Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1881-03-12

ten miles s-and went with the widow
and fi.therless. With their assistance
the lfelcss form was inclosed in a rough
coffin and buried in corner Of the
wheat field near by. No sermon. no
prayer except the silent prayers that
went up from aching hearts. Winter
was approaching. Could human ex-
perience be more dreary than woman
left a widow alone with her children in
Il wilderness swept by wintry storms.
The howl Of the wolves and the cry Of
panthers never sounded SO terrible as
during those long desolate winter nights.
1t seemed to the weary ones that spring
would never come again. But at last it
did come, and swept away the snow and
ice. The dead things of the field and
forest returned to life, save only the
dead in the corner Of the wheat field,
and hope was not revived i'm 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 advice
of Il neghbor, who had been kind in her
time of trouble. He advised her 10 sell
the farm. pay the debt, and return TO
her friends, believing it impossible for
her to support herself and children
there. Her reply was characteristic:
Il can never throw myself and my
children upon the charity of friends So
long a. | have health | believe my
Heavenly Father will bless these two
hands and make them able to support
my children. Ny dear husband made
this home AT the sacrifice of his life. and
every log in this cabin is sacred 10 me
now. Ii seems to me IL holy trust that |
must preserve rs faithfully as | would
guard his grave"
Her ne,chbor left her, and she went
to the 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 10 years
Old, She laid the whole ease before him.
| With the rcsolute courage of his race, he
gladly promised that he would plow and
SOW, cut wood, and milk the COWS if she
would only keep the farm. SO this
brave mother and son commenced their
work. She sold part Of the farm, and
/ paid every dollar of debt Thomas
procured a horse, plowed and sowed,
and planted. The mother with her
own hands, sp,it the rails, and complet-
ed the fenciug. Bnt the harvest was
Il
! low. The mother carefully measured
her precious grain, counted the davs to
! the reaping time, and finding it would
be exhausted long before that time at
their present rate of consumption, she
resolved TO live on two meals a day her
self, that her children might not suffer
Then, as Tho li:;le store rapidly dis
appeared, she eat but single meal her
self. conceaIing her sclf-denial from her
children, until the blessed harvest
brought relief That year it was very
abundant, and the wolf of hunger never
came 80 near the door again.
Stlll, there were many years Of hard
ship and selfdcnial in which the brave
woman had 10 be father and mother
teacher and preacher to her children
She was the wise and tender friend,
guiding them in the right way, and in
spring them to choose the best things
in life. She still lives to see her great
reward, ''and her children rise up and
call her blessed"
The Nations Capital, honored as it has
been by noble women, has never receiv-
ed within its doors grander, more
heroic and noblcr woman than it Will
have In the person of the mother Of
/ President Garfield, and she is not only
an object of the Nations admiration, but
the recipient Of its homage.-Inter-
Ocean.