The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-10-23
and out. She seemed to live always on

and out. She seemed to live always on
the verge of the infinite. =.
AT length we were at Browns. The
rickety shack, smaller than either Of
ours, presented sad and forlorn APP
pearance. Three little faces were
crowded in single window that COW
cred our approach. Brown himself
was busy building stable of sods and
succeeding very badly in his work He
could scarcely be distinguished from
his building material, but when he saw
us he shook himself, as a dog shakes
off water, and came up, touching his
cap.
we are your neighbors from Four
teen we announced ourselves. "May
we go in?"
you may, and welcome" he said
The wife will be a bit fuddled. I'm
not the most presentable myself"
Then Jean did great thing; one
of those wonderful things that no one
but Jean seemed to think of. She
clambered to the side of the wagon
and held our her arms.
I'm all dirt Miss" Brown protested.
I'm all earth and sand" But he came
slowly forward to her outstretched
arms, and when his hands reached hers
he took her and gently helped her
down.
THANK you, Mr.. Brown" she said.
But Brown was looking lat her and
at us with eyes that had suddenly
gone misty with a mist not of the sods
or of the sands. Two little pools of
water gathered and streaked a slow,
dusty course across his grimy face.
Inside we found Mrs. Brown a biz
fuddled,' as her husband had predicted
At first she merely stood wringing her
hands, but when Jean and Marjorie
kissed her, and then kissed the little
Browns, the veil suddenly lifted and
she was all kindness and hospitality.
What day it was, after we began TO
get acquainted Marjorie and Jean
had brought some homemade candy,
and in a few minutes the little Browns
were smeared and happy and slipping
gently about looking into the faces of
our girls as though they verify be-
lieved them angels.
1t was dark and starry when we
hitched the oxen to the wagon, and
shook hands all round, and kissed the
children all round, and the girls kissed
Mrs. Brown and Mr.. Brown forgot him
self and kissed the girls and Jack and
almost kissed Mrs. Brown and we
drew slowly away waving our hands
and watching the five figures framed
in the doorway against the yellow
light of the oil lamp on the opposite
wall.
Our experience with the Browns en-
couraged us to cultivate the acquaint-
ance of our other neighbors and as the
short, bright days of November wore
by the low-hanging sun often saw our
oX-wagon vending slowly across the
prairies, and the north star and the
of its return to Fourteen. Sometimes,
too, the great magician of the North
would light his mimic candles, and we
would creak homeward in the weird
light of their Pickering battalions min
ueting on the stage of the universe
Smith, the Scotsman, and Burke, the
American, received us with undivided
hospitality and that strange sense of
common interest which is the most
priceless thing about pioneer life; one
of the rich qualities of human nature
which seems inevitably to dry up in
the more complex civilizations. Ole
Hansen entertained us for a full hour
in the stable before his buxom Olga
consented to admit us into the house
When at last we were granted that
privilege there was evidence of hur.
ried scrubbing of floors and faces.
my wife bane all the time yust on
the yump," Ole explained apologetical
ly. "Some time Ay tank by d-n we
have too many kids, eh?" 1t appeared