Saint Mary's beacon., 1886-07-22

'Biah, said Mandy Brown to her
husband, one day in March, seems as
if it's time we was a gitten further on
here's jamie G, and Jimmie 4 years
old, and We only in the aige of York
state yit. If We git settled in Gala.
forny by The time these young uns is
growed up. We hev got to be a movin
fastern this. Here we hev been amost
tew years and seems as eff we are
CROWN fast
i guess yer about rite Mandy; and
when it gifts settled roads we'll be a
joggin on agin. We hev been tew
year gettin here from old Maine, and
onless we dew move faster we won t
get there, sure's shutin. I'll fix up
the old skinner ship-shape, and You
git the duds ready. And Biah Brown
shut up his jack knife with which he
had been whiting the wood box, and
left the room.
i swan, if that wan easier done
than ! specttd; Biah's seemed kind
o'sot here-that tavern's so blamed
handy, but now we'll git away sure.
And brisk, energetic Mandy hustled
about her work, as if the fate of the
nation depended on the number of
minutes required to tidy up.
Two years before Biah and Mandy
Brown had been comfortably situated
on a small farm in Southwestern
Maine. The farm was their own, and
they were doing well but Mandy
got the western fever anu seDu .--.-
municated it to Biah, who sold every.
thing but two mules, cow, and
stout half-springed wagon, few camp
ing utensils and some bedding. Then,
one fine spring morning, they bade
farewell to friends and neighbors and
turned their faces westward.
Before starting they made strange
plan: Their whole worldly possessions
were their travelling outfit and 81, 200.
OF the money they agreed to use $500.
To travel as far as 800 lasted, for
expenses, then stop, take farm on
shares long enough to earn another
800; then up stakes and on again.
Their motto was to be, Further On,
until California was reached.
Was not that queer plan? |
don't think anyone but Mandy Brown
would have thought Of it. She argued
this way: Capital they must have
when they got there; and she reckon
ed $1,000 would start them pretty
well.
The first move had brought them
unto the 'aige,' as she said, of New
York, and now she was eager to move
on.
Biah worked with a will, and the
lst of April saw them facing west
ward. They lived frugally, deter
mined to go as far as possible this
time. But the sudden illness of the
boy compelled them to stop at a small
village in Southern Ohio. Biah at
once rented small farm for season,
and although pretty late, worked like
a beaver getting in the crops, and
was not far behind his neighbors after
all.
The boy soon recovered, and he and
jamie were sent to the village school
every day during the summer term.
Mandy knew how they would need
an education, having never had any
'skulin, she said herself, and she was
bound the children should.
There was long beautiful fall, that
year, and when all the crops wers
garnered, and still there was fine
weather, her restless spirit agair
showed itself.
'Biah, couldn't We jest git littl.
further on this fall? Seems pity t.
waste this here fine weather. Let
| git as fer Illinoy, anyhow.
TOsee them jogging on again. Hav,
You ever pictured them to yourself
An old weather beaten, canvas-c GOV
cred wagon, two sorry. dejected-look
ing mules harneSsed to it, a long-leg
ged, lanky-lOOkiug shepherd dog trOt
ting under it and in it-well the fam
ily-Biah, long. gaunt and shackly
looking, Mandy, red-haired, freckled
with bright, CHEEKY, ambitious loo
in her blue eyes; and the two tow
headed children who were bota brigh