Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-05-30
HANNAH.

HANNAH.
One day great colony Of water
fowl sailed over the hamlet. They
flew in n straight line In orderly time
honored fashion. well marshaied by
their captain. They we're glad To
breathe again the resinous-sceRted air
OF their northern pine woods. For
they had travelled hundreds of miles
from FlOridian groves of wild orange
trees, and low-lying reedy marshes by
the warm blue sea. They were so near
their summer home as thew few over
Mishawameo that they began To- con
Pratulate themselves upon their safe ar
rival
Hannah put down. for n moment.
the heavy pail of water she was carry
ing To the house and looked up 10
watch Their graceful flight aud listen
To their shrill voices. Then she said.
with n little sigh Eyes, the wild
geese are back again. Spring will
Hoon be here now. aud I am Glad
enough, u has been such long. hard
winter"
Prom the scattered houses blue
smoke rose In the clear still air. The
Forest vast, dark and mysterious.
stretched It's huge arms around the set
tlemcnt. and the cold sky OF the north.
with its oppressive melancholy like n
haunting. monOtOnOus song. whose
minor tones suggested loss and dcsola.
ton. broOdcd over al
Soon the big logs would come float
ing down the brown. swift current Of
Wolf River. and the Mild songs Of the
adventurous raftsmen would waken the
echoes In those sleeping forest aislcs.
A daredevil set were these lrmbermcn
Of the north. A reckless. rcd.shirtcd.
picturesque band Of crusaders. whose
arms were turned against sturdy trees.
With much ~ the lawlessncss and
ignorance. though very little of the
piety, of those mail-clad hOrles of the
middle ages, who went out To fight the
Moslem' these men fought against I'M
rolenting enemies. too against the
bitter cold of the long winters. when
feet and hands were frozen bv sx
posuro to the cruel air, against the
Inconsistencies and dependency, natur-
nj TO n lot So Isolated. so full Of hard
ship IN various forms. What wonder
that they drank sometimes until look
or word provoked the fierc, quarrel
which ended. perhaps, in bloodshed,
possibly crimc?'
Yet the majority of the dwellers in
Mishawamec were contcnted enough.
IL was n cheerful and refined as anv
life they had ever known. Not so was
IL with Hannah Barry The two years
she had spent there seemed an eternity.
She was Of finer mold than the heavy
Norwegian or Swedish wives who large.
~ composed the female portion of the
settlement She could not speak to
them Of SORROWS or aspirations that TO
them were wholly incomprehensible
So her heart was iull OF great hunger
for some slight measure Of sympathy.
of confidence from one of her own sex.
Day by day her great. patient black
eyes carried the pathetic shadow of her
longing in their depths and her we'll
cut, rather refined features. grew more
sharp and her cheek thinner.
She was n slender, nervous. ambitions
little American woman. who had drifted
away from a comfortable home in n
State farther south. And the privations
she had borne, the struggles against
poverty and despOndencV had never
even been limited at by her To any of
her former friends. For she had mar
ried Dick sorely agains: her fathers
VIII, and was far too proud and Jude
pendent tO admit To those who blamed
or piticd her for her choice that her life
with him So far had been n constant
struggle TO keep up his courage rs well
rs her own. For poor Dick, though al
ways Kind and brave. did indeed seem
TO be dogged by some malicious spirit
OF ill-luck. Hannah had not undergone
quito such marvellous misfOrtunes. Il is
true, rs that mariner in ''Billee Tailor"
who was bitten by crocodile" and
swallowed by whale" .'all ON ac-
count Of Eliza" but she had been
scorchel by thrOcs of fever brought on
by over work and exposure 10 cold. to
say nothing OF mental troubles, care
and sorrow of various kinds. all on ac-
count OF Dick. But IL you imagine for
moment that she wavercd. or loved
MN less, you know little Of true
woman heart Undoubtedly. Hannah
was Illogical enough O. cling all the
more tendcrly 10 him with each misfor-
tune: Her old-fashiOned, uncnlightened
mind argued that when the world bat
tered the poor fellow most heartlrssly
then he had most need Of the devotion
OF his wife, and the best right TO IL.
Only farmer daughter, aud brought
MP IN the agricultural districts. She
knew little Of that selfish philosonbv
which would have advised FER 10 take
the child and leave Dick TO his fate
thus causing herself to be included /,
the prosperous ma ority. Hannah had
always from n child mended the broker,
legs Of forlorn birds, and nursed the
weak lambkins back 10 lie and vi0or.
usually 10 have the latter taken from
her and sold as soon as they grew frolic-
some aud had attained condition under
her shcltering care.
And thus IL was that she stood in
mont OF her small frame house. with the
heavy WATERFALL by her side, and was
wistfully watching the wild geese flv
over q wretched settlement away M In
the Wisconsin pine forests. II had been
= trying winter for the little family. for
Dick. the husband and father. had been
III for nearly month during the coldest
weather, and. as their home was mort
gagged. Il had taxed Hannah's strength
70 the utmost 10 provide the few com.
forts he required. and save a small sum
toward the first payment Of the mort
gage, which came due in the spring.
but she was brave little woman. and
worked on faithfully. taking in washing
~ sewing for the mill-hands and lum-