The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-11-20
A RACE WITH WOLVES.
Hetoism of a Pioneers Daughter
BY WILLIAM KENNEDY.

A kACE WITH WOLfES.
Heroism of q Pioneers Daughter.
BY WILLIAM KENNEDY.
OF the many lovely counties of New
York, none present stronger points of
attraction to the lover of the pictur-
esque than the beautiful county of Sui
ivan. Masses of rocks lay piled upon
one another in such magnificent disor-
der as if tossed there in the antedilu
vian revels of some of our gigantic first
fathers. The roads wind broken and
uneven through every variety of hill
and dale, on one side not infrequently
rising in some lofty mountain, waving
with clustering foliage, and vocal with
the song of birds, while on the other
descends as abruptly bristling preci-
pice, the rugged horrors of its yawning
gulf half hidden beneath mantling vines,
and only betraying its great depth by
the faint musical tingle of the stream
which hides in its grim bosom. But
uninviting as are the features it pre-
sents to-day, to any but the tourist,
sixty years ago SO formidable were the
obstacles it opposed deemed by the
farmer, that when Jacob Weir, . sturdy
Scotchman, with a large family
of tow-heads, built log cabin in
that region in the very heart of a mighty
forest, and installed himself and ssid
family therein, there were not wanting
some of his neighbors to hint that the
act qualified him for straight-jacket
and straw couch in . madman's cell,
Jacob only laughed the croakers to
scorn, hewing away the while at the
huge trees that hemmed him in on
every side with untiring energy and no
small success, and, spite of prophecies,
matters prospered with him. The crops
and the tow-heads grew apace-the one
bringing money into Jacobs pocket, the
other sunshine to his dwelling; and, as
years went by, he began to be spoken
of with due respect as a well-to-do and
thriving man. Nowhere was heartier
welcome to be obtained than at Jacob
Weir's. Friend or acquaintance, or
passing stranger, alike were sure of a
seat at the hospitable board, and a warm
nook in the chimney-corner. And such
a chimneyl none of your modern, de-
generate fire-places, but a vast, black
gulf, yawning almost the length of the
house, and piled mp to the very top
with huge logs of hickory and hemlock,
that cracked and blazed as though they
enjoyed being burnt. No wonder hos
pitality is out of fashion now; for what
man could ask another to take seat in
the corner of his range?
It was in the early springtime of the
year that our story commences. when
Jacob and his family were gathered
around the hearth, as was their wont,
after their plain but abundant supper.
Bright and strong blazed the fire, cast
ing Pickering shadows on the rough
ceilings and rougher walls, flashing red
ly back from the well-scoured pewter
on the dresser, lighting up the ruddy
countenance of old Jacob, and the
handsome ones of six tall, broad-shoul-
dered and strong-imbed SONS, and,
finally, throwing whole halo of light
around the spot where sat the torment
and the idol of the household, saucy,
daring Kate, Jacobs only daughter.
She was of the tallest height of woman,
and her superb form, unshackled by
the restraints of AIT, had all the elias
ITCHY and subtle grace which nature
alone can give. Her features were no.
BILE and regular in outline; her eyes
large, clear and blue as the heavens,
and her wealth of golden hair that,
when unbound, flowed almost to he,
feet, would have been the envy and de-
light of a fashionable hair-dresser. In
short, she was handsome, frank, unso-
phisticated girl, not in the least re.
sembling the mincing, waddling
many-skirted bellies who walk,
or rather trundle, through our
streets, with hollow chests, STOPPING
shoulders, sallow skins daubed with
rouge, with lack-luster eyes, that meet
us with cold, calculating stare. Nor
was she, indeed, what could be termed
a proper young lady; for, her mother
dying early, and there being no neigh
bors save the birds and squirrels, her
education had been conducted on ra-
ther an original system by her father
and her brothers. She was not what is
termed accomplished, for she had never
seen piano, knew nothing of crochet
work. and could neither dance mol
speak bad French. But she was q goot
shot, rode well on horseback, and was a
swift on foot as Camilla herself; be
sides being deeply versed in the sub
lime arts of bread and butter-making
stocking-darning, mendipg, and al
those other feminine mysteries o
which the masculine mind is so pro
foundly ignorant, yet which tend 81
greatly to our comfort and delectation
1 am not prepared to say, either, tina
she had what the ladies call good tast
in dressing, though it would be Difficult
to find more charming figure than sh
presented in her gray, home-spul
dress, and neat little collar, or at less
so thought Alick Harden, on the event
full evening of which we are writing
Said Aick was gay young student
who came to this wild region to spen
his vacation in hunting among th
mountains, and had nearly finished
by serving as lunch for huge panther
when he was fortunately rescued by tw
of Jacobs sons.
The wounds he had received were br
slight, and he quickly recovered unde
Kate's careful nursing; but he still lii
gered unaccountably, though he man
tested no disposition to accompany th
boys on their various excursions, seen