The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-03-22


renity of the silent forest. Five miles
under the pines, where one was less
tormented by mosquitoes, and then
came final one-a wade rather than a
walk. had forgotten the bog and the
corduroy had sunk quite out of sight,
though / could feel it now and then
below the black mud which held tena
ciously to. each foot by turn and yielded |
with long, slow suck, like smack OF
evil satisfaction over my tribulations.
Ten thousand hands could not have |
availed against that gray column of
mosquitoes, whose sound seemed at last |
trumpet call to Of ther columns, and |
which, in spite of headgear and leather
gloves, penetrated the unknown and
unguarded chink or crevice.
Through the swamp at last and out
once more under the friendly pines,
and I ran, knowing the goal was near,
and seeing soon the flashing sunlight |
on the blue water. There was bend
ing figure near the lake. Along the
brook emptying into it corn and peas
and beans were growing, and, actually,
balsams and even sweet-peas at the
end
"My squaw has been brought over to
white mans fashions" I say half aloud,
and then stopped short, as the figure
sprang up and turned with subdued
"my. gracious II. when she saw the
mud coated and caked, torn, and most
disreputable-looking apparition before
her. So wan face, such watery and
faded, yet somehow intense blue eyes,
so infnitesimal a nub of hair, so
shadowy yet resolute a wrath, l had
never yet encountered, even in remotest
and most unfriended cabin, where a
woman's life means the speedy loss of
every trace of comeliness and grace.
"Well, L call it a providence she
said, coming forward with sort of
silent rush as if carried by the wind.
"The first day I've ever been lone
some mite or thought to care, but
he's gone below three days now, an
Shahweah off or berries, an did say
Jest now, be the pond there, it was a
leetle lonesome. An then to think of
white woman bein' what should see
1t does beat all ! Where be you from !?
reckon it's dry country you've left
behind you," she added with twinkle,
"for you have brought all the mud with
you. Now you come straight up along
with me, an I'll scrape you off some.
Where's your folks ?"
/ "Six miles back in mud.hole,"
answered. with the ghostly impression
still strong upon me. The voice was
Z only husky whisper, and nearer
4 view only intensified the bloodlessness
9 of the skin hardly hiding the poor bones
D below. The woman laughed.
a Yout think I'm q poor show" she
| q rs,,JI do. h11t Tn hao lfh
t itself to what was"
j "You were not here when l went up
S a year ago"
o I"No; I come in November. When
s you're in some of my clothes an have
d had cup of tea I'll tell you all about
y it. There's the house. Amt that pretty
IS for Gulf Lake? Kinder comfortable p
}. Comfortable A palace could moi
>. have held tenth of all the word meant
J, A "but and ben" only, but how
), spotlessly neat Morning -glories and
d hops climbing over door and window
n where white curtains hung snow
/. white bed, shut in by mosquito bar {
y square of rag carpet on the floor; stove
10 and tins polished to their utmost capac
L ity = one of shining blackness, thu
n other of shining brightness-a dresse
if holding civilized dishes shelf, wher,
ID two or three books lay-the Bible
Id Whittier's poems and "David Copper
a. field" and pile of well-worn papers
IN an old-fashioned rocking-chair witt
ID patchwork cushions, and eight stand
% near it and, to complete the curiou
mixture of old New England farmhous
er and frontier cabin, a warming pan hang
lg ing between the windows, its coppe
ne face shining like everything else.
IN "You think that's a queer thing {
Id tote out WestP" said my hostess, VIII
I'd had already spread cloth and put o
ad fresh water to boil for the promise
ad cup of tea. 81 'lotted on it before
Id was big enough to reach it, hangil
ut there in grandmother's kitchen up
ed Vermont, an when / went West, leas
lie ways what was West forty years ago
m to Pennsylvany-I took it along for ol
MP times, and then to Illinois an Minn
ht, sofa an here we both are up her
of You'd say it wasn't much more use tina
is, Timothy Dexter's ship-load for I'll
ed West Iniies; but he made a fortune OF
o. that, an I sort of expect good luz
os- from this one. Now, before th
for kettle biles, you might freshen up
all mite. The heft of il We won't {
is nothin' to till you've had your tea"
mas Words can never tell the delight
sit that fresbening-frst in cold water
sc, a real wash-basin, then the tea, drar
ing to an accompaniment of narrati'
mp poured out as if mere speech were
Gift straight from heaven. An i
J a domitable cheerfulness, a resolu
vas grasp of these shadowy threads of lii
,ier seemed the strongest characteristic
md this creature in whose faded eyes quiz
md CLEANS of expression came and weI
,ful and whose alertness and even vivacl
At were miraculous testimonies to the Il
the perious will that governed the III
| I lilo, bF mon NUao K M