The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-03-13
A BRAVE WOMAN.
How Aunt Patience Killed Ferocious
Panther.

How Aunt Patience Killed Ferocious
Panther.
Reading one day story called "How
Grandmother killed the Bear" remind
ed me of my grandmother and the sto-
ries she used to tell-dear grandma!
with her white hair, her soft dim blue
eyes and her gentle smile!
Years ago, she said Gone cold winter
night when the cold wind whistled
noisily down the chimney, and we
gathered cozily around the fire)-years
ago, before l was born, Uncle John
and Aunt Patience came from England
to find home in the wilderness here.
They made clearing, and built little
log house with only one room, warm
and comfortable in winter, pleasant and
airy in summer. / say they, for Aunt
Patience helped with her hands as we'll
as with her heart. In those days the
chimney was nearly half the size of the
house, and in the cold weather, when
the stone hearth was piled high with
the big logs cut from the many trees
that grew around their home, and the
flames roared and cracked up the wide
mouth of the huge chimney, Aunt Pa
tience thought nothing could be more
cheerful and home-like; and in the
summer the cool breeze swept down
from the tree-tops, singing and sigh
| ing like a voice from home" she said.
Aunt Patience was very, very lonely
sometimes, when Uncle John would 90
to mill, and she could not hear the
strokes of his axe all day long. The
nearest mill was many miles away, and
one brigh summer morning Uncle John
started with the bags of grain securely
fastened to the back of the old horse,
and with his gun on his shoulder, for
it was not safe to ride through the
woods without it.
Goodbye, little woman" he said;
"don't be lonely or frightened. When
it begins to be dark, fasten the door
and window, and I'll be home before
morning"
Aunt Patience watched him spring
to his horses back, and ride away in
the sweet dewy June morning, with a
strange, dull sinking at her heart, then
went about her daily tasks, making the
house bright and clean, and when
night came she MIXED their COW
Daisy, and locked her up in the little
lean-to back of the house. for fear of
the Indians, some of whom were impu-
dent and thievish. Still, Aunt Patience
had no great fear of them, and when
all was done and the gloomy night set
tied down, she saw all was safe, and
took her work, sat down by the one
light, and tried to wait quietly for the
welcome sound of the old horses
footsteps coming through the wood.
Nine! tent said the little clock they
had brought from their home over the
sea. No sound outside but the whip
poor-will's plaintiye call and the sigh
ing of the night wind.
No soundP Hark! Was that foot
step, soft and stealthyP Indians,
thought the poor woman, listening,
/ expecting to hear a harsh whisper at
the key-hole: "'White squaw no there?"
Again, round and round the house, two
VI lutllli SuC lllOuSllls IL obCllltu llht
tlOO pair of creeping feet, then a scratch
ing sound, and low deep growl from
over her head. Looking suddenly up
the wide chimney, she saw the 1.-the
waving body and fiery eyes of huge
panther crouching just ready to spring
down.
What could she do? Open the dool
and dash away to the woods? Certain
DEATH for then she would be an easy
prey to sthe panther. Another deel
growl, louder and more angry. Then
remembering the fear such creature,
have of fire, quick as thought SHIT
snatched the straw bed from the bed
stead in the corner, tore open the GOV
er and empusd all the straw upon thu
few emberS that still remained on tn,
hearth.
In a moment there was a blaze, ;
fierce heat, and with the blaze and hea
pouring into his face, the panther CAV,
loud cries of rage and sluI,k off into tn
wood.
But Aunt Patience knew too well
was only for short time. Soon tn
fire would burn itself all out, and bacl
he would come. Oh for the sound o
the trot, trot, trot through the clear
ing! Alas! no horse, no Uncle John
Again the stealthy footsteps around tn