The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1882-06-09
miscellaneous.
A Romance in Real Life.

Robert Myron was the son Of an English
tenant. farmer, who in the year 1913 found
his family expenses increasing so much faster
than his income that it was absolutely neces-
sary 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, N. Y, he was
hired as farm laborer by Judge James t.
Berry. During six years young Myron
worked industriously, sending nearly all of
his earnings to his parents, and then came the
sad news that both father and mother had
died on the same day. After recovering from
this shock, it was but natural the young man
should begin to think of establishing home
for himself, and quite MS natural that his love
should go out to the daughter of his employ
er, who plainly showed her preference for
the young man who had so devoted himself
to his parents But Judge Berry, while he
recognized in Myron an invaluable farm la
borer, had not the same views regarding him
as a son-in-law that Miss Bessie had and the
consequence was that the lovers, finding it
impossible to change the fathers opinion, re
solved to elope, and build up for themselves
home in the far west.
In 1858, with n few hundred dollars and
the Judges curse, the young couple were
married. and settled at Green Lake, Michigan,
where, at the beginning ofthe year 1862, they
were in reasonably prosperous circumstances
with two children to make glad their humble
log cabin. Their farm was situated 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
believed they had succeeded in establishing
the most friendly relations with such of the
forest children" as they came in contact
with. Therefore they were by no means alarm
ed when one day five Indians stalked gravely
into the cabin just as the MONDAY meals was
being served. 1t had ever been Mr.. Myron's
custom to invite such visitors to partakc of
food, and on this, as on other occasions, they
readily accepted the invitation; but, greatly
to the surprise and uneasiness oftheir host,
instead of placing their rifles in one corner
of the room, as usual, they held them between
their knees, the muzZles of the weapons
showing just above the edge of the table
Mr.. Myron was too well versed in Indian
customs not to know that such action on the
part of his guests meant mischief With n
view of showing them that he understood the
meaning of this breach of hospitality, and in
the slight hope ofintimidating them, he arose
from the table, took from the rack on the
wall his rifle and fowling piece, and carefully
examined them to show they were loaded
Why the savages did not attack him then
is one of the nexplicable things in Indian
warfare. Instead of making any hostile de-
monstrations, they stalked gravely out OF the
house, disappearing behind n clump of
bushes
For the moment Myron believed he had
L. l. u
umbrage at bis movements when their in.
tentions were peaceful Still holding his
rifle in his hand. Myron stepped to the open
door for the purpose ofascertaining whether
his guests had really departed. When the
farmer appeared on the Threshold, the report
of rifle was heard, and Myron fell, with a
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 themselves
woman's privilege of faintng. When Mr.
Myron fell his wife sprang to his defence
rather than assistance. To close and barri-
cade windows and doors was but the work
of moment where everything was prepared
for such occasions, and then the heroic wo-
man turned her attention to her husband
and children. The fathers wound bled
Dul llllIe, anu Saw W StuHIH luC DlODV, tHt
devoted wife could not aid him, except by
piling the bedding around him in such way
that, in sitting posture, he could face the
closed door. The temporary safety of the
children was secured 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 de-
fence, she began to assume the offensive.
BY removing the mud that filled the GREY
ices of the logs at the end OF the house, loop
holes were formed, and through these holes
the husband and wife began an assault upon
their foes. With his rifle Myron shot one
of the Indians, and at the same time his wife
| killed another with the fowling-piece. BY
this time the foe. finding their intended vic
tins more tenacious of life than they had
supposed, resorted to stratagem to accomplish
| the massacre In the field was cart half.
filled with hay; in the stable-yard stood a
yoke of oxen quietly eating. To fasten the
animals to the cart and not expose them
| selves to the deadly aim of those in the house
was q difficult task, but one that the Indians
| finally accomplished To get the load of hay
against the building, that 1t might be set on
| fire, was still more difficult, andin this were
unsuccessful, for before it could be done both
husband and wife had shot an enemy, while
the fifth and only remaining one sought safe.
ty in precipitate flight.
Each moment the conflict lasted the hus-
band grew weaker, and medical aid could not
| be procured without a journey of hundred
and eighty miles. To traverse this distance,
there was no other 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 pain
full by the suffering of the man for whom she
had braved the dangers and discomfort of a
frontier life, was halt made.
and there, after Mr.. Myron's recovery he
sought work of any kind that would bring
IN sufficient for the support of his family
since the depredations of the Indians had i'm
povcrished him. twas only by the greatest