Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-04-11
From the Milwaukee Wisconsin.
PEARL HASKELL.
BY MINNIE sTEBBINs SAVAGE

ceptionally perfect days in Dakota when
the wind does not blow. A faint Octo-
Der haze brooded over the prairies like
warm, wide-spreading, motionless, al
most invisible wings. Pearl Haskell sat
by the west window of twelve by six
teen board shanty taking the daintiest
stitches on the tiniest garment you ever
saw.
''Where did you get the cloth for it ?"
her husband asked, as she held 1t up tor
his inspection when he entered the
door, Not around here, I'll be bound.
Il took one of the linen handker-
chiefs | gave you before we were mar
RED Pearl replied. "They were so
large and so fine and soft you know,
you do not care, do YOU"
M, Will Haskell did not care. Pearl
almost wished he would. 1t sometimes
seemed as if nothing grew very dear
and sacred to him. But he loved to
hunt So just now ne reached down his
gun and ammunition and passed out the
door again, saying:
81 think I'll get some prairie hens for
breakfast. Don't mind If I'm a little
late, I'M going to strike out toward the
Dry Gulch.'
And Pearl watched him as he
sauntered leisurely along In a south
westerly direction, carrying his gun
lightly over his shoulder. He was a
great, broad-chested, finely proper
toned young fellow, with manly poise
to his head, and free, natural grace in
his easy stride. Pearl felt that she
ought to be proud of him-and yet lit
tie shadow fell over her tace-he did not
make her quite happy as she had
thought he would do. 1t was lonely
sitting there hour after hour without
any one to talk to. There were no
song birds on the prairie to chirp now
and then-the small, straight, round
stumps known as their tree claim,
planted at regular intervals and guilt
less of leaves and branches, did
not invite these feathered companions
of isolated mortals. Boundless prairies
touching the horizon on every side give
one the sense of being lost to the human
family And even the knowledge that
there is a shanty down between two
hills couple of miles away, doesn't
comfort one very much. Besides, the
wheat-stacks were not broken around
yet, and fire was likely to run anytime
now. Then fall blowing ought to begin
and the potatoes were not dug. Pearl
bent her head a little closer to the bit of
linen IN her hand, and warm tear fell
upon it. Then she pressed the fabric to
her lips, saying softly to herself, Il will
not complain This sunshine lying on
the prairie is beautiful, and God has
blessed me. shall not be lonely after
little "
SO the shining needles passed in and
out once more, and Pearl was wholly alb
sorbed in her tender dream of mother
hood.
But by and by it came chore-time, and
Will had not yet returned. Pearl had
finished her delicate hem, and had
robbed muslin neckerchief of a Gar
row edge to set around it. Now she
folded her precious piece of completed
work and laid it mysteriously away.
A little later she stood on the plat 'orm
of the we'll with her arms thrown
around the neck of dark brown work
horse, to which she talked affectionately
Dear Old Prince :" she said, "you
won't drink drop, and [ have tugged
this windlass round and round to
get the water up for you. Are you
homes ck too? Do you want to 60 back
to Illinois, and find Father Haskell S
big red barn again? But what would
become Of Billy then? And il you were
both gone, what would become Of me
/ would have Dimple, you say? Yes,
and love her dearly-but perhaps she
would steal away too to hunt for the
pastures behind my fathers house
and that's away in Illinois. But / won't
talk to you SO. I'll go and get Billy and
see if he will drink, and then I'll give
you each a bundle of oats. That Will
cheer you up, WON'T it, old fellow, and
make you contented with Dakota 20 and
she led him away to the low sod stable,
and brought out his mate to fondle and
talk to him in turn.
90 Billy l made Prince think ] was
homesick," she cried-s'and that wasn't
right, was it? Pioneers have to have
strong hearts. don't they Billy? They
have to look forward, and not back.
The big barn will come to us right here
BY and by won't it? And the warm,
coy home, with apple trees and grape
vines and all those things about 1t. And
then We'll have neighbors too-there'l Ii
be horses reaching their noses over the
fences to neigh to you-for we will have
fences after while, you know. You
did drink, didn't you, Billy? And that
pays me for drawing the water. It's
hard work, I'm not tall enough to reach
easy, and it makes my arms lame and
my back ache You knew that, didn't
you, Billy, and that's why you drank as
If the water tasted so good? Well, !
must 90 after Dimple now. She's staked
out away yonder But you shall have
your oats first" and leading him to his
rude stall again, she tugged to each OF
the patient creatures a great bun
die from the little heap of unthreshed
oats in the corner, turning afterwards to
share their enjoyment of their evening
meal. There I'm sure you look as i
you were taking comfort now-both you
and Prince, Billy she said, with which
wO.ds she emerged from the stable door
and started OFT among the blue asters
and golden rod for the COW. This walk
was pleasure tonight, with a wealth o.
wild flowers at her feet and the sky al
about her full of glorious sunset hues
1t was just III the cleaning that Pear
sat down to milk.
"Dimple," she said. "I'm a slow hant