The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1888-03-01
BRAVING A STORM.
The True Story Of School
Teachers Eeroism.


The 31st of December, 1876 > is re-
membered by many persons as the date
of the beginning of one of the widest
and most fatally destructive winter
storms that ever swept across the
wide, unprotected prairies of the West.
The inhabitants of Illinois, Iowa, Wis
consin and Minnesota, and of the West
generally, suffered severely.
In Middle Illinois the storm broke
with almost the suddenness of 4 tor
nado, resulting not only in great de-
struction of domestic animals. but in
the loss of many human lives. The
season until then had been uncOmmonly
mild, and even on this last day of the
year the roads were deep with mud.
The morning dawned with deceitfnl
brightness; gentle, spring-like breeze
came from the south, the sky was
cloudless, and the old-fashioned rail
fence cast a distinct zigzag shadow
along the south side of the road, as
Mary Rast, a girlish school-teacher, and
several of her small pupils, all in high
glee over the approaching New Year.
holiday, picked their way carefully to-
ward the school-house. This building
stood out by itself on the prairie, and
the only dwelling within half a mile
was that of Mr. Kent, in whose family
Miss Rast boarded.
The attendance on that day was I'M
usually small: only twelve scholars re-
ported themselves; and these were
mostly from the nearest families; for
the older settlers, accustomed to the
capricious weather of the West, had
viewed the brightness of the morning
with suspicion. and kept their children
at home. By noon a slight haze over
cast the SIN, but the air was still quiet
and mild. Three boys. who lived about
a mile distant. and a cousin staying
with them, ran home across the fields
to dinner, and. somewhat to the teach
er's surprise, did not return.
She was thus left with a flock of
eight Four of these were children of
MIR. Kent; two of the others lived mile
and a half away, while the remaining
two, Willie and Mary Wood, who were
only ten and eight years old. respect
lively, came from a house fully three
quarters of a mile west of the school
house.
At about two o'clock the day sud-
denly began to darken, and there came
few short, but fierce puffs of wind
from the southwest. The young teacher
looked out anXiouSly, wondering at the
change, and saying to herself that she
must hold a short session and send the
children home in good season. For
half an hour all was quiet again, but
thick. murky gloom came creeping over
the landscape. and few flakes of snow
fell slowly and silently, melting as fast
as they touched the muddy ground.
An older and more experienced per-
son would have known what to expect
from such signs, and would have fled
with the scholars to the nearest place
of safety; but Miss Rast, as we have
said, was only a girl, and, moreover,
had never wintered in the West before,
so that she knew little about the fierce
ness of winter storm on the prairie.
Again the wind blew in angry gusts,
this time longer. louder and more d.
rectly from the west, and again followed
a short interval of strange silence. The
temperature fell with great rapidity,
until, in few minutes. the air was
freezing cold; then all at once. with
wild, thunderous roar, the storm burst
From west to north stretched a black,
heaving sea of cloud, tossed and torn
by the wind, that now shrieked and
screamed like storm demon. In
trembling haste the teacher set about
preparing the children for their terri
bic journey. There was no staying at
the school-house. with neither food nor
fuel for the long, bitter night, and she
determined to take the whole company
to her own boarding-p place. knowing
how welcome they would be-if only
they could get there.
By this time the frightened children
were clinging about her. and little Mary
Wood began crying to go home. Poor
little thing she could net bear to be
separated from her mother even over
night. Willie sturdily declared that
they could get home well enough. but
the teacher would not consent to their
making the attempt BY going east
with her they would have the wind
nearly at their backs. and it was clear
enough that no child could live in the
face of such a storm.
Of the eight scholars, the oldest was
little more than twelve. while Robbie
Kent, delicate boy, was younger even
than Mary Wood. This smallest and
weakest of the flock Miss Rast made
her especial care, and, taking him BY
the hand, she made the rest grasp each
other firmly. bidding them keep to-
gether, and close to her. Then, at last
she opened the door that had stood, a
frail barrier, between them and the
storm. The first gust took them of