The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-09-14
A REFLECTED FACE.

I can remember my grandmother very
well. l was quite child when she died,
and remember that nothing delighted
me so much as to sit at her feet In corner
of the hearth and listen to her stories OF
bygone days when the woods were full of
ssyages and wild beasts, with whom the
settlers were obliged to keep up constant
warfare.
Her people had been the first to settle in
the wilds of upper New Hampshire. Leav-
ing their home in the settlements by the
seaside they had travelled due north into
the Pigwicket country, where a tribe OF
Indians Of that name had formerly dwelt,
their last great chief being Pagus, who
wns slain In the Eight on the shore OF the
pond, which since that day has borne the
name of the victor-Lovell.
Farther north, On the banks OF the Saco
they built their cabins. and with the crys
tai waters nIurmuring by, and the great
mountains appearing on all sides, except to
the eastward, they settled down to found
home which should be more to their
minds than the one they had left.
Although she seldom moved from her
to bed by my mother, grandmother's mind
was rs clear as ever, and she liked to tell
of those days when they first came there t.
live ...-
remember one night of sitting at her
feet as usual, while without speaking she
gazed into the glowing embers and flames
rs they rose and fell In the broad fireplace.
! was big boy then, but was as eager TO
hear stories from her lips as had ever
been.
knew that she was thinking of the days
long since gone, and did not disturb her
until she had turned her gaze down upon
me.
"Tell me story, grandmother; know
you were thinking of one just then"
How do you knowf" she said, as she
laid her withered hand upon my haxen
locks.
From the look there was on your face,
grandmother can always tell when you
are thinking"
"You are right, boy; was thinking OF
what happened to me a long time ago,
when we first came here to make this val.
ley our home. / came near my death then.
Nothing but the merest chance saved my
life
"Tcll me about it, grandmother"
II will child. All the rest are busy out
Of doors, so there will be nobody to break
in upon me-"
The old lady WAS silent for few mo-
ments. l knew her ways and so did not
urge her on. At length she said:
When we first came here to reside, which
was some time ago, as l have told you
often before. it was an unbroken wilder.
ness filled with wild beasts and savages
The beasts used to keep me awake howl
ing in the night and in the morning their
footprints could be plainly seen abont the
cabin where they had been longing to
make meal of us. Ever and anon in the
daytime the redskins would pay us a visit,
putting me all in tremble until they
turned their backs again upon the clearing.
Whenever they came we used them as best
we could and they never went away hun
CRY. My husband, my sister and myself
composed our family The clearing had
been made by my husbands hands with
what aid we could give him. In pilng
the brush SO that it might burn well when
dry enough, we together could do as much
as man, so that in reality we were quite
a help to him in his task.
We bad no neighbors nearer than n
mile or so away down the river. Here a
half dozen settlers had built their cabins
close together, so that they might support
one another; but my husband didn't like
the situation there. The soil was not so
good, he thought, as It was higher up the
river, so he built his cabin where he did
well knowing that he took more risk by so
doing than he would IL he had kept close
to tho others. One day along in the sum
mer told him that my stock of meat was
getting low aud that he would soon have
to go into the forest to replenish it, He
said that he would go on the morrow il
the day was suitable. 1t proved to be
bright and fair, and after had got him mn
early breakfast he took his gun and care
fully examining the printing announced
that he was ready to depart.
Take good care of yourself, Reuben,nI
said, as he stood just outside the door,
Look out for the bears and panthers-and
the redskins too. You can never tell when
they are providing around"
"A bear or deer is what want to find"
he said. las for the others, Pm willing to
give them wide berth. But don't YOU
worry about me, Susan. shall come back
In safety and l won't be empty handed
either"
II hope so, Reuben"
Never yon fear. But you must keep
sharp lookout for yourself Don't YOU or
Rachel go out into the clearing to work
while Pm gone. Keep close to the cabin
and don't let any sayages in If you can
help 1t, If they come in any numbers. They
may be friendly and they may not. They
are treacherous, and one can never tell
what they may don
II will do as you say. Rachel and have |
enough to do inside the cabin to last us all |
day. We have done SO much work out OF
doors of late that my work in the cabin |
has got behindhand There is lot OF sew
ing and mending to be done, and this gives
us good chance to clear 1t up"
Reuben fingered no longer, but strobe |
away across the clearing. and Rachel and !
l, standing in the doorway, watched him
until he vanished in the forest.
1t did not take Rachel and mo long to
clear away the breakfast dishes, an then
we sat down and went to plying our needles !
right merri!y.
shall always remember what leauti
tul morning it WAS There was not cloud |
in the sky, and the heat was not great for
a summer day, Through the open door
came the songs of The birds, and ever and
anon Rachel, who had a good voice, would
pipe up and join them
Now aud then thoughts of hc,ioen would
enter my mind, and | wondered if he was
safe, and how long it would be before he
would be at home. But no one could tell
that. and l tried to keep it out of my mind |
as much as ! could.
The forenoon wore away and dinner hour
was close at hand.
We thought that ne would not have n
regular one until Reuben got back, as ii
would give usmore time to work. We would
eat some cold victuals we had already
cnnk cd md laXinu asiIle my work L rns.