The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-08-06
FOR DEAR LIFE.

mantle, locked in the same icy fetters
AZ 1t was that memorable winter 81
long ago when Eric and had thai
fierce, wild struggle 'lor dear life" A
this season ofthe year the never quit,
dormant recollection revives, and
teel all the horror OF that midnight
scene rise and come back upon melik,
a ghost from the confines of the past
1t chills me with its dread presence
until, shivering in nerve and limb,
rise and draw nearer to the blazin,
hearth, heap on some more pine logs
ana strive in the region of light ant
warmth to bid it defiance.
In vain. Through the whir of m,
spinning wheel comes the long draw
moan OF the wind, whilst without tn,
snow falls heavily as ever, adding des
| olation to the already drear and som
bre landscape. Eric has gone to The
fold-yard, as beseems q thrifty hus
bandman, to see after the well-being o
our kline. Would that he were back tc
laugh of my fesN,s and exercise the
phantoms which rise thus unbidder
from the days that arc now no more
His hearty presence and Joyous voice
are in themselves as potent against dis
traught fancies as the "sprsg OF rowan
! which the faithful wear as a safeguard
against witchcraft and the evil eye
Meanwhile, as sit waiting with The
supperready and all things bright anG
tidy, l must cen yield to the spell o
the place and hour and listen to the
tale suggested by the wandering fan
cies of old.
New Years eve some thirty years
ago-and we were keeping it right
merrily at the old manor-house o
Stor Aswan, the home of my child.
hood, as it had been that OF my fore.
fathers for many generations. The
pleasantest spot in all the world,
thought, and still think. that quaint
Norwegian homestead, with its buff
walls and birch.bapk roof, which sue.
ceeding summers had rendered yer.
dant with an ever green thatch OF
moss and lichens, just now, however,
this was not visible. for snow lay
thickly upon it, as il had lain sor
weeks past, not only tNere but upon
all the country round. We were in
tae midst Of a white sea-, whose bill
lows We're the partially submerged
hedges; that daily grew lass noticeable
as She snow drifted in ans! piled above
them The tir-trees alone'stootH forth h
bravely, ats if defying this ins#iious
foe, yet EVEN their stately branches
trailed earthwar1s, and their strong
arms ereakert and strained fznder the
ever-increasag load.
1t was'the hardest winter that has
been orfifty years-so the sid folks
oaid-aad' they foretold it's continu-
etce for some, weeks longer. 0ther
s!sT1s we're not wanting whlc:,s more
plainly than allgiht else, demo sod the
urusual severity of the seasona This
1o.ks of'wild fowl, usually so sasyanG
difficult oftapproaeh- came dowafrom
the upper rneres; their accuses omed
haunts, and! strowe with the 5ame
denlzens Of our OWN farm yard .or q
sharsin their midday meal. Iares
and rabbits, ,impeFIeG by hunger, tor
got tirair mature and stole up to our
very doors, begging with their large,
dark eyes iri'a'piticns dumb fashion
for relef Hsrds raindeer also came
south from Laplana,. seeking more
genial asthres; and it was rumorrd
that less pleasant visitors had receas-
ly been seen and heard The blaek
pine forests of Saltem had again SGT
forth the grin@ blooG5Inirsty pack ID
DICTIONARIES whoefbr~agss had dwelt uns
molestedsin in its~ dark Businesses ana
the cry ot"H-olT' was not longer, as
heretofors, an enpnty sound.
All this however, did not affect any
Of our party whowere, all Norsemel.
and maidenS bonn. used to the cold,
iull OF health and sgirits. !, Ella
Bieorn, daughter,ui'thel house, was the
widest OF chat mad cirol!s who had as
sembled at Stor Aswa1a that Christ
mas-tide t0Io hcswor'tEp rs,y betrothal
to- Eric Jart, the lover of my youth,
ere long to be my husband. AS soon
as the birchstrees put forth their first
green tassels inthey' earlH spring time
/ was to leave my Old lisnme for a new
one; so now surrounded by kingsfols
and neighbcrs,, We. wers keeping this
Last anniversary OF my sisterhood in
eo0dly fashionu We. revived many q
bygone pastz1ne, andlthe vast hall at
Stor Aswan re-echced nmce again to
the shouts tlsas greadedi she incoming
of a mighty yule log. and rang with
Joyous laughter at hetnicks and an.
tics OF fmorris-elancers,aG ,aG.al mummers;
So in dancing, feas5dng and mer1 =,
making the week soetl until a few
hours more would sos. ,rts scattered III
various directions, to!neet again We
! knew not wEen,nor. where. For 5nt
last day, therefore, we had reserved
the chief pleasure, tea arowning point
of all our enScyment-a sleighing saC
skating partytto,Ster Aswan, q moan
tain encircledi laka. some ten r,iles
further north,, the same from which
our homestead derived it's quaint Ru
mic name This, was, TO be our vaii;o
greeting to the New Year-our vel
come to the incoming guest.
Brightly ciawnea. the evenful -zopn
ing, clear and fair as, heart cou-d,ide
sire. Blue 7nhs the sky as a saI phire
while the freshly faiien snow sr snkles
and shone as though strewn wishi,liS
ing gems. hilnaturs seemed rsoiGinl
like ourselves at sheadvent OF ;,NOths.
year, and c1e already SO full ofrsomise
without thH. snDm-bells tinklsdi an,
chimed n.errily, making the freetNa.
ring again as the gayly cap arisone'
horses paved and shook theaa ,he,sslt
impatient, as,thair owners '1s. hseaf
At lengtn, We ssarted, Eric and Il a
hosts bsia4 tfse, last OF the party iir
OF course. he. was my chaGieteen:.
we'll remember my father standing q
the door,to see us go, and, .as ,he, t,,cl
ed tha. heaaskin rug more, alpsel
around me-, bidding us "retura, earl
and beware OF the Saltan, hounds.
We laughed at the warning than. BIT
had awful cause to rememt,asf il afte
wards.
| Of,that day 1 shall not speak, v
aro.ail yoang and i'll wild, spirits, ar
some OF us in love. Nsed L say NOR