Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-05-30

Who parts in the middle his hair,
Meier racks his poor brains
With deep thought, yet sustains
His bewitching society air!
ROMANCE IN REAL LIFE.
Robert Myron was the son of an Eng
lish tenant-farmer, who in the year
184S found his family expenses increas-
ing 80 much faster than his income that
1t was absolutely necessary to decrease
the former, since the latter could not be
made larger.
In the hope of being able to assist his
father in some way Robert came to this
country, and failing to find employment
near the metropolis walked from town
to town, until when near Rochester,
New York, he was hired as farmer la
ing six years young Myron worked in
dustriously, sending nearly all of his
earnings to his parents, and then came
the sad news that both father and moth
or had died on the same day. After re-
covering from this shock it was but ma.
tural the young man should begin to
think of establishing home for himself,
and quite as natural that his love should
20 out to the daughter of his employer,
who plainly showed her preference for
the young man who had 80 devoted
himself to his parents. But Judge Ber-
ry, while he recognized in Myron an in
valuable farm laborer, had not the same
views regarding him as a son-in-law
that Miss Bessie had, and the conse.
quence was that the lovers, finding it
impossible to change the fathers opin-
ion, resolved to elope and build up for
themselves home in the far West.
In 1858, with but few hundred dol.
lars and the judges curse, the young
couple were married, and settled at
Green Lake, Michigan. where, at the
beginning of the year 1862, they were in
reasonably prosperous circumstances,
with two children to make glad their
humble log cabin. Their farm was sit
ueted several miles from any settlement,
and although the Indians were rising
against the whites in many portions of
the State, neither Mr.. nor Mrs. Myron
felt any uneasiness, because they believ-
ed they had succeeded in establishing
the most friennly relations with such of
the "forest children" as they came in
contact with. Therefore they were by
no means alarmed when one day five
Indians stalked gravely into the cabin
just as the MONDAY meal was being
served. It had ever been Mr.. Myron's
custom to invite such visitors to partake
of food, and on this, as on other occa-
sions, they readily accepted the invita-
ton but, greatly to the surprise and
uneasiness of their host, instead Of plac
ing their rifles in one corner of the room,
as usual, they held them between their
knees, the muzzles of the weapons show
ing just above the edge of the table.
Mr.. Myron was too well versed in In
dian customs not to know that such &C.
ton on the part of his guests meant mis-
chief. With the view of showing them
that he understood this breach of hospi-
tality, and in the slight hope of intimi-
dating them, he arose from the table,
took from the rack on the wall his rifle
and fowling piece, and carefully ex-
amined them to show they were loaded.
Why the savsges did not attack him
then is one of the inexplicable things in
Indian warfare. Instead of making any
hostile demonstrations they stalked
gravely out of the house, disappearing
behind clump of bushes.
For the moment Myron believed he
had wronged his guests, and that they
had taken umbrage at his movements
when their intentions were peaceful
Still holding his rifle in his hand, Ny
ron stepped to the open door for the pur-
pose of ascertaining whether his guests
had really departed. When the farmer
appeared on the threshold the report of
rifle was heard, and Myron fell, with
dangerous but not necessarily fatal
wound in his side.
Women who live on the border, where
they are constantly menaced by danger,
learn early in life that they must deny
fhonnco1vyoc n 10 ivri1 0f vof
ing. When Mr.. Myron fell, his wife
sprang to his defense rather than assist
ance. To close and barricade windows
and doors was but the work ola moment
when everything was prepared for such
occasions, and then the heroic woman
turned her attention to her husband
and children. The fathers wound bled
but little, and save to stanch the blood
the devoted wife could not aid him, ex-
cept by piling the bedding around him
in such way that, in a sitting posture,
he could face the closed door. The tenn
porary safety of the children was secur-
ed by fastening them in the cellar, where
they would be beyond the reach of any
bullets their late visitors might send,
and after she had perfected her plan of
defense she began to assume the often
sive.
By removing the mud that filled the
crevices of the logs at the end of the
house, loop-holes were formed, and
through these the husband and wife be-
gan an assault upon their foes. With his
rifle Myron shot one of the Indians, and
with the fOwling- piece. By this time
the foe, finding their intended victims
more tenacious of life than they sup
posed, resorted to stratagem to accom-.
plish the massacre. In the field was
cart half filled with hay; in the stable
yard stood yoke of oxen quietly eat;
ing. To fasten the animals to the cart
and not expose themselves to the dead
ly aim of those in the house was diff
f1cult task, but one that the Indians
finally accomplished. To get the load
of hay against the building, that it
might be set on fire, was still more diff
fcult, and in this case unsuccessful, for
before it could be done both husband and
wife had shot an enemy. while the fifth
and only remaining one sought safety
In precipitate flight.
Each moment the conflict lasted the
husband grew weaker, and medical aid
could not be procured without q journey
of hundred and eighty miles. To
traverse this distance there was no 9TH
er mode of conveyance than the OK.
cart. In this rude vehicle Mrs. MyrOn
placed her husband and children, and
not once during that tedious journey,
made painful by the suffering of the
man for whom she had braved the dan
gers and discomforts of frontier life,
was halt made.
At st. Cloud surgical aid was procur- |
ed, aud there, after Mr.. Myron's recov-
cry, he sought work Of any kind that
would bring in sufficient for the sup.
port of his family, since the depredations
OF the Indians had impoverished him.
IL was only by the greatest exertions
That Myron could keep his family
from actual want; and hearing that la
borers were in greater demand at Cane
he, with his wife and chill
dren, embarked on the steamer Tidal
Wave for that place, after having re.
mained at st. Cloud nearly year.
The voyage was never completed,
however, for when Tower Grove, Mis-