Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-02-24

| The relghbors c2me--0nly IOuf OF
five families in radius of ten miles
and wept with the widow and
fatherless. With their assistance
the lifeless form was inclosed in a
rough coffin and buried in q corner
of the wheat field near by. No ser
mon, no prayer except the silent
prayers that went up from aching
hearts. Winter was approaching.
Could human experience be more
dreary than woman left a widow
alone with her children in wilder
ness swept with wintry storms. The
howl of the wolves and the cry of
panthers never sounded so terrible
as during those desolate winter
nights. 1t seemed to the weary ones
that spring would never come again.
But at last it dad come, and swept
away the snow and ice The dead
things of the field and forest return
ed to life, save only the dead in the
corner Of the wheat field, and hope
was not revived in the cabin. There
was no money in the house, there
was debt on the farm, and the food
supply was limited.
Then Mrs. Garfield sought the adj
vice of a neighbor, who had been
kind in her time of trouble He ad-
yised her to sell the farm, pay the
debt, and return to her friends, be-
lieving it impossible for her to sup
port herself and children there. Her
reply was characteristic:
81 can never throw myself and my
children upon the charity of friends.
SO long as | have health | believe
my Heavenly Father will bless these
two hands aud make them able to
support my children. My dear hus-
band made this home at the sacrifice
Of his life, and every log in this cab
in is sacred to me now. 1t seems to
me a holy trust that | must preserve
as faithfully as | wogld guard his
grave"
Her neighbors left her, and she
went to Friend that never fails, and
asked God to make the way of duty
clear to her; and when she came
from her place Of prayer she felt
that new light and strength had been
given to her. She called her oldest
son, Thomas, to her, and, though he
was only child ten years Old, she
laid the whole case before him.
With the resolute courage of his
race, he gladly promised that he
would pillow and SOW, cut wood, and
milk the cows, if she would only
keep the farm. so this brave moth
er and son commenced their work.
She sold part Of the farm and paid
every dollar Of debt. Thomas pro-
cured a horse, plowed, and sowcd,
and planted The mother, with her
own hands, split the rails, and com
plctod the fencing. But the harvest
was still far away, and the corn was
running low. The mother carefully
measured her precious grain, counted
the days to the reaping time, and
finding it would be exhausted long
before shat time atthcir present rate
Of consumption, she resolved to live
on two meals a day herself, that her
children might not suffer. Then, as
the little store rapidly disappeared,
She ate but a single meal herself,
concealinc her scIf.genial from her
children, until the blessed harvest
brought relief. That year it was
very abundant, and the wolf Of hun
ger never came so near their door
again.
Still there were many years Of
hardship and self,dcnial, in which
the brave woman had to he father
and mother, teacher and preacher to
her children, She was the wise and
tender friend, guiding them in
the right way, and inspiring them to
choose the best things in life. She
still lives to see her great reward,
sand her children rise up and call
her blessed.
The Nations Capitol, honorcd as
it has been by noble women, has
never received within its doors n
grander, more heroic, and nobler
woman than it will have in the per-
sou Of the mother Of President Gar
field, and she is not only an object
Of the Nations admiration, but the
recipient Of It's homage.
FRANCE has issued an order Of