The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-02-19
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!, A TALE OF WESTERN TEXAS
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Written for The Post.
The weather was so delightful Winter
seemingly had forgotten Western Texas,
The sky for days had been without cloud.
The morning had burst forth crisp and
fresh, making every nerve thrill with
pleasure of living.
The endless prairie, with its soft patches
of browns, and grays, and yellow punches
of weeds and grasses, its clumps of scarlet
sumac and golden mesquite, woke in the
early riser every touch of poetry in his
nature. every impulse of health and hearth
ness. The boundess prairie was so beauti-
| full at dawn.
| think with the author of strathmore,
"If people oftener saw the break of day,
they would oftener vow to keep that day
holy"
! The garden patch and lot, surrounded by
the struggling fence, made partly of brush,
and in part of saplings, hauled with pa
tient labor from the distant "streak of
timber" the stable, q product OF every
| CT nceiyabe material which could be in
corpcrated into its sides and roof, and the
settlers cabin built of raw hide lumber,
were the only evidences in sight OF the
| intrusion of civilized man, upon this beau
| tiful stretch of western prairie, which
| lay in all its freshness ana newness, this
| bright winter day, in the sos, when Texas
| was young. The occupants OF the cabin
were early risers. The smoke from the one
! SOD chimney told of the busy house
wife and in the lot the cattle were
rapidly devouring the fodder and other
food, just placed for them by the men
folks" who now entered the cabin home
| with keen appetites for their simple break
| fast OF bacon, corn bread and coffee with
out sugar or cream. Mix was all gwen over
| to the calves. The more cows the less milk
was the stockman's rule. 1t was waste
| to feed il TO humans. Appetites slim
Mated by the pure Texas atmosphere need
ed none Of the varied temptations OF our
later morning dishes The day moved on.
The air outside soon grew warm and
balmy, and the earth began to take on a
summer heat.
The men smoked their pipes out on the
rude gallery in their shirt sleeves, while
tho good woman, sweltering over the warm
fireplace, hurried through her work in or
der 10 get out into the open air. saying to
herself rs she set away the dishes; ITS
mighty hot We're sure goin' to have a
norther."
"old woman" called the husband from
4
to the timber today The woods most out,
and there's going to be a norther."
"All right" cheerily returned the wife.
"There's your OvetcGats, be sure to take
them, and lay these blankets in the bot
tom of tho wagon The norther may catch
you before night"
I'm bet you it's whizzer when 1t does
come,' said enc OF the men as they started
TO the lot to hitch up.
ha N Thought
man, for work, only the two young boys
left with her.
No dinner to get What a relief! Just
the time 20 finish the quilt drawn up near
the roof of the small room.
Opening the shutter which served for
Tight and ventilation also, she sat down
far n regular days quitting. she was anx-
ious to hniah that quilt. II was the old
fashion "Iog cabin and had been care
fully brought from "back in the old
States"
| Every block had its memories.
| This was from Sister Lisa's dress, made
I lust before she and J hn had married.
Hero was whole block pieeed from Mary
BarEers wedding dresses and here were
pieces from dear mothers dress. Would
she ever sec her kind old face againy
Thus while the woman's nimble fingers
worked in shell" and diamond" her
heart was back in the memories OF old
Georgia.
| Tho sun rose higher, and higher, the
warmth Increased, the breeze grew fainter
and the day more sultry.
! "B VS." called the mother, you'd bette.
! get back log and cut more wood
I There's sure going to be norther. It's
! powerful hot"
The afternoon approached.
! More and more oppressive grew the
heated atmosphere.
The cattle in the distance with theiI
wonder U instinct were quietly but stea Z
! ily moving toward the skirting brush and
Tho timber bottom
The tall grasses and weeds stood notion
less under the burning sun. A streak o.
gray along the northern horizon was jus
Visible.
beautiful prairie. :.
/ l"My. but it's hot as summer. can't sil
IN here any longer
Drawing the quilt by It's ropes up int
mo Getting OF the room. the woman passed
ar Of the door tanning her heated face
s,ith her blue check apron. In nervous
way she hurriedly reached In her dress