The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1921-08-18

~ ~ ~ S~SN
.aops The Trsylors'
, r. tfn Ssussts sr'i sim.
They hewed a nat surface on oppo-
site sides of the log which Samson
had carried and peeled it and raised
its lower end on a cross timber. Then
they marked it with a chalk line and
sliced 1t into inch boards with a whip
saw, Abe standing on top Of the log
and Samson beneath 1t. Suddenly the
saw stopped. A clear, beautiful voice
flung the music of "Sweet Nightfn-
gale" into the timbered hollow. 1t
halted the workers and set the wood
land ringing. The men stood silent
like those hearing a %benediction. The
singing ceased. Still they listened for
half a moment. 1t was as II a spirit
Lad passed and touched them.
"It's Bim-the little vixen!' said
Abe tenderly. "She's an odd child
and as pretty as a spotted fawn, n
about as wild. She's a kind of a first
cousin to the bobolink."
When they were getting ready to 60
home that afternoon Joe got into q
great hurry II see his mother. 1t
seemed to him that ages had elapsed
since he had e her-a conviction
which led to noisy tears.
Abe knelt before him and comforted
the boy. Then he wrapped him in his
jacket and swung him in the air and
q started for home with Joe astride his
neck.
Samson says in his diary: His ten
der play with the little lad gave me
another look at the man Lincoln"
"Some one proposed once that we
should call that stream the Mime
haha," said Abe as he walked along.
"-After this Joe and I are going to call
it the Minneboohoo."
The women of the little village had
met at q quilting party at ten o'clock
with Mrs. Martin Waddell. There
Sarah had had a seat at the frame
aid heard all the gossip Of the coun-
tryside. The nimble-fingered Ann Rut-
ledge-a daughter of the tavern folk
had sat beside her. Ann was a
slender, go%od-looking girl Of seventeen
With blue eyes and a rich crown Of
auburn hair and a fair skin we'll
drowned by the sunlight. She was
tie most dexterous needle worker in
New Salem.
John Mcneil, whom the Traylors
had met on the road near Niagara
ais and who had shared their camp
Y it'll them, arrived on the stage that
g ening. He was dressed in a new
Lltternut suit and clean linen and
locked very handsome. Samson writes
flat he resembled the pictures of Rob-
eft Emmet. With fine, dark eyes, a
smooth skin, ~we1l-moulded features
lAd black hair neatly brushed on a
) apely head he was not at all like
tie rugged Abe. In a low tone and
very modestly, with a slight brogue
GA his tongue he told of his adventures
"a the long shore road to Michigan.
I'M sat listening and looking into his
f &c as he talked. Abe came in, soon
after eight o'clock, and was introduced
to the stranger. All noted the con-
trast between the two young men as
tley greeted each other. Abe sat
Own for a few minutes and looked
sadly into the fire but said nothing.
He ose presently, excused himself
a-d went away.
The logs for the new house were
ready two days after the cutting be-
/ Il. Martin Waddell and Samuel Hill
seat teams to haul them. John Cam
EN- and Peter Lukins had brought
tie window sash and some c%lapboards
I IN Beardstown in a small flatboat.
II en- came the day Of the raising-a
cl ar, warm day early In September.
All the men from the village and the
nsar farms gathered to help make q
he ne for the newcomers. Samson
a.l Jack Kelso went out for a hunt
Aver the cutting and brought in a
~. buck and many grouse for the bee
4 ner, to which every woman of the
ns ghborhood made a contribution Of
CT g or pie or cookies or %doughnuts.
What will be my partf' Samson
h. inquired Of Kelso.
Nothing but a jug Of whisky and a
II d word and a house warming"
50 had answered.
hey nOtched and bored the logs
ar. made pins to bind them and cut