Evening star., 1928-10-28

to the two apertures that answered for
windows they had been taken away
when the place was abandoned as
house Of worship. Over them Mrs.
Southworth nailed some stout I'M
bleached cotton. When the furniture
had been arranged and the fuel placed
in the fireplace the young housekeeperS
discovered that they had neither
matches to start the fire with or salt
to cure a large quarter of beef that
their brother -in-law had given them
on leaving his house in the morning.
The shadows of the trees about their
sylvan-set cabin told them the day
was nearly done, and, as those much
needed articles were a mile away, there
was no alternative but to go for them
at once.
"Mr. Southworth seated himself by
the driver of the team who had
brought out their household goods,
promising to return as soon as possible,
which at the best time he could make
must be over an hour, as he would
have to walk back. The men having
driven away, Mrs. Southworth brought
out chair and sat down to enjoy the
closing sights and sounds of that beau
tiful Spring day. All at once a sense
of appalling stiffness abroad startled
her, when a long, low murmur like
the winds in the tree tops so filled
her with dread that she rushed into
the house and barred the door. Pull
ing the cotton curtain carefully aside,
she looked out and saw the scintillating,
hungry eyes of pack of wolves.
Realizing that it was the scent of
the freshly slaughtered beef hanging
against the logs between the door and
| front window, she tugged at 1t in the
| darkness. Dragging it to the fartheSt
corner of the house away from the door
and windows, she awaited the issue.
| The animals followed the scent and
began to dig and struggle at the more
secure portion of the cabin.
more than an hour of suspense had
| elapsed to the wolf -beleaguered lady
when the welcome sounds of mems
voices and the reports of guns told Of
rescue and safety. And, added Mrs.
| Southworth, I lived there for some time
and passed some of the happiest hours
| of my life In that log cabin in the
| forests of Wisconsin,
Though Mrs. Southworth became
| famed as a writer of fiction, yet her
career as a public school teacher in
| Washington was not great success.
She and her two small children had
been deserted by her husband and she
sought this means of obtaining liveli-
hood. The first record of her employ
ment is in 1848, when, on February II
of that year, she was paid by the school
authorities $146.72 for services rendered
as teacher to December 81, 1847. On
November 80, 1848, she was paid $76.45
as balance due"
When Primary School No. 10 was
! opened on Thirteenth street, in the
seventh ward (Southwest Washington
on January 8, 1849, Mrs. Southworth
was transferred there at her own re-
quest from the Fourth District School
| on Sixth street between D and E streets
southwest. Naturally, for this grade
most of the children which she taught
were very small and their attainments
are said to have been extremely linn
tied. On examination day, Of the 81
children whose names appeared on the
rolls only 81 were present. Evidently
w. W. Seaton did not like the situation
| for in his report on this school, he said
1.-TWO causes may possibly be assigned
for the defects which were prominently
exhibited in the school. The most OF
the children present had enjoyed but
limited advantages previous to their en-
trance into this school. and their at
tendance is frequently interrupted by