Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-06-28
REUNITED.
A Story OF the BLIZZARD, Nov. 18th,
18th, 1855.
BY FRoNA W. CALVIN.

BY FRoNA w. CALVIN.
During the autumn of sc, the wealth.
er was remarkably pleasant all over
the western states till the middle of the
month of November. Up to that time
men worked out doors in their shirt
sleeves, and women continued to wear
sunbonnets just as IN midsummer.
But the 10th dawned cold and gray.
and the wind, which is always astir in
this section of the country, was sharp
and keen. Still nobody expected u
storm of great severity. as a raw,
cloudy dav is not infrequent at this
season of the year, and just as fire.
quently it comes and goes UNDECIDED,
ave to cause one 10 put on an ex-
ira garment for the day and lay it
aside again on the morrow when the
sur shines out brightly as ever. But
then, no one in this slipshod west
ever does expect Il storm till it comes
on and finds them unprepared. Some
way the idea that the winters are not
going to be severe and don't open up
till late is so fixed in the brain of the
average settler, that he wouldn't be
ready for cold weather if it didn't be-
gin till The following season. and when
it comes and finds them mapping
oh, what ii rustling there is to Fix
things up "a little for the cold snap.
Done. declared who'd q thought
wintcr'd a set in right a way so
soon
The more shiftless never make any
provision for their cattle during the
severe weather unless it be Il straw
stack for them to stand against in case
of a blizzard. At other times they
are expected to rustic their living on
the buffalo grass. This is Il short,
woody growth which is p%OupIarly be-
lieved to contain an oily, nutritious
substance for the animals. Many of
the poor creatures de of starvation,
and those which do manage to pull
through are so poor by spring that it
takes three of them standing together
to cast Il respectable shadow,
On this particular dav, it did not
clear off as it was expected; on the on
trar, the clouds became denser rs the
day wore on. the wind rose to a per-
feet gale, and toward night a sleety
rain set in.
ut going to be a bad night. moth
er. What will we do with Cherry's
calfP 'Twon't do to let it stand out"
said Julian Ashley, coming from the
stable where lac had been doing the
chores" just at nightfall on the MEM
orable 10th.
G.NNa'n haxra 70 mat - - 4la hall
room in the hen-house till we can get
a place fixed,n replied the mother.
I'll come aud help"
There are usually exceptions to a
rule, and Mrs. Ashley was the excep-
{ on TO the general rule of shiftlessness
in her n~eighborhood. Her neighbors
claimed that this was due to her peck
et-book being better filled than theirs;
but when did laEiness ever fail to in
vent nm excuse behind which TO screen
itselfP The fact of her purse being
longer than theirs was due to her pro-
viding food and shelter for her stock
which is the greatest source of revenue
on Il claim-thus increasing the outfit
and doing away with the losses which
impoverished her n%eighbors.
The calf having been induced with
many a Sock boss e. "'Huay there"
and an &C ;4sional twist OF its caudal
a%ppendagc to enter the dark h~en-housc
aud allow itself to be tied to the cen
ter post, Mrs. Ashler took Il final sur-
vey of the animals in the sheds and
stables to see that all were us cOmfor-
table us they could be made under the
circumstances. then she and Julian
each carried in II scuttle OF coal. clos
ed the door and pulled the rug before
it 10 keep the cold from coming in ut
the bottom.
The house was n long. low structure
rs sod houses usually are. and was hall
.'dug-out" 1t, like the out-buildings,
was better than the generality. 1t con-
tanned three rooms, and not only had
board floors. hut they were carpeted
and the walls were papered. 1t also
had a single roof which. much as it
may astonisl you TO find it out. my
eastern friends. is II luxury not enjoyed
by the common herd of homesteaders.
A board roof with sod laid over it to
keep out the rain is considered fine,
but people who 90 to the extent OF
sporting shingle roofs on their dwell
ings are considered way up" IN west
crn p%arlance.
The houses are usually covered in
this wise. A ridge-log is laid from one
end wall t the other, supported in the
center by a log with Il crotch on the
upper end, standing perpendicularly.
Small poles are then placed at a
distance of two feet apart, one end OF
each resting upon a side wall, the
other upon the ridge-log. This con
stitutes the frame work. Willows are
then laid thickly across the poles. a
layer of buiralo-sod, added. and the
entire roof covered with dirt u foot
thick.
Board floors are another luxury not
enjoyed by the majority. 'dirt floors
being the rule. That is, the earth in.
closed within the four walls is leveled
down as smoothly rs possible with 6
spade, and considered quite good
enough. 1t is no uncommon occur
enc to see people who W hundreds