped her tiny hands and crowed
| wildly, as If she understood the whole scene
was gotten up for her especial qualification
Poor auntie, helpless as an infant could only
moan in agony, az the scene was reversed and
| she found herself pressing her couch in per-
pendicular attitude, and helplessly sliding down
| among the goods in front, all the while feeling
as il shc was bllndfolded and being dragged
into the jaws of destruction without the shadow
| of hope. Through the little opening in front
she could look down on the long, serpentne
train of teams, curving in and out as they crept