The Colfax chronicle., 1900-09-15

are covered with the veruure OF the
early spring? No? Then you have
missed a scene than which there are
few more beautiful this side OF the
Pearly Gates. But you have doubtless
stood on the seashore and watched the
billows stretch away endlessly into the
horizon, and if you have, ! think can
picture to you the beautiful scene that
memory holds up to me. Suppose that
away back in the chaotic time when
s4the morning stars sang together"
that these pillows had been running
high and broad, and that He who
silenced the waves of Gallilee had said
to them peace, be still" and that in
stantly all motion had ceased, and in
stead of foaming water there was dry
land covered with varied verdure-pic-
ture all this if you can, and you have
the prairies as they are.
Flowers? Yes, it is one of Gods
flower gardens in the early spring be-
fore the hot winds come. You will
find the bright orange of the wild
geranium beside the dark purple OF
the wild verbena; the delicate, sensi-
tive rose trailing its tender shoots
among the brilliant clusters of the
wild morning glory; blue hyacinths
and wild onions nodding their blooms
toward each other; the buffalo bean
and the Indian pea shaking their long
spikes of brightness on the prairie
winds-all these on the uplands where
the soil is rich and dark.
Where the red. and yellow sands
sparkle in long stretches, there you
will find cacti in abundance. Then in
the buffalo wallows are tangles of
marsh marigolds and gay-colored
xenias, while down in the deep cam
yons dandelions and daisies nestle in
the shade of the plump grass that
grows tall and rank-fit abode for
prairie chicken and rabbit and terra
pin apff all the other shy denizens of
the l3fhirie.,
Hut If you will look on the same
scene few months later in the sea-
son, you will find a weird and wonder
full change. Instead of the bright
green that was fiecked with the GRIM
sons and puppies and blues of the
early spring, you will see only the
eomber and dismal brown-brown-
brown; all the grass and flowers and
waving grain literally scorched and
burned and withered. Here and there
the sand showing through bright yell
low and red and sending up little quiv-
ering waves of heat everywhere to-
wards the sky from whose cloudless
expanse the sun shines down with the
heat of furnace; nothing to relieve
the monotony of the scene that
stretches out before the weary eye
only long, brown waves of land that
! meet the arching sky. No sounds
through the MONDAY but the unceas-
ing swish and rustic of the withered
foliage as the winds surge over it.
In the midst of such a scene as this
stood little pine hut with straw
thatched roof. 1t held but three in
mates, young girl of about 20 years
of age whom everybody called
~Pheme," her older married sister and
little babe. The older sister, Maggie,
had been for some months prostrated
with typhoid fever, and was now so
weak that she could not raise her
head or lift her hand.
The babe was sleeping in its crib
and Pheme was ironing. Outside the
wind was blowing gale.
Far of to the northwest, about 100
miles away, a passenger train was
sweeping along. The travellers looked
out on the dreary scene and wondered
how anyone could want to live in
such place; the fireman threw the
ashes from his locomotive into the
grass and the train went swirling
on. But among the ashes there was
one live coal. ("Behold how great a
matter a little fire kindleth!') Once
ont in the wind, it began to glow and
sparkle. Soon the one beside it was
glowing and sparkling too. Then, by
and by, between them, they sent up a
tiny tongue of flame to the nearest
shoot of grass. The little flame
climbed to the top of the grass blade
and then leaped to the next, and the
next, and other little columns of red
1eaped up through the grass and
danced high up in the air until by and
by there was sweeping along that
terror of the inhabitants of the prai.
rie-a fire!
Pheme looked out of her low win.
dow, and seeing n cloud of smoke
away off to the northwest gave Lit.
tie cry of horror. She knew too well
what this meant. The wind was just
in the direction to bring the fire down
upon her. All the other members OF
the household had gone to town
some IA miles away and would not be
home until nightfall. There was nc
time for delay, for these prairie fires