Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1900-04-14

point you swing from the west to the
east side OF the lake. You may leave
Chicago in balmy spring and on the
same trip of an hour or two pass Por-
ter in winter that would be no disgrace
to Dakota. And that's just what hap
| pened to me- Nothing finer in the way
| OF weather could have been wished
4 than the brand that waited me from
Chicago Saturday, but we hadn't been
around the point at Porter half an hour
| before / was conscious Of disturbing
element to my dreams. At first could
not account for it. Then l noticed it
| was showing briskly. Ten miles far
Their on the train was running heavily
| through drifts of considerable depth.
We were not making schedule time,
! and as we ploWed along there was
more than suspicion in my mind that
| might spend the night in asnow bank
miles from any town or village.
"When l reached my old town, the
train was more than an hour late, the
! mercury had fallen below zero, and
stepped into the teeth of a blizzard that
almost carried me off my feet. I look
ed around for street car and then re-
| membered l was not in Chicago. The
sole cab had been retired from service
at the beginning of the storm, so set
out to walk the half mile between the
station and the old homestead. Let us
pass over that tramp, merely remark
Ing that the last trace of my pleasant
dreams of anticipation had vanished
long before pounded the old familiar
knocker on the front door of my IA
theirs house.
"My welcome there was all l could
have wished, and | soon forgot the
trials of the journey. There was the
big coal stove roaring like blast fur
mace, and in every room in the house
wood fire was burning. The apples
and cider were promptly placed before
me, and we settled down to an old
time chat At 10 o'clock my good old
mother took a small lamp and led the
way to the spare room, in which a fire
had been lighted after my arrival.
Here everything was .cozy also and as
warm as toast. The bed, with its big
feather ticks, looked like a giant snow
bank over against the wall There was
E5senty Of wood in a box behind the
stove, and mother suggested that it
would be a good idea for me to get up
once in awhile through the night and
replenish the fire. ~ 49, "
cit must have been after o'clock
in the morning when l awoke. The
room was colder than Greenland. De-
spite feather bed and a dozen blankets
and quilts, was chilly. 1 got up and
lighted the fire, which had been out for
hours. At 6 o'clock mother came soft
~ into my room and started that fire
again. She did not want to disturb
me; but, bless you, l had not been
asleep since got back to bed. Seeing
me awake, she said father had taken
one of his bad turns, and she had told
him be must stay in bed. She did not
say what she considered my duty in
the circumstances, but | saw it clearly
enough.
Must go into all. the details? Can
mot you imagine what followed? In
fancy don't you see me all through
that long Sunday, with the wind howl
ing. like a host of demons and the
snow blowing and banking up al
around the house. Juggling in a dozen
%seuttles of coal from the shed at the
foot of the garden; carrying in some
thing like four cords of wood to keep
half a dozen fires going; shoveling
paths to the pump, the wood shed. the 4
barn. the front gate, the back gate, the
side gate and the cistern? Need tell
a hired man. common laborer, a
nurse. chambermaid? Cannot YOU
see me carrying the shattered frag- 1
ments of my ideal out to the alley
through three feet of snow banks and
heaTing them away over into the
neighbours back yard?
I'm going to cut the rest Of this tale,
Smith. That night l repeated the ex.
periences Of the night before. except |
that l sat up and watched the fire in
stead of going to bed Next morning. |
finding the old gentleman had recover
ed. packed my grip and took the first |
train back to Chicago.
And, one word more, Smith. Do you |
know. now that | calmly think it over, |
that experience Sunday was no differ |
ent from many another of my early |
days at home l had simply surrennd |
ed the past with halo of ideality |
which made the present look mean by |
contrast. But | am cured."-Chicago
Evening Post.