Iron County register., 1881-12-08

GRANDMOTHER'S BEAR STORY.
The dear old grandmother who so
often told me this bear story has been
twenty years in her grave. She was
eighty when she died, and this hap
pened to her when she was only ten
years old.
She lived with her father and mother
In one of the pretty villages in Eastern
Massachusetts; but they were not very
well of. and the family was large, and
| they grew poorer and poorer every
year, until at last her father and mother
thought they would leave their old
home, and 60 away off in the northern
woods where they could have more land
toraise food. So, with half dozen of
their old neighbors, who were as poor
as themselves, they went up among the
green New Hampshire hills. There
were no railroads in those days, and it
took as long to journey over the hum
dred miles as it would now to make q
journey to Europe.
They were almost two weeks going to
their new homes; but at last, when they
were beginning to be thoroughly tired,
they came to the place: broad beauti-
full table-land shut in on every side by
lofty mountains, just growing green in
the bright spring sunshine. Here, on
the banks of a lovely little lake, they
made their homes, and not very near
each other. At first they had pretty
hard times, and they could not help be-
ing little homesick when they thought
of the blue sparkling sea that they had
seen every day of their lives until now.
The mountains seemed to shut them in
impassably from their old homes and
neighbors, and it was hard work clear
ing the land, planting and gathering in
crops; but women and children worked
clearings grew larger and larger each
year. They raised cows and sheep, and
at last each family owned yoke of
oxen.
''Ther," said grandmother, and here
she always began to warm in her mar
ration, 1--WE thought ourselves pretty
forehanded. There was only one
churn in the neighborhood, and that be-
longed to Mrs. Craig, who lived on the
river road about mile from our house.
One night when father went over to
borrow the churn, Mrs. Craig told him
to be sure and bring it back sometime
in the morning, as she wanted it her.
self So mother hurried round and got
the cream in before sunrise, and came
to my bed and told me if would Jump
up and churn l might carry the churn
home.
at was about ten o'clock when I
started for Mrs. Craig's. Itwas a warm,
lovely spring day, and the churn was
light in my sturdy little arms, and l en-
joyed my walk, which lay along the
banks of the little river, now swollen
with the late spring rains till it rushed
foaming and tumbling over the stones.
went happily along, now and then
stopping to pick violet, till just as
got about half way there / heard a
great noise ofcrackling bushes, and then,
right in the path before me, came a
great black bear with white face. He
was dripping wet. as if he had just come
up out OF the water, and he seemed sur
prised to see me, for he stopped and
looked at me, as much as to say, well,
little girl, where did you come from?'
But he didn't offer to touch me.
'.At first was too frightened to run,
and only stood and stared at him.
suppose this must have saved my life,
for since l have often heard that a wild
beast never attacks any one who has
the courage to look him steadily in the
face. Anyway, the bear didn't offer to
touch me, and by and by l began to
think might get away. So set the
churn down carefully, and then began
to go backwards, all the time looking
straight at the bear. who sat down like
a big dog and looked after me, but did
not offer to follow.
"At last turn in the road hid him
from sight, and then / ran as fast as /
could. Father was at work in a field
only q little way off, and / ran all the
way there. He stopped working when
he saw me coming, and l suppose
must have looked singular enough, for
I had lost my bonnet, and my hair was
flying in the wind; and l jumped right /
over the low fence, and ran up to him |
and put my arms round him and began |
to cry.
: ".Why, Bettyr he said. whats the
matter"
..But couldn't speak.
''Betty,' he cried. tell me quick !
what is the matter? Are the children
or your mother sick or dead?'
Il shook my head. No. I man.
aged to say, . it's the bear
"s The bear!' he exclaimed, looking
quickly around. why, child, there's
nothing here! Did you think you saw
q bearp
by this time had grown a little
and 1 said, Il did see one.
Mother sent me to carly the churn
home. and just as got by the Bend, 1
heard noise. and a great black bear
with white face stood right in the
road before me-
."Oh. how father laughed at that!
"'Why, Betty he said, there nev-
er was bear with a white face. It
was only Mrs. Craig's black sheep; you
know that has white face.'
''.But know it was a bear,' l per-
sisted. and it sat right down just like
Carlo. and watched me out of sight
-. Well,' said father, Il s. pose
must go with you and see about it; but
guess you II find it was nothing but a
sheep; and he laughed again. said
nothing, but took his hand and we went
back to the road. n
.''Well,' said father as we came in
sight Of the churn still standing where