The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-01-24

in his wild undertaking.
Well might it seem a wild under
taking. The journey of nearly Il
thousand miles, that to-day is little
more than holiday jaunt of pleas
ure, was at that period an arduous
task to the bravest and best in
formed; doubly SO to one inexperi-
enced in the country and it's print
tive modes of travel. Only here and
there had few miles of railway been
laid, and long stretches must he
made in slOw-gOing canal boats or
in the numbering stage coaches.
1t was the latter mode OF travel
that gave the greatest discourage
ment to the restless spirit ofMarsden.
1t seemed like the tagging gait of a
snail, so eager was he to reach the
end of his journey and gain means to
send for the loved ones. So long as
he sped on the swift steamer of the
Hudson river, or with like speed on
Lake Erie, and again down the Ohio
river from Portsmouth to the Queen
City Ofthe West, his soul was content.
Arriving at his destination, it did
seem as if the Lord was especially
good to him, for albeit he was con-
stantly met throughout his travels
with the one unvarying story of dull
times and difficulty in obtaining en-
plOyment, he secured a second lob
almost as soon as applied for, and
good home with the family ofhis boss.
The thought pressed on him with
great force that his good fortune was
in answer to the prayers he we'll knew
were daily ascending to Heaven from
the lips of his piouc mother asking
God to bless her sons endeavor to
pave the way for her own and father
less children's way to the glorious
land of hope across the sea.
So promising did his situation ap-
pear that he wrote cheering COM
fort to his wife He could soon for
ward money to help her along, and
in three months at the farthest, he |
thought, send the means to bring
her to his side.
And now he worked with a will. |
Caleb Bradwell, his boss, genial,
kindly man of the best Puritan
stock, took a warm interest in his
affairs, and gave opportunity for
him to earn as much as his strength |
would permit. Thus encouraged
Marsden was up at his bench almost
before it was light, and he pressed
on to a late hour at night, bent on
the eager purpose to send for his
wife and child at the earliest posi-
BILE moment. He was also greatly
cheered by the good wife of Caleb, who
was one of the warm-hearted, mother
ly souls who spread streaks of pleas
ant sunshine all around them. Her
own children were married and well
provided for, and now her tender
mothers heart fairly dubbed in
sympathetic anxiety in behalf of the
strangers far away. 1t filed the
soul of Will with great comfort to
have fallen into so good a home,
where peace, love, and Christian
helpfulness reigned supreme More
than score of times he said to him
SELF
eff these are fair samples of Ameri-
cans, shall love the Americans and
the grand country that produces
them!'
And further experience only served
to prove that they were, in truth, ex-
amples OF that national character in
its best elements. The country had
not yet been flooded with hordes of
degraded humanity from the lowest
grades of foreign lands, stepped to
the lips in ignorance and the sad
moral deterioration that is born of
impoverished serfdom, giving con-
Eliminating influence to drunkenness,
Sabbath dissertation, and brutal An
archism. At this period the peoples
heartwas warm toward every honest,
industrious toiler who came to gain
the freedom and prosperity which
were denied to them in their own less
favored lands. The hand of Chris
tian welcome was everywhere extend
ed, unchilled by the later selfishness
that has come with the mad thirst