The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1882-01-07
QUEER COMPANY HOME.

QUEER COWT HUM T..
Susan Power, in Wide Awake.
We Brownlee children were delighted TO fine
the DAYS drawing in and the leisure Of the long
autumn evenings which came each year with 3
sense of novelty, once more upon Us. Instead OF
going to bed at nine with the sun just fairly out
of sight as in summer. now when work and sup
per were over, and the moon rising over the hill
there was a whole long evening before Us. We
felt as if we must celebrate this luxurious les-
ure, and fixed on going to our next neighb0r over
the south hill, nearly quarter of a mile away.
The quiet of late October night was around
us, with clear skies and the full moon shining
splendid above the autumn haze and the frost
mist glimmering in the air. The sweetest scents
of ripening grasses and resinous plants which
hangs long in the air. were blended with breath
of red leaves and ripening frost grapes in the
ravine at Pine Hollow two miles away. It was
the complete charm of northwestern evening, a
night for children to 60 wild with joy in the very
splendOr and temper OF the air.
People were always ready and glad to see each
other in those early days when neighbors count
ed for something. 1t made no matter that Mr..
Forrest was tricing King Philip corn for seed, or
that Kate and Ruth were slicing pumpkin for
next days pies. Work was our life in those
hardy Wisconsin days, and we had not learned
to pity ourselves for it. Work was turned off
with quips and Jokes, and we had more fun over
a busy day than girls nowadays find when they
lounge about with pockets full Of caramels and
give their minds to doing nothing.
l can see Ruth cutting up one of those great
dress fresh as paint, a glossy orange pumpkin
held between her arm and breast, with the sharp
knife turning off thin crescents to be paired and
cut up by the others. A good knife goes through
a firm, fne-feshed pumpkin with something of
the same feeling as a jackknife goes through soft
pine-a touch whose fascination has made gen
erations of whittlers and ponderers.
The oak fire burned briskly in the polished
stove and puffs of delicious air came in with the
opening Of the door, making the lamps burn
bright, while we girls pared and clipped the
golden rind and mother Forrest told us a story
of her own childhood.
None so ready for new country as an old pio-
neer; and this woman with her bright black
eyes and hair, contented with her children and
grandchildren on the new prairie farm, was
brought up on the mountain-sides Of west Penn
sylvania when it was the home of panther5 and
bears, who were very socially frequent and ia
miliar Her father moved from Delaware county
New York, when she was little girl, and she
grew up as much at home in the wilderness as
the catamounts. All summer long she roamed
the woods with her brothers and sisters after
berries and flowers and fun; the woods their
Fairgrounds from the time sap flowed in sugar
making till hazel-nuts were hidden b. the snow
The mountains were free, breezy, sunny home
for them; and though there were plenty of
creatures" that is, wild ones, the children were
wild and fearless, and brought up to take care Of
themselves.
II Want mite afraid of animals" said the
smart, comely woman, who never would grow
old "Only one thing skeered me, and that was
men. If saw or heerd of man outen the woods
would cut and run like deer. 1t was rough
hard set got loose among the mountains in those
times. But had the queerest comp'ny home one
time ever you heerd of, or anyb'dy else so far as
heerd from. The fall l was fourteen, my next
youngest brother and sister and me- father took
us down to the island, bout eight miles from our
place, to pick apples on shares. Our trees hedn't
got to bearin' yet, and we was mighty glad to get
'em this way, pickin' two baskets for the farm-
folks and keepin' the third for our own. We
went Wednesday, and were goin' to stay three
days, and father was coming with team for US
and the apples We gathered. We slept at the
farmhouse, and had plenty of provision along
and the folks gave us all the bread and milk and
cheese we wanted, and we had real larkin time.
By Saturday we were good ready to 90 home and
IN
nay next oldest brother came for US and said
father couldn't take the team off that day and we
were to walk home, and he would send for the
apples next week. We had between seven and
eight barrels picked, enough to do US all winter.
How them Pennsylvania orchards did bear those
times Bill had been started after us early in
the forenoon, but he played along the way and
took a swim and hunted woOdchuck, and pick