The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-12-26

ANNA TORGESON'S NOTE |
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BY H. |. CLEVELAND.

uhu CNcucS ScJ upOu TIE pTdlrleS OI
the Dakotas 20 years ago compara-
lively few read or understood Eng
lish. 1t Nas surprising, though,
how quickly they adjusted them
selves to their new environment.
While the women worked in the
prairie fields with the men, while all
were tillers of the soil and carriers
of burdens, they vet found time to
master much Of the new tongue, to
open American schools and to pur-
chase American books and news
papers. When the first hard winter
came, many of the men and women
willingly went to school on such
days as the Billiards permitted and
pored over spelling books and arith-
metic with the children.
In the Hay Meadows school dis
trict was Norwegian family Of the
name of Torgeson. The mother,
Anna, was perhaps 20 or 23 years
old. The father was 80. The
three children were toddlers, too
young for school and books. Never
theless when winter school opened,
Anna Torgeson, with one child at
her breast and two at her skirts,
forced her way across the prairie to
the sod schoolhouse and asked for
admission. Torgeson himself did
not go with her. He was one of
the few who opposed any effort to
change the order of things that had
prevailed in the home land. He pro-
posed to be a Norseman to the last
of his days. He would speak in no
tongue but his own. He would go
to no church but the "kirk," and
that not existing on the prairies he
would do without worship.
He wore his peaked hat, his siled
coat, his skin trousers and avoided
his American neighbors except a.
he was forced to trade with thelm
Although he soon understood few
words of English when a land Office
collector came for the last payment
on his final proof notice, he would
speak to him only in the Morse
tongue. Then the strong arm of
the government reached out and
Torgeson was frightened. He broke
his VOWS and spoke in English until
the title to his land was clear.
The hay meadows district was
temperance community. The set
tiers from the distant lands of the
north were strongly religious, hard
workers, moderate in all habits,
kindly to all who met them. That
Torgeson should be the one among
them to fail to rightly accept the
new life in the republic panied
them. They earnestly labored with
him, but he would not listen. When
Anna Torgeson made known her de-
sire to attend the district school, he
swore loudly and at first said she
should not go. Later he answered
her pleadings;
go if you will, but you put some
thing between us two you will never
get over. I am as my fathers were.
If you would be different, all right,
but it will go hard with both of us
later"
Anna Torgeson was straight of
limb and blue of eyes. She was
beautiful when Torgeson made her
his bride. Motherhood but added
70 her charms. She had mind, too
witted intelligence, rare
aptitude for knowing the best and
clinging to it. For her children's
sake she believed she ought to at
tend the district school. When
Torgeson finally gave his consent,
she wound her arms about his neck
and kissed him long, but Torgeson
pushed her away and growled. He
would not surrender. He came to
America but for gain; when that
was had, he would return to his
folllland unchanged.
All through November and De-
cember of that dreary winter. Anna
Torgeson made her way to the
schoolhouse and worked for mas
terry of the English tongue. Torge-
son staid at the farm minding the
cattle and their fodder or brooding
over his pipe and cups. That his
wife should not side with him was
the bitterest thing he had to endure.
He was not a bad man, only
cruelty obstinate one, and, having
started on the wrong path, he would
not turn back and find the right
one. He might have made his
wife's winter a bright one. He
could have taken out the sledge and
driven her and the children the
short mile to the schoolhouse, but
he would not. No matter how
deep the snow and fierce the winds,
he let them go alone, unaided, up-
less neighbors gave helping hand.
When January, the worst month
of the season, came, he made no eff
fort to assist them. So wide was
the gulf between husband and wife
now that he even let the New Years
day pass without the home celebra-
ton they had never missed before.
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