Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1885-01-30
GRANnMOTiiER'S STORY.
How Sho Mado n Hiding-P Place of
q Brass Kettle.

Il WAS a stormy day, and the children
wrrr popping corn over the glowing
Goals in the crate.
Grandma sat with her knitting work
near the fire, and the Kitten wa, chaSin.
great white fluffy kernel around the
room with her fri>ky paws.
when was little girl and lived at
the West, said grandma, my broth
or, and ! used to pop corn in the
a>h'~.'
"llow could yoI do that?" said Tom.
Il Shouldn't think it would have
popped at all"
20. We didn't Use coal ashes. but
scrapcd clear place in front of the
great wood fire. put the corn down in
liiil" heaps. and then covered each heap
carefully with hot ashes. placing Il live
coal or 50 on the top, and in little
while they would come popping out all
over the floor
What fun." said Meg. Il wish we
had a Fireplace and wood fire"
'Grandma. said Bcss. who had been
reading frontier stories. and was more
Interested in Indians than popping corn
at present. having become somewhat
tired of the occupation. "did you ever
see any Indians in those days?'
Il saw one. and he frightened mo
nearly OFT OF my senses"
30. do tell us about it.' cried all the
children in TIE same breath. 1.-The
corn is all popped now, and it will be SO
nice To hear story while we are eating
it,"
"Wait till count the stitches on my
rccdle. and then. if you will promise
not Ia ak ne to tell it over again for q
month at least, will tell YOU the
story
They promised. and seating them
selves in row. each with dish of corn
in his or her lap. wa;!e,! impaticntly for
the stitches To be coJutcI.
when our family moved to tho
West" began grandma, Il was only
eight wears old. |; was pretty, but
lonely spot where our little log house
was built. in Il clearing moi far from tho
edge Of the prairie. If You went far
enough into the wood. or across tha
prairie. YOU could hear the wolves howl
nj NIGHT.
"There were no roads for great dis
tanc". only "A path or trail. as they called
II. and our nearest ncighbor lived nearly
n mile away.
"Whcn We first went there, we had a
great dread of Ind;ans-or at least
mother and we children had. though
father used to laugh Il: us, saving that
there were no hostile Indians in the
region. and the remnant of n copper
colorcd tribe. which still fingered on the
outskirts Of the State. would have to
run the gauntlet Of don't know how
many blockadcs to get ut us.
But il was only II very few years be-
fore that they were scalping and COM
mitting all sorts of deprcdations within
mile ol two of the spot where we W re
living. and my mother was continually
on the lookout for them. though she was
very careful not TO say anything to
frghten lis children.
AS for me, | was a nervous, delicate
child md there was not day during
the Il six months of or liie in this
new country that didn't imagine that
] saw one. IL a tuft Of leaves stirred
ont in the still twilight. was sure that
II WAS the feather IN an Indian's cap. Ii
] heard The cattle tramp;ng about in tho
u1dcrbruSh. | was sure that whole
horde Of Indians were coming to ram
sack the house. Ii | looked ont into
the moonlight. evcrr shadow took the
grim shape of a chief. tomahawk and
all. II | pccre,i up the wide chimney to
soc the -parSs from the fire ily up to
the stars oa a winters night. | never
failed to encounter twink!ing. sly and
terrible eyes gazing down into mine"
did yon. truly?" inquired little Joe,
with his mouth aSape with astonish-
mrnt.
WIN. no. Joe. Grandma said she
OILY ima -ircd il all. you know. because
She was afra;i. eNrlaiHed wise Bcss,
impatient Of the interruption.
And every night before I went to
s'rcp," graadra continued. II heard
all sorts of noses. which | bad no doubt
We're Indians trying TO break into the
house. shaking the bolts of the doors,
or trampinT about on the roof over my
cad. Nut ~ tine passed on these fears
ai,d ina, nations gradually ore away,
and when summer came even had for
gotten nearly all about Indians.
Il, had been a la;c. cold spring. The
rain drip"cd OF the caves and blurred
the windows nearly every day; and
wben the ky was clear. q chilly wiad
blew. that frightened back the leaves
and blossoms, and stopped the birds
songs in their very throats.
But when June came. the weather
WAS 50 lovely that We chi1dren played
out Of doors the whole day long.
The flowers seemed to be making up for
lost time and crowded everywhere,
dressed in all sorts of pretty colors.
They pccpcd through the chinks of our
log cabin. climbed to its very roof in
pieiiy. graceful vines. and made it. as
crude aud clumsy as it WAS, perfect
bower of beauty.
Il was 50 weary after those long,
sunny days out of doors. that went to
sleep as soon as my head touched the