The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-12-25

full of hope and courage Mary's blae
eyes and raven hair, her quick percepto
and general yivacity Of manner were
strange contrast to the big blue eyes, sand
hair and sluggish movement Of her consort
There was something about the quiet man
ner and the modest smile OF the little Indian
maiden that completely captiyated the b
fellow, and the facination of each for ii
other was perfectly mutual. When job.
laughed it was like the voice of many watera
he threw his massive form backward opez
ed his mouth and guffawed till he wake
the echoes A days drive to the southwes
of the old agency brought them to the plac
selected for home Toward the 'shank
of the afternoon the white covered wagon
turned off the road toward prairie streanM
that nestled under a long low bluff. Th
lone white pilgrim, jolting over the rough
unbroken sod, through the tall blue stem
grass, reached large horse shoe bend il
the stream and stopped. The long-eared
mules nibbled at the high grass and atl
length gave expression to loud braying, as
much as to say that it was camping time. 4
John lifted his young wife from the wagon
with conscious pride, and the two stood 80
ing the wild weird waste of unsettled prai-
rie, and looked wistfully across the green
meadow toward the blue hills in the distance.
The woman looked young, 1.-the and girIishH
and felt a sense Of security in the manlH
strength of the young Missourian as he puA
his brawny arm about her waist. As thew
stood gazing at the virgin field, that was tn
be the scene of future conflicts With
poverty and disease, where the sterna
'ealities of life were to be fought out u
where the struggles Of life were to be met
where the defeats and victories Of life were tdT
)e faced. There were tears in the woman'4
yes when she looked up into the quiet blue
yes Of her husband when he had let her out
t his arms, and turned to unhitch the bio
mules, and to prepare the camp After theA
cam had been stripped Of their harness andK
led by their halters to the trough at the reark
I the wagon, John picked up bucketk
nd strobe leisurely away to stream fork
Tater. When he returned his wife had theE
ooking utensils out and was going aboMN
citing che evening meal. She hummed the
une Of hymn she had learned in the oldF
Westminster Sunday school at Fulton,
ohn's deep tonod mellow voice joining. inn
he chorus, ''Let the Blessed Sunshine in'
-tlength they sat down to the meal and life 2
yern, troublous and real, had begun fork
lem. A year later home had been builtl
| the elbow of the stream Strong andI
earty John Mckenzie had conquered part off
g wilderness. The oaks and walnuls alongS
g stream had been pounded into rails by hisA
urdy arm, string Of white fence had been
tilt across the bend, and three sides OF theF
rm were enclosed by bank fence. thus utilizM
2 the forces Of nature aud saving vast ma
Mt of labor. All through the spring and far.
TO the summer the big mules were kept busy
ming the rich aluvial glebe, and from the
Iff as theweeks few by the spectator coulH
} the patch of black grow larger and largers <
before fall the face Of nature bad been
anged from green TO black-a farm bad been
de down in the fertile bend in the rivefb
other yAer passed with its varying lightk,
shadow, with its hardship, its loneinessl
] its struggle. In the summer Johns bottom
d Of rank corn was black as cloud
long straight rows stood high above the raj