Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-11-30
o. o. GlnsG9

rareweH to daughters going to p1o-
neer homes could hardly expect to see
them again. But Mistress Patience
who was anything but patient in spite
of her name-would not submit to this
state of things. She begged and
pleaded to go until her husband-to
whom her lightest wish was law-gave
his consent. He was the more ready
to do this as there were ugly rumors
of alliance between the British tory
forces and the Indians and the settle
ment of Wyoming, standing on a dis
pUted tract, and not so well protected
as other regions was peculiarly liable
to attack. But Mistress Patience did
not know this or she would not have
gone. She was very much in love
with this grave, middle-aged husband.
who treated his young wife like a pet
ted child. Many of the settlers had
shaken their heads over Mistress Pa
tience's going. He ought not to let
her do it," they had said.
Il will only stay a little while.
will come back soon," she had said
at the parting, regretful at the last
minute for her action But the saw
age Indians had come down upon the
village of Wyoming and swept it off
from the face OF the earth The houses
were burnt, the people massacred or
carried away captive Every day
brought a fresh story OF horror. espe-
cially dreadful had been the tale of
John Halcomb and Is companions who
had been carried off and sacrificed in
a sort of religious ceremony.
she must be reused. She must see
people. | would make her go to the
Thanksgiving service" said Mistress
Lovejoy. She was notable manager.
and her sister-in-law, with all the vii
lage, were wont to submit to her
sway; and Patience went to the serv-
ice
There can never more be day
of thanksgiving for me-" she thought
drearily, as she sat in her widows
weeds in the square wooden pew.
The long, long prayer was finished.
Patience liked the prayer, for in it she
could hide her face. It was never too
long for her, although a modern
church-goer would be aghast at having
to listen to even a sermon of such
a length. The psalms of rejoicing had
been sung. These had been harder
to bear. The preacher had settled into
his discourse. He had turned his hour
glass, and was already at thirdly"
God in his providence has ex-
ceedingly blessed us in delivering
US from danger-he was saying. Pa
tience shuddered. What good was it
to her to be delivered since John had
persisted under the Indian tomahawk!
A figure appeared in the doorway.
Such figure! Gaunt. tattered. wild
eyed, unkempt, barefooted, bleeding
a mere skeleton covered with ragged
| shreds of garments. 1t stood in the
! doorway quivering and motioning
strangely.
Patience! Patience!" it cried.
lis some crazy exhorter such as
used to come and harrangue the CON
gregations in my grandfather's time"
said Judge Fletcher, whose ancestor
had been judge in the days of the
| persecution of Anabaptists and
! Quakers. The tithing-man staIked
down the aisle to put out the intruder.
Some of the men half rose, but sat
down again when they saw that the
matter was being attended to- 1t was
a dreadful thing in those days to dis
| turb a meeting But John Halcomb's
widow, unmindful of disturbance, start
ed up at the cry and fairly ran down
the aisle.
1T is John! 1t is joint! she
/ cried
Never had a religious service in
Bethlehem sill been broken JBD like
| this one. The minister stopped in
| the very middle of his most important
| sentence. The dreaded tithing-man
| himself, who bore upon his soul the
awful responsibility of every man and
woman, boy and girl in the meeting
house, forgot it all and cried out like
a frightened boy: 1T is a ghost!"
But it was not a ghost. 1t was
John Halcomb himself, safe.
The story of the Indian attack on
the village of Wyoming in ITS is a
story of marvellous escapes as well as
of torture and massacre. No adven-