The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1888-06-07

Il was dropped by a melting glacier
from the far north.
But however its presence may be ac-
counted for. there Is a very light sprink-
ling Of gold dust through the sand
along the ''crick' just at this point.
and score or more Of slow-mOving
men. by close industry and tedious
washing and sitting. continue to MAIN
tain \ laborious existence. The reck-
less extravaganza and lucky finds"
which have been associated with the
richer mining Of our Western States are
lacking here. and there is simply. and
without exception. heavy labor with its
meager returns Even the unkempt
farmer who tends his ''crapS" along
the rocky hillsides Of the surrounding
country has a better opportunity to
wrest a competency from the soil than
has the "gold-digger."
As stood half way up the ragged
brush-grown hill. the valley below was
in shade. and the windings Of the
''crick." from bluff 10 bluff Of its re-
siricted bottoms. appeared plain and
white away To the north. where a jut-
ting promontory closed the view. Agri-
culture has made light inroads on the
heavy growth Of timber which hides
the angles and ravines Of the earth's
warm bosom. Here aud there AN irreg-
ular "claim inclosed by a rude brush
fence. showed an ugly patch on the
| green mantle.
Il reckin you don't see many likelier
sections o. kentry than that thar
stranger"
The speaker had come down the hill
unnoticed. as ! stood looking at the
I wild landscape and the beautiful touches
Of color which the sun was laying. with
lavish generosity. upon the highest of
the dark, uplifted masses opposite me.
at surely is sight worth coming far
to see. " was my scarcely candid reply.
Eyes sir." be- continued. taking the
words for the highest praise; when
/ Cater Pauley an me left Carliny. we
never lowed we'd find sich kentry as
this hyar un. That 'uz nigh onto
twenty-five year ago. an reckin I'll
die an he berried In the graveyard
down thar at the diggins' That's
Cajsr's corn-patch over wander an
that smoke risin' up behind them trees
is from his cabin. I low Smanthy's
gittin' supper"
rs Samantha Mr.. Pauley's wife?'
"Who? o. yes Smanthy-ves. she's
Cajer's wife. / reckon YOU w never
in these parts much. stranger. er you'd |
a heered about Smanthy. You see II |
~ this hyar WAY with her: she wuzn't {, |
like Cajer. fer he alluz said he didn't |
keer whether the leaves on the trees 'uz
green er blue. IF he could raise a crap
o corn to suit him; an ef the rocks
wanted 10 be big an have moss on EN-. |
au' little cracks o water a-tumblln'
down over EN-. he lowed It made no
difference a. him 40 they wuzn't in the
way o worlCin' his claim.
But. ez ] NJ a-sayin'. Smanthy /
wuzn't like Cater. She " alluz a-talk-
in about the hills a-bein' 81 purity an
green in the spring q the year. an
she'd nigh Almost take tic about a lit
tie spring o clear like water runnin'
over the rocks er trIcklin' out from I'M
der the roots o tree Seemed like
she w sort o. weakly. too. an not pert
an rugged like Caters side O. the fam
bly,. Many a time I've seed her 60
down TO the spring below them trees
you see over thar whar the smoke Is,
an set down on a rock an iss' set an
look up hyar AZ this hill without sayin'
- srrsrs4N L. T.
the evenin' when the sun 'uE a-shinin'
on the top. the way II Is now. an ever
thin down yander in the boiler 'uz still
an sort o dark like. She set a heap
o store BY flowers. too. an when the
johnny juinf-UPs an dAndylions begun
10 come ont an the weather 'uz a.git-
tin warm she'd 60 up in the woods an
gether all she could carry.
'-Cajer. he used to low somstines
that Smanthy ort to be a-doin' some
thih' ~ help take keer o the children.
stead o traipsln around the timber;
but she'd only sort o. smile like, an
say the best part o. her life 'ud be
alack.n' Il she couldn't see the puriy
things thst 'uz 50 common ever where's
''Well. one day. about fifteen years
ago. Cajer'd gone down to the diggin's
TO get a grist o corn ground fer to
make corn-bread. an Smanthy got the
cabin redied up an went mp the hill be-
hind the trnck-patch an into the
woods. 10 look fer flowers an to see
what the children 'uz a-doin'. When she
got up thar about forty rod. she could
smell somethin' Albumin. an purity
soon she heerd the children a-screamin'
like bein' killed She ran up the hill
through the bushes an turned around |
the pint of sort o of shoot Of the
bluh an then she seed what 'uz the
matter. They had made fire IN the
leaves that laid on the ground thick
over winter. an It had spread out an
got clean around EN-. an when
Smanthy see EN-. Il 'uz a-burnin'
tur' bic fierce an gettin' closier to 'em
ever mint She never stopped her
runnin'. but jes' went tearin' right
through them blazes ten foot high. an
grabbed the two youngest an held 'em
cl0st agih her breast an bent her head
down over 'em like. an run out to a
safe place. Then. without stoppin' to
take breath, she run back agin-fer
the fire ~ a-drorin' up into a mighty
small ring by that time-an' grabbin'
the other one o the children up. she
Rugged It clost an sort o wrapped
her dress around It's head. an then run
out with L.
when they started down 70 the
cabin. Smanthy made the children lead
her, she 'uz burnt that bad. an seemed
Ike she couldn't see very well. fer she
KEEP a-stumblin' an askin' the oldes'
gal which way to 60.
"AlOng m the evenin'. Caisr. he
come home. an went In the cabin
hungry As houn'i but supper Euzn's