Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-12-20
Gales aud Skftfhts.
GrandmOther's Story.

will tell the story as it was told to me
a short time since. think to begin with,
that grandmother's telling adds charm
to a story very much as handsome frame
does to a picture; ofttimes it makes
common enc seem very much better than
| it is.
Imagine large, old-fashioned, country
house. rainy day without, and all OF US
gathered in the parlor listening to the
story. In the center OF the circle. In an
armchair, sat the grandmother, her love-
tIy face bIeached into tender wilderness
with the passing wears and lighted up
with smile as sweet and pure an If the
heaven she was nearing was already
throwing its first beams over her. Sllvery
hair and beautiful hands folded in her lap
finish the picture OF the grandmother as
she sat there telling this story OF her
grandmother and her grandmother's
Young brother:
B. fore this century began, she SAID,
when all this part of the country was
known as the Northwest Territory, and
was one vast wilderness, dotted here and
there al great distances with villages, our
grandfather emigrated to Vincennes. Ind.
| then French town called Port st. Vim
cent. and the most prominent settlement
in the West. Locating his family there
he began to open up farm near by for
permanent home OF course. at this time
the Indians very largely outnumbered the
whites-a hundred to one, perhaps, or
more-but it was time of peace and it
was thought safe for the whites to clear
| land and make homes among them.
One day as grandfather was starting to
| L L., .nt,,runA IN foil hpr tho
was full of Indians, painted and decked
out as if for some grand occasion, and
cautioned her not to leave the house. She
closed the doors and windows securely
and busted herself with her household af-
fairs, listening. it may be. with anxiety
and alarm for some indication OF their
presence outside.
The baby lay sleeping in the cradle, and
across the foot of the bed her little three
year-old daughter also slept. After
| time she ventured TO open the solid wood
en- shutter, and. drawing her wheel near
the open window, began her spinning.
Suddenly shadow fell over the wheel,
and looking up to see the cause OF it,
huge Indian in paint and plumes. screech-
ed out: boo p and, bounding through
the window, stood at her side. With a
cry of alright, she ran to the door and
unbarred it to make her escape, but was
met by others who flocked into the room.
An old squaw, who seemed to be the
moving spirit of the party-perhaps the
mother of the chiet-went to the bed. and
taking down new hat that was hanging
upon the post, putt on her head, and with
hdeous grins and gestures indicated that
she wanted it. Grandmother's fright had
abated in measure, and hoping by kind
ness soon to get rid of them, she nodded
her assent to the squaws keeping it. Then
moving round the room and looking curl
ously at everything, she took something
else i believe an apron-and putting it
on, went through the same pantomime of
grimaces and signs as before, that she
wished to have that. also. Grandmother
assented to her appropriation of this
She now went to the closet or cupboard,
and took out large tin canister of tea,
and intimated that she intended to take
that, too. This was too much for grand
mothers further forbearance.
We, who live now, know little of the
value placed on tea in that early time.
The difficulty of getting it from beyond
the mountains and through hundreds OF
trackless forests. made the actual cost of
it very great; it was luxury so rare,
every grain of it seemed, to the emigrant
worth its weight in gold.
Grandmother went to her. shaking her
head, that she could not part with that.
and was about to take it and replace it on
the shelf. when the old savage drew out a
large knife which had been concealed in
her sleeve. and aimed a blow at grand
mother, who quickly seized stick of wood
or bark that lay on the hearth to defend her
self. and in warding off the attack. struck
her accidentally. and with such force she
fell against the corner of the stone Chin
ney. cutting cash in her head from
which the blood began to flow. The In
dams rushed to the old squaw, and
grandmother fled from the house. expect
ing every moment to be pursued, caught
and killed.
Reaching her nearest neighbours, the
| first person she met was fat, Jolly old
colored serv ant. to whom. in briefest ex-
clamation, she told what had happened.
and that in her fright she had left her
children behind. whom the Indians would
surely kill in their rage and vengence
against her
There was bottle of rum on the table.
| anu arInlnU neTselI WIN lnlS, tRe C0lOreQ
woman, who well knew how the Indians
loved the ''fire water" as they termed
liquor of all kinds. and that it was the
most potent weapon she could use in Sc
curing the safety of the children in their
merciless hands, now FASTENED over to
grandmother's and not moment too soon.
for as she entered the door the infatuated
squaw stopped over the cradle, and seized
the sleeping babe by the feet preparatory
to dashing its brains out-which was their
method of killing young children-on the
jam on which she had received her wound
The negress shook the bottle before her,
and with laughter and signs offered it to
her. The baby was dropped into the cradle
and the bottle eagerly accepted Taking
both children in her ample arms, this ex-
cellent woman left the Indians crowdng
round the rum bottle, and restored to the
terrified young mother her little darlings
Her Joy was beyond all words to describe
that they should have been so narrowly
saved from paving the forfeit or Der rash
ness by a horrible death.
Before sunset grandfather returned and
found the house deserted. the Indians.
perhaps, having their appetites sharpeued
| BY the taste of the liquor, had gone else
where. hoping to obtain more For tear
/ of THAR rafIyrT, in ha irrbt 81