Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-07-30

"a
! And afterward-it may have been in
another dream-she learned that the.I
wicked gnomes Of her strange dream
were the representatives Of those miss.
chievous and malicious persons ever
Astounding in life who seek to destroy
the character Of others by falsehood and
deceit but ever in vain il the armor
Of innocence covers the breasts of those
whom they would ruin While the |
shlewd little gnome, who was so differ
ent from~the rest, was her conscience,
and when all others who would destroy
her had failed, he alone knew and point
ed out to them her One Vulnerable
Point.
A Womam,s Noble Deed.
Well do 7 remember the howell under
the hill, situated on one corner Of a
little patch Of land that was used for
the double purpose Of garden and
orchard. 1 also remember the old
apple trees, which were planted in
struggling rows back Of the house. It
almost "sets my teeth on edge" to
think Of some of the fruit eaten from
those trees. But we children dearly
loved those grand old trees, not for
their fruit, but for the many rambles
We had in their huge tops. I also re-
member well the fence that ran up by
the kitchen, and which, in our childish
badness, we used to climb to prevent
younger brother from following when
we were off on ramb1e over the hills
OF in the forests! There are many
things that I could tell you of, that are
deep down in the recesses Of my memory,
and that time cannot eradicate.
But, above all, do I recollect the most
thrilling sight. that my childhood ever
| saw, and that time can no more eface
from memory than can it uproot Mount
Monadnock, which is situated near the
section where the events took place Of
which write to-day.
IF you will take large map Of the
| New England States you, will find, near
the southwest corner Of the State of
| New Hampshire, small river marked,
and upon its bank will be noted the
little town Of Winchester. About a
mile down this swift-traveling stream,
| from the above-named town, is the little
| cottage spoken of-or it was there only
few years since.
This little stream makes great falls
and tumbles as it twists and turns
among the powders on its way to join
the Connecticut river in its downward
course to the ocean. Above this cot
tage, which WAS but few rods from the
rivers bank, is fall, or succession of
falls, the waters of which rushes in and
out among the rocks in white foam,
and through which no boat can pass in
safety. Directly below this fall is a
comparatively still body of water, across
which it is safe to pass in a boat properly
manned, and with quiet nerves and
steady head. This "Still Water" as it
was then called, and is to this day, 7
suppose, only extended down from the
falls about hundred yards, when it
again commenced its wild career, and
went tearing and seething and roaring
down SO far, in fact, that am not sure
| that the falls wholly ceased until
they united with the more calm Connec-
ticut. Ny father had occasion to cross
and re.cross this stream, and SO provided
himself with skiff, which was pro-
| PEELED, not with oars, but with paddles,
by which, if you are used to boating,
you will knowiti is not SO easil y managed.
He had been annoyed by persons taking
the skiff and using it as they would their
own, and leaving it upon the bank which
most suited them, and paying no atten-
ton to the accommodation of my father,
even with his own property.
BE was SO greatly annoyed by these
selfish acts that he bought stout chain
and paddock and secured it to conven-
! lent tree when not in use. This saved
him a great amount of trouble but
! even this did not prevent unprincipled
| persons from taking his property, as
you will presently see. At the time of
| which Iwrite, the: railroad which now
traverses the river on its south bank,
| opposite our home, was being built, and
large number Of hands were employed
to work upon it, and little shanties were
put up along the line for the conven.
fence of the laborers, most of whom
were Irish. It SO happened, upon one
Of their Notification days, that party
of three came down from the town
above, and wished to cross over. Ny
father was away from home, and my
dear, kind mother, God bless her. was
attending to her family duties, when she
heard a cry for help come up from the
river. -
The three men had stolen the boat,
broken the lock, and were turning
round and round in the middle of the
stream, and making no perceptible
| Roadway, but were now fast approach
ing the falls below, in which no boat
ever went through and came out whole
The men had been drinking and had
been partially drunken from the effects
OF the liquor, but now were apparently
sobered through fear for they realized
| the great peril they were in. and Justify
I did they call for help. Ny mother took
in their situation at glance, and saw
| the cause Of their predicament. She
saw that they had committed two
wrongs, which led them directly to this
depending .disaster-the drinking of
lom tanother, the stealing OF the boat,
whereby they were now in fair way to
lose their lives. But with my mother
these things were insignificant in COM
parison with human lives, and she con-
Guided to do all in her power to save
them. But what could she do? It
seemed as though she could hardly do
anything. She knew that there was no
rope at, hand, and if she had one it
would have taken more than her strength
to have gotten it to them. But some
thing must be done. She saw that they
were nearly in the middle of the stream.
and were travelling fest, and yet faster,
toward the sharp and jagged rocks,
against which the impetuous water was
dashing itself into foam. No time was
to be lost. Two of the men were kneel-
ing in the boat and praying as only per-
sons terribly interested can pray. The
other had hopes yet in human help.
and hailed with joy the coming of my.
mother. Her thoughts flashed through
her brain with the rapidity of lightning,
and she saw that she could only do one
thing toward their escape, and that was
to command. Never will I forget the
appearance Of that noble woman as she
stood upon the embankment, near the
house, and commanded those weak men
to get up and work for their lives. And
they obeyed as g. child obeys his par.
ents-or should obey. They were by this
time nearer the further bank, and,
as the boat swung around with its
bow toward the shore, they were told to
paddle mostly upon the lower side, and,
at the proper time, as the boat began to.
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