The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1904-04-06
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1 SPANISH PEGGY
A STORY OF YOUNG ILLINOIS
By Mary Eartwe1l catherwood
Copyright. 1880. by Herbert s. Stone & Co
CHAPTER IV.-Cosr1SuEp.

Every Sunday Mahala Cameron's
father preached in the schoolhouse, and
nearly all the people, whether, they &C
cepted the. Cumberland Presbyterian
creed or not, went to the service. Wild
plum groves made bouquets of snow
on the prairies. The woods were full
of flowers, having such fragrance as
breaks only from old loan. All the
frees, from the rich green of the pc
can to the delicate and slowly deepen
ing maple gave out their foliage to
the sun. The Judas tree burst out like
fame in the forest.
Happy boys were seen coming home
from the river of evenings with strings
Of croppies, bass, and pike. Half-yearly
muster day came, when the local mi
litia stepped out in awkward sqauds
and practiced such military tactics as
the leader knew to the squeak of a
Sfe and the thump of drum. Anty-
wine put himself among the boys. He
liked life and movement. But Shick-
shack stood and looked gloomily on
He knew that his own people, the Sacs,
were being crowded in their reserva-
ton, and this play of war might some
lime become reality. Whisky was plen-
tiful Of muster days. Antywine no
ticed that Lincoln did not touch it.
Having considered the height and
strength of Sieur Abe. he also spat out
Of his mouth taste of fiery stuff
pushed between his lips by Grove
boy. and decided that he would fight
rather than be forced to drink.
Sticky Green and Ann Rutledge's
brother were home, working in their
/ fathers fields. Young Yates was seen
at intervals during the summer. The
boys and girls Of New Salem found a
world of material for their own happi-
ness. There were cuttings, where the
older women labored in the afternoon
and young men and women came to
evening games.
Peggy Shickshack stood outside of
such festivities, and so did Antywine.
because the singular mother Of their
household had no fellowship with the
mother of any other household. For
all the villagers began to look kindly
at the unfolding womanliness of the
lame Spaniard, the blond head of An
tywine, and the good old Indian who
loved white men.
But the festival that Peggy liked best
and was not left out of, was blackber-
rying. The girls rose at dawn and put
on their worst clothes, meeting by ap-
pointment at the tavern with baskets
on their arms. They did not speak
loud. The dust in the road took the
prints of their feet like ashes. The
whole sweet-smelling world was
drenched in dew, and as they brushed
down the rayine across the woods be-
You'd. they were baptized by every
bush. Then their tongues were
looseued, and they sang and told
stories. Sometimes they pretended to
see wolves sneaking to cover, but this
merely for the pleasure of frightening
themselves. 1t was the loveliest pilgri-
mage ever invented. There was peril
in 1t too, for in the wooded field of
wild brambles the thick-mottled rattle
snake, or objects resembling him,
caused many start and Shrek.
Once little Jane Rutledge got fat
grasshopper down her back, and yelled
for deliverance from-"a snake! a
snake!"
"Oh, run home, Jane! Run home.
quick" cried Mahala Cameron.
But Ann tore the child's clothing
open and freed the grasshopper, cling
ing with all his feet to the tender white
back; end they all laughed at Mahala,
4 who would have sent her three miles
for help.
etimes the girls swan grass to
~ on-s in g sea OF dew. Peggy
y which
Ina,