The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-08-08


OF some mystery in the long ago.
The story does not purport TO be
founded on fact. Although truths have
been sought for, only Il very few have
bsen found, and fiction has had to weave
Its gossamer threads around q name only,
CHAPTER IA PIONEERS HOME,
One hundred years ago the State
Of Missouri was almost q wilderness.
For miles a traveller might go and
never come to a house nor q cult
waited field nor anything to remind
him Of humankind. Instead Of roads
through this desolate region, there
were only bride paths ersanfheD
trails made by herds Of buffaio and
deer as they went back and forth to
creeks and rivers. Dense forests
through which had never sounded
the strokes of an ak, we're filed
with fierce beasts Of prey, bears,
panthers and wolves, and the trav-
eler was often made to tremble for
his safety, If night came on and
caught him out without his gun.
The few settlers penetrating this
wild region, had built their little log
houses on the outskirts OF these for
ests and close to the creeks, a SEN
sible thing to do as water and wood,
Two essentials, would then be conve-
nient and wagons and carts, wells
and cistel ms, were luxuries few could
afford.
The little Lighthouse in which
dwelt the heroine of this tale, was
about q mile from the creek and
three or four miles away from
the nearest settlers home. A rough,
rugged little home it was, made Of
hewn logs, and covered with boards.
Its chimney, half the width Of the
house, was also made of logs which
grew smaller as they went up.
Within, there was the puncheon
floor made Of logs, the wide and
high fire place in which was fixed
the hook and rack the hominy pot
for the boiling meat. Poor and rude
were the surroundings, but there
was a look Of home comfort about
its interior that made one forget 1t
was in the wilderness. The split
bottomed chairs were softly cush-
toned and curtains snow white we're
at the little sqnare windows. Rugs
knit OF rags were spread on the
floor and in the corner curtained off
with dainty snowy net which hung
in graceful folds from the tall can
opy was the bed, soft as down, and
glowing with its gay colored quilt.
Around the fireside gathered the
little family of three, and on winter
evenings whom the great back log
was on, and the skillet, frying pan
and coffee pot were brought out and
the Goals raked out to prepare the
supper, nothing could have been
more cheerful than the scene.
Annette, the only child, was 30
gay, SO full of talk and such a pet
that the mother and father, disa-
greeting on everything elss yet united
in loving her and thinking her the
best and sweetest girl in the world.
The log house with its homely furni-
ture was a paradise to their little
Annette and she made it a paradise
to them. She was a beautiful girl
and now in her eighteenth year.
Full OF life, she enjoyed the wild
Genes around her and was eager to
take hold of anything to help her
father to get along in the improve
ment of his homt. With light heart
and willing hands she was like a good
angel in the honse making all around
bright and cheerful.
The father, a descendent Of the
French Hugenots, was a man of edu-
cation and refinement. He was, too,
as devotedly as attached to his relig-
ion as his ancestors had been, and
would have been as heroic and firm
in its defense II he had been put to
the test. But no such trial was put
upon him. The free America to
which he came in his youth was
broad enough to let all religions
spread as they would. The wilder
ness west of the Mississippi was cho-
sen as his stopping place and on the
banks Of this little stream, which cut
it's way through the richest and
smoothest of soil, he marked of his
little farm and built his cabin. Other
settlers moved farther down the
stream. Mr.. Laselle purposely built
several miles away that he might
have room to enlarge his place, to
have broad acres for cultivation and
pasture.
So these three, Mr.. Laselle, his
wife and daughter, Annette. were
deprived of society, at least what the
world calls society. But, they
selfish, or were they 30 we'll satisfied
with each other that outside society
was not much missed? There was
SO much to do, too, in these early
times, that they did not have time to
spare for society. The cotton had
to be grown on the farm from which
all the cotton cloth was made and
the fax, and tow for linen carried
through its many processes till