Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1884-07-11
on THE PRAIRIE.

to my mother dare say, and though
we children were content, l think she
hungered for the old homestead in the
East. Still she seldom spoke of it, and
kept up brave heart before father and
us children. She had that first year
after moving on the prairie, n strange
fancy when alone of closing the doors,
drawing the curtains. and shutting out
the sunny outer world. 1.-The earth
seems so vast,h she would say, ''it
wearies me TO see il stretching into the
sky. | feel such an atom in the uni
verse"
Father wasted no time in fancies or
regrets. A mortgage had swallowed
up the old homestead, and thankful he
lived in land where such an alterna-
tive was possible, he devoted head and
hands to creating new home for his
loved ones in the West.
At the end of the second summer we
felt that we were well established in
our new house. Like those of our few
neighbors, it was n small, unpainted
dwelling, built very economically, with
rs few angles as possible, looking
mother used TO say--"like an upturned
dry-goods box"
The summer had been delightful, and
the dry season, which prevails to n
greater or less extent nearly every year,
came too late to damage the growing
crops materially; but it dried up the
shallow water-courses and parched the
rank grass dry and brown, so that it
rustled drearily in the fierce south
winds.
One morning, it was the Goth of Sep.
tember-a date written for us in letters
of iire-father started for Prairieville.
How the wind ragged that day The
house quivered in every beam. The
fires were not kindled, for mothers
greatest dread during such windstorms
was fire. Suddenly one of the children
rushed in, eXclaiming: al see black
cloud of smoke off in the south!'
l saw mothers face grow white.
'Can it be prairie fire, and on such
day. she exclaimed, flying to an up
per window for a better view. Silently
we crowded around her. watching the
dark cloud that widened every instant,
and was driving toward us with fright
ful swiftness.
After brief survey mother turned
away, saying: 'It is n prairie fire! We
must fight it, my children, as best we
may" Her face was pale rs death, even
to her lips; but she spoke in a firm
voice, for our mother could be brave
woman when there was need.
1--WE fight i'll HowP' we cried, in
frightened chorus.
There were six of us: viii, delicate
boy OF thirteen; ten-year- Old Jamie, q
robust little fellow; the little ones Tom.
my and Sadie-precious Sadie-baby
Nell and j, Dora, girl of fifteen.
Mother did not answer us. She was
bustling about making preparations,
gathering up an armful of woollen
clothes from the pegs on the wall, what
for l, in my ignorance, could not guess.
Snow, boys!'' she cried, "harness the
horses to the wagon and lift the plow
in. We will 60 to the south side OF the
farm and do what we can. We will
take eff our cotton dresses, Dora" she
added, land put on our flannel ones
then run to the well and draw q tub ol
water"
Frightened into silence we obeyed.
mother wetting the cloths in the water
rs drew it from the WELL Then, with
many parting injunctions to the chill.
dren, we left them.
When we reached the southern edg,
OF our farm, the painting horses wer,
hitched to the plow. We expected
to strike few burrows and set back.
fire to meet the fiery flood pouring dowr
upon us. This was mothers hope bu
II was an almost impossible task fol
the ground was baked hard, and thu
plow, dulled by the summers work
resisted all efforts of Willie's weak arm.
to hold it in the ground, and jumped
and slid yards at time. The painting
horses strained and pulled, jerked for
ward and flew back, and on the second
turrow stopped short and refused t.
start again.
And all this time the fire was rushing
on! Already the air began to be iillett
with cinders Mother grew desperate @
''Let me take the plow, Willie" sh,
said, II am stronger than you arc per
haps can hold it. You drive the horses
lead them, whip them, anything t.
make them go, for Everything depends
on them -
Again they struggled on, mothe
clinging desperately to the plow, nov
holding it with all her scanty strength
then be ng half dragged behind it when
thrown out, it slid over the grass
erked fur.ously along by tho frantic
horses which Jamie guided and vii
whipped.
/, compelled to le idle, stood watch
Ing TO catch the first glimpse of the ad
vancing hames They had Just returned
to the starting point, leaving four fur
rows ragged line behind them, whei
saw tongue of fame, and then an
other and another, flash out through
the dense smoke which had now rollet
up but mile away, and screaming
Here it comes ~ scrambled from IN,
perch and ran with the news to mother
She and Will had seen 1t, and stoo,
looking in each others faces wit
frightened, despairing eyes, but onl
for an instant.
Turn the horses loose, boysr' sh
cried; 'and, Dora, give me the matche
and help me start II back-lire; yo
brought the matches, didn't you, child?
she exclaimed, seeing my look of dis
may as 1 thrust my hand into m
pocket and brought il out empty again
did,"
The boys. too, searched their pocket
In vain, and then, with dreadful sink
Ing at our hearts, We realized the M
Palling truth and our perfect helpless
ness. In the terror and confusion, th
matches had been forgotten. and W
were left with no defence save the pit
fully inadequate one OF those few ful
rowsl
Mother ran for the wet cloths, an
giving one 10 each, stationed us at il
teryals, gave us our orders in hurrie
tones, taking herself the most dange
ous post in front OF the towering hea(