The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-08-30
CHAPTER XIV.
PI-II.pfNt; THE DAM.

BUILDING THE DAM.
The events recorded in our last chap
ter served, for a time, to arouse John
Parsons from the unhealthy mental
condition into which he was sinking:
for SO long rs the lads life was in dam
ger every other thought gave way be-
fore the one great fear of losing john
ny, his baby. his only boy. But when
the more imminent danger was past,
the fear of losing their home came again
with redoubled force AS he realized that
his child must always remain cripple,
dependent upon Others for every neces-
si.y and enjoyment in life.
Ii was at thought of this, too, that
Mrs. Parsons broke down.
Always heretofore she had been the
one 10 preserve cheerful countenance
and TO encourage her husband with ex-
pres>ions of hope that the danger to
their home might not be SO great as he
feared, or if so there would come some
way out of it.
The law will compel the company to
make good the damages if they occur
she would tell him; .'ar.d even ii we
lose the land we will still have the stock
and household goods and a nice little
sum of money in the bank. and we are
not very old We; and will manage to
live comfortable, / am sure: so don't
worry, dear, it will all come out right
in the end"
But now!
When she got down from the spring
wagon. and Johnny was lifted out and
carried in and laid upon the cot. from
| which, unaided, she knew he was never
To rise again. .. awful feeling Of desc
lation came over her. she was as one
bewlldercd and lost in the woods. The
sky, the hills, everything about her,
took on the look they have when seen
through piece of smoked or stained
glass. The house it:c'f. nay. the very
faces Of her husband and children.
seemed strange and unnatural, and she
moved from room to room as if in a
dream, and when she spoke she heard
her own voice as ii it came from afar
of. and was the voice of another.
All day she was in this conditions: but
the second day she aroused herself by
TN effort Of the will and resumed her
| usual round of duties, except that much
Of her time was of necessity given TO
the crippled boy, who lay in little cot
| which had been made for him and
placed on wheels that he might he
moved about the house easily and out
into the yard on pleasant days.
Her husband now spent most OF his
| time in the house. The winter rains,
which had set in some weeks previously,
rendered outdoor work impossible for
days at a time, and ii they had not done
SO John Parsons had lost all love for
work on the ranch. Besides, Johnny
ciai:acd his almost undivided attention
now.
Tho little fellow had taken to his
father from before the time when he
took his first baby steps, and had Fever
been quite SO well contented as when
in his arms, or perched upon his
shoulders. or following him about the
place; and now he could not bear TO
have him out of his sight during his
waking moments.
Often. too, in the night he would
waken and call in weak. piping voice,
SO different from what it had been in
health; and his father would arise and
sit by his side for hours, moving his poor
wasted body this way or that to give
him little more ease, or divert his
mind by tales such As children love to
hear, until he fell asleep again or forgot
his pain.
During the day he wheeled him about
the house: or, if it was sunny, carried
him out in his arms to the poultry yard.
that he might drop corn to his chickens
and ducks; CT to the pasture lot, that he
might put out his hand and pet the colt
that had been promised should be his
when both We're grown. upon which
promise he had built thousand castles
in the air. of encounters with grizzly
bears and Indians, besides taking pre-
miums for speed at all the fairs in the
country.
1t seemed that the man had but one
thought, one object in life now-that OF
caring for the crippled boy.
Certain it is that he never laughed,
except when once in a great while
something provoked the child to laugh
ter; then the man always joined in, but
/ at no other time did any member of the
family see smile upon his face; and
he never went from home any more,
not even to neighbours.
One day word came that there was to
be "A meeting at the school-house to de-
! wise means to save the settlers flom the
overflow of the mines. and that his
neighbors were anxious for him to be
present, for by this tine the dan Ter was
apparent To all The floods caused by
| the rains had overiiowcd the valley TO u