The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1904-03-11
poor father, lie laughed aloud
with relief

1919 AoN1cAs Az AdAtAtd eACNA
with relief
"'What a girl our little Keturah Isl
he said. exultinely. She's having a
concert out here on the edge of the
wild woods SO as 10 cheer up the home
folks. She has an Mother Nature. in
cludlng old Cumberland pointing to
the mountain rauee) for an audience.
I'm never forget the scene when we
reached camp. With one accord we
stood still in the shadows. There was
great glowing camp fire. in front OF
which Keturah stood with flushed face.
she was still singing at the top OF her
voice and still hddling. Moses was on
one side of her, Abe on the other, the
former playing on the banjo, the latter
on an old tin horn. Grandfather, who
was both aged and feeble, stood a lit
tie apart clapping two tin kettle
covers together with all his strength
and looking most ludicrous. His face
was unusually pale. In the front
wagon. mother was sitting away up
on the drivers seat with our two baby
boys. Isaac and Jacob. Mothers face
looked unearthly white in the glare Of
the camp fire. She was ringing big
COW bell thai we had brought along,
thinking that we might have occasion
TO use IL on the COW. Our party
seemed 10 be struck dumb for a minute.
Jonathan and |. knelt down with our
hands over the mouths OF our two dogs
TO keep them from bowling at the hor-
rible noise, as they were longing to do.
Father regarded the performers with
an expression Of worried surprise AS
for Cyrus. he was the first to speak.
Well. if this don't beat the Jews
he said. This is the most Internal
noise | ever heard. | believe they've
all gone crazy
The din was indescribable. We'd
never heard anything like il. Did you
hear the so-called music in the Japan
csc village at the worlds fair? Well,
that sounded something like Keturahs
concert Our dogs broke away from
us, bowling. Presently father stepped
out of the shadows and Keturah saw
him. The concert ended abruptly and
our little sister made a rush for
fathers arms. She managed to say
wolves. and then tainted in fathers
arms. When she came to father said:
You must have driven them away.
There were three. but they're all dead
Then all tried to tell the story at
once. II seemed that soon after father
and Cyrus had started after US boys.
Keiurah. thinking TO spare mothers
aching head. began preparations for
supper. She was broiling a venison
steak over the camp fire when she
heard twigs cracking and horrible
yelps. the sounds coming from the belt
OF wildwoods near by. Her presence
Of mind was wonderful. She had heard
somewhere that music had a peculiar
influence over wolves. Dropping the
broiler and steak into the fire, she
shouted 10 mother to get her fiddle and
the other instruments and the Kettle
covers. In a moment the concert was
organized. and not too soon, for out OF
the shadows came one, two, three
hungry. bowling wolves. We had the
guns and rifles. so there was not
weapon OF defense The concert was
the only hope. II began without pre-
liminaries. The audience of three re-
ceived il with whines of distress,
turned tail and with dropping heads
disappeared. But the concert never
tagged. There were no intervals.
You see. father, said Keturah, we
didn't dare stop playing until you
came.
81 never knew another girl like our
Keturah,' said grandfather, so brave
ard thoughtful and wise,'
Nor L. father spoke gently, and the |
next moment he was on his knees, and |
we all followed his example
Lord God of Heaven and Earth |
he said. fervently. we thank Thee for !
sparing the lives Of our dear ones from l
being devoured by wolves and from /
burial in the horrible green slime of /
the sedges. We thank Thee. too. for /
our blessed. brave Keturah. Amen.
The Amen went echoing around l
from lip TO lip
supper was late that night. but 1t /
was worth waiting for No one missed 4
the venison that had been burned up |
Cyrus cleaned two of the wild ducks /
that we boys had shot, and we all. ex-
cept Isaac and Jacob. had a hand in
the roasting. Country Gentleman