Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-05-12

tiers. Children had come three of
them, the eldest a son who had left
home and died in FAR country long
before we came to Paradise valley, the
youngest baby.
1 could not have enjoyed my new
home more If had been born in it.
/ had much. need Of a mothers tender
ness, no doubt, for remember with
what sense Of peace and comfort I
lay on the lap of Elizabeth Brewer that
first evening and heard her singing az
she rocked. The little daughter stood
at her knees, looking down at me and
patting my bare toes or reaching over
to feel my face.
''God sent him to US, didn't he, moth
err" SAID she.
Maybe Mrs. Brewer answered.
well be good to him anyway"
Then that old query came into my
mind. l asked them II 1t was heaven
where we We're.
NO" they answered.
"'Tain't anywhere near here, is it7''
went on.
Then she told me about the gate Of
death and began sowing IN me the
seed of Gods truth, as I know now
the seed of many harvests. l slept
with Uncle Eb in the garnet that night
and for long after we came to the
Brewers He continued to get better
and was shortly able to give his hand
to the work Of the farm.
There was room for all OF us in that
, ample wilderness of his Imagination,
and the cry of the swift woke its echoes
every evening for time Bears and
panthers prowled in the deep thickets,
but the swifts toa|da hrmer grip on US,
being holder and More terrible. Uncle
Eb became great favorite in the
family, and David Brewer came to
know soon that he was "a good man
to work" and could be trusted ITO look
after things" We had not been there
long when heard Elizabeth speak Of
| Nehemiah-her lost son-and his name
was often on the lips Of others. He was
q boy of sixteen when he went away,
and learned no more Of him until long
afterward
] A month or more after we came to
PARKWAY remember we went cross
lots ia a big box wagon to the orchard
on the hill and gathered apples that
fell in shower when Uncle Eb went
up to shake them down. Then came
the raw days of late October, when the
crows went flying southwark before the
wind-a noisy pirate feet that filled the
sky at times-and when we all put on
our mittens and went down the wind
ing cow paths to the grove Of butter
nuts in the pasture. The great roof of
the wilderness had turned red and fad
ed into yellow. Soon its rafters began
to show through, and then, in day or
patches of evergreen. Great golden
drifts of foliage lay higher than a
mans head in the timber land about
the clearing. We had our best fun
then playing 81 spy" in the groves.
In that fragrant deep Of leaves one
might lie undiscovered long time. he
could hear roaring like that Of water
at every move Of the finder, wallowing
nearer and nearer possibly, in his
search. Old Fred came generally root
ing his way to us in the deep drift with
unerring accuracy.
And shortly winter came out Of the
north and, Of night, after rapping a
the windows and bowling in the chin
ney and roaring in the big woods, tool
possession of the earth. That was {
time when hard cider flowed freely ant
recollection found ready tongue
among the older folk, and the young
enjoyed many diversions, including
measles and whooping cough.
fTn he continued