Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-12-04
BEssIE's BIG BLACK BEAR.

The Benson family were leaving home
for the summer. This does not mean
that they were shutting up house in
the city in order to spend few months
at some fashionable resort among the
FOUNTAINS. They were already very
laucn in the country indeed, as they
lived in the wild woods, fifty miles
away from the nearest town, and the
children. Eugene, aged twelve, and Bes-
sic. aged six. had never in their lives
seen even the outside of church or
school-house. Leaving home for the
summer meant. with them, piling mat
tresses and chairs and tables on a
fat boat which was poled across
the wide shallow river that lay
between what they called the winter
house Though there is seldom any win
ter on the Florida coast) and the pal
metto-leaf-covered summer house that
stood so near the white sand-hills, just
beyond which dashed the breakers, that
there was no danger there of chills and
fever during the hot season. 1t was
built of logs, and we'll ventilated with
cracks and the roof was sometimes
blown off during the equinoctial gales,
4 hurrying the return of the Benson fami-
ly to their more comfortable home on
the other side of the river
When moving time came Mrs Benson
used to express the wish that she might
pack Bessie up in large covered
basket, as she did the crockery. Eugene
was big end strong enough to make
himself useful on such occasions, but
Bessie did nothing but (as her father
expressed it), make herself numerous"
On the moving-day of which / write,
she seemed worse after landing on what
the children called the wild side of the
river than she had been before leaving
the tame side. Here, there and every
where she was, so her mother told her,
as great bother as buchanan, the dog,
who was dashing hither and thither
among the bushes, barking at nothing
and nobody, until Mrs Benson was
ready to SO distracted.
20, Bessie, / wish you would behave
less like Buch, and more like Victoria,
said she, pointing to a sleeping cat.
81 don't want to go to sleep on pile
of pillows" replied Bessie; 'but if you
will let me, I'll help Eugene bring the
chairs ashore"
Yes; and fall down on the oyster
bank, and get yourself SCARED up and
covered with mud. If you really wish
to be useful, take this fy-brush and
Buchanan, and 60 up to the house. You
can not miss your way, as you have
only to follow that path leading over
the hill and through the hammock.
Sam and Dophne, who came over in the
canoe early this morning, are up there
sweeping out the house, so you needn't
be afraid"
Suppose l meet bear?" objected
Bessie, looking obviously up the high,
thlckly-wooded hill over which the
path led.
''Buch will drive away all the bears
you will meet" said Eugene. you
are an awful little coward for big girl
like you-six years old yesterday"
II amt a coward" exclaimed Bessie
"But, mamma, if / meet a bear, I'll
haze to climb tree, though you said
must stop Icing a tomboy when / was
six years old"
'Climb a tree!' said Eugene. "Is that
all you know about bears?"
And he was about to impart some of
his own superior knowledge when Mrs.
Benson, who was worried, and in no
mood for natural history, interrupted
him with:
''Oh, go on, Bessie! If you meet
bear, you may climb the very highest
tree you can find; but take good care of
my nice fly-brush. If you get tired, you
can stop and gather pop-berries along
the way"
II wonder if Bessie has got to the
house YETI said Eugene, some time
later, when, having seen every thing
safely landed, he and his mother and
Victoria Ton his shoulder), began the
ascent of the hill. ''She is an awful
slow walker"
YES" returned Mrs. Benson, when
they reached the top, and the house,
quarter of mile away came into view.
II do not see any thing of her along the
path"
what Is that down yonder at the
foot of the hill?" asked Eugene. II do
believe it Is your nice new peacock fly
brush she has dropped on the ground"
And so 1t was And when they
reached the spot where it was lying.
they heard a. scared little voice among
the branches of a scrub-oak close by:
20 mamma, I'm so glad you have
comet Buch is running after a big
black bear. II l had not climbed up
here, he'd have caught me. There!
Don't you hear them? They are COM
ing this way again.
And so they were, hurrying through
the underground like mad.
Bow WOW! wow!" said Buchanan.
Cuff! CUFF! guffr' said the black animal
of which he was in chase.
'Ho! hol hot laughed Eugene
look, mamma. at what Bessie calls
bearl''
''Give me the cat" said Mrs. Benson,
land go and help the child down out OF
the tree"
well. it looked like bear anyhow"