The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-06-23

against him; the selectman's, that there
were no charges; and the innkeepersSy
for fair and gentlemanly behavior. "a
capital, do you say? But CHAR
the habit of industry and
the energy OF determined will are, On
the contrary, a great capital. To these
possessions having added that October
day, hundred acres of land, with It's
snug log cabin and sunny spot Of
clearing, it is no wonder that ne pausea
for a last glance of pardonable prides
A, hunting story to possess the genuine
flavor should be heard from the lips of
some veteran pioneer, who has him.
self braved danger and fatigue and for
gotten time and distance in the ex-
citement OF the chase, and whose dim
eye kindles in the recital, as in fancy
he sees once more the starting deer
and feels his finger tremble on the trig-
ger. So l will attempt no account of
Theron Brent's day of hunting, from
which he did not return till darkness
was closing through the gray. wet
twilight, for "a southerly wind and a
cloudy sky often "betekens' an
afternoon of rain and wet, and chill and
weary our hunter returned to
his dark, and cold, and lonely
cabin. 1t had now and then occurred
to him that womanly presence might
add to the cheer and comfort of his
bachelor abode; but that night, as
drenchcd and hungry he piled the flint
and finder with half-benumbed fingers,
these ideas, that had before been vague
~ intangible, crystalized into the clear
and definite form of q resolution, and
as the long-sought blaze cracked up at
last over the hickory logs, and he
spread his palms to the grateful warmth,
he said aloud with the emphasis of de-
termination, 81 will marry" He had
been going to add, "the first woman,
be she black or white, 1 meet" but
checked himself with the reflection that
such rashness might anything but inn
prove his condition, for, under the COON
skin cap and tow-logging frock of the
young backwoodsman, there lay hid.
den ideal, half fancy, half dreaming
hope of a love that should some day
crown his life and home, and gladden.
his weariest and brighten his darkest
days-an ideal that, phantom-like
though it was, stood in the way and
waved him back when his affections
strove to turn to Limery Pool, whose
cool nerve could bring down a. wolf at
sight, or Calista Satterlee, who could
boast of having carded. spun and woven
a garment in day, list that COM
prised the only eligible damsels from
which to choose within the township.
But the burning of the venison steak
he had laid upon the Goals recalled him
to his cherries surroundings. his pres.
ent discomfort, and he repeated with
even more emphasis than before, 81
must marry" .,,
It was a rude temple of learning,
that little log school-house set in a
niche of the woods among the hills that
rise from the Chagrin River, the oozine
sap at the ends Of the logs showing
how little while before they had fur.
nished home for free wild birds, in.
stead of forming prison for restless
boys and girls. 1t was. in truth, moi
only a new school-house, but the frs,
in the new township Of Kirkland. Its
location had been a long-considered
question; its erection an event of high
import, celebrated as a. general gala
day. Well might the handful of settlers
view it with just pride. Little and low
though it was, with four-paned win
dows, puncheon door and roof, and the
rudest of benches, was it not sturdy
scion of the grand liberty -loving edu-
cational parent stem of New England,
set in good ground and destined to
bring forth fruit an hundred fold? But
the reality. beyond which lay all the
future promises, consisted that first
term of only some dozen urchins, pre-
sided over by a brown-eyed, girlish
teacher, who received for her services
the magnificent salary of seventy-five
cents a week and the privilege o
boarding around in district that Gov
cred some four miles. The school
house having been delayed in building
the term has extended till the close o
October. But the last day has ended
the children have disappeared in tn
shadowy wood, and Joicy Sweet, tn,
young teacher, having hidden good by,
to her little flock, turns down tn,
rudely-marked road that leads t,
the, as yet, bridgeless river, which
having been swollen by autumr
rains, has prevented her from
sending word to her own home q mil,
or more distant on the other side 70
"brother Ben and the oxen to be il
readiness. The emission, however
matters little. Philemon Reed, who's
house perches on the river edge, ha
more than once ferried her over in hi
"dug out" and will doubtless rende
the same service again, while the littl
hair trunk can wait more convenien
season. But the primitive craft is gon
from its moorings, and inquiry of Mrs
Philemon ELECTS the discouraging in
formation that "he's gone down to tn
mouth of the river and it amt no way
likely will be back before mornin'.
Joicey turned away under chill clou'
of disappointment. She was no house
less wanderer; plenty of doors woul
gladly open to her, but she was tired o
boarding around. She wanted to e
home; had planned to 60. The frustra
ton of her purpose vexed her out O
all proportion to its importance, an,
walking down to where the slight
marked wagon tracks entered the waite
she looked long and wistfully across
with the smoke of her own Gimme
almost in sight, but yet so unattainable
Teams from the other side were not in
frequent, but now no creak of lade
wagon or shout of driver gladden. he
ear. Wearisome and fruitless in tn
waning afternoon her watch woul
doubtless be, and with q wistful sig
she was about turning away, when he
eye, glancing a little way above tn
ford, where two tall trees, the growt
of opposite sides of the river and UP
rooted in some forgotten tempest, had
in falling. caught and interlaced thei
tough and whitened branches, thu
forming a natural bridge across tn
stream over which she had often see
squirrels darting, and which one or tw
adventurous hunters were reported t
have dared. The sight seemed t
bring new thought to Joicey, and 70
several moments she stood lookin
from the rushing river, cleaning 8
cold and pitiless in the clear sunshin
to the slight and narrow causewa
snanninU IL IN bravo which would Il,