Year: 1879

D
many other girls and boys.


1t was long ago, in the spring Of 1911
think Of it, sixty-eight years ago
when Huldah's father and mother, with
two children, moved into Fryeburg
Maine. It was then almost a wilderness
and thinly settled, but the lands along
the river were rich, the fish plenty and
/ the farms easily titled. Huldah's mother.
when she came to see the log house they
were to live in, set herself down and
cried. OfCOurse HUldah and her little sis.
ter joined in, and they had a good family
sniY9l. and after that they felt more
cheerful, for you must know that any
body feels better after weeping. Then
theV brushed away their tears and began
looking around them, and found things
we're quite comfortable.


The house had two rooms on the
ground floor and two chambers over.
head, and it was snug and nice. The
barn was built Of logs too, but warm and
good for the COWS and oxen; and it had
q rOOmy stall for old Fan, tho family
horse. Plenty of room for tho crops
they could raise, and taking it altogether
1t was very nice place for those days


Thore were great pine trees near their
house, and the winds made music in
2heir tops. A braWling brook ran. near
Tho barn, and danced and dimpled in
The sunshine, and in its deep holes
bright spotted trout lived and thrived
Tho nearest neighbOrs were two miles
away, but they came to see the new.
cOmers q day or two after their arrival,
and welcomed them to the section in q
cordial and kindly way. So it came about
that they began to feel quite at homo
and settled.


The soil laughed" when "tickled"
with the hoe, and the grass grew lux
uriantly. The health of the family was
perfect, and in the fall the barn was full
the pig was fat, the hens and turkeys
were plump, and all went well with them


At about this time "rumOTs Of war"
filed the air. Great Britain had tram
pied upon our rights, and it needed only
half q cause with our old arch-enemy tc
bring every able-bodied man to the butt
o. a musket. Huldah's father caught
the war fever and enlisted, in spite of
all mother and children could say; anC
they, seeing he was determined On going
made the best Of it, and helped him Of
with heavy hearts and fearful eyes.


In those days newspapers were scarce
in Maine, and news travelled slowly
The telegraph had never been dreamed
of, and railroads were an unheard-Of
thing. Still they heard from father now
and then, and to know that he was alive
and well cheered up the lonely family ar
they tOiled on the farm.


The mill where they had their corn
and wheat ground was six miles away,
and the road & bridle-path with blazed
trees to guide the traveller.


What are blazed trees2


Trees with bits of bark heWed off,
leaving the white wood underneath to
show, looking in the sunshine somewhat
like blaze in contrast with the dark
bark. Yes, and Huldah, now about ten
years Old-a bright, resOlute, stout girl
was the one that took all the grain to
the mill, waited till it was ground, anC
then, with the meal-bag behind her,
rode old Fan, 'leg of a side" the six
miles through the woods and clearing5
home again. Huldah enjoyed going to
mill very much, for like all good little
girls, it delighted her to be Of some use
and assistance to her mother.


At the mill, and especially on "lOw'ry"
days, the farmers came from miles
around, and she heard all the news,
scanty although it was, and her budget
brought consolation and matter for
thought to mother. Sometimes she had
to wait until her turn came, and fire.
quently it was almost dark when she
reached home, but Huldah was never
afraid, for hadn't she old Fan, who could
run away from any bear or wolf that
ever lved2


Did they have bears and wolves there {
Certainly they did, and hardly a day
passed that some farmers did not shoot
either one or the other, as he found them
prOWling around the outskirts Of the
farm, lying in wait to catch a calf, sheep.
turkey or hen. One day when Huldab
carried the grIst to mill, the men were
telling that the war was closed, that John
Bull was once more whipped, and hand
sOmely at that. Great was the rejoicing
thereatl The old men TecOunted then
valorOus exploits in the war Of l776, and,
to have heard them talk, one would
have thought that all the heroes Of the
campaign were there.


One old man in particular told how
he captured and drove into our camp
balf-a-dozen red-coats, with a sausage,
bent up in the shape Of a pistol and
another related the fact that he alone
and single handed slew nearly a dozen
Indians and Britishers, and would have
slain more if they had been there.


Huldah listened to these reCitals Of
hlOOdshed, and wondered how men
could delight in such strife, carnage, and
slaughter. She felt badly to have a
chickens neck Wrung, or a lamb killed ;
but these men were vain and proud Of
killing human beings.


What with the stories and the re-
jOicings, the grinding went on slowly,
and more than one Huldah told the
miller that she had long way to ride,
and would he please to let her have her
meal as sOOR as he could. At last 1t was
ground, put in the bag, flung across old
Fans back and Huldah fairly mounted.
Off started the horse at a good gait, for
she he'd got quite impatient at the long
wait, and of course she knew that sup
per was waiting at home for her. Hey
load was light, and she didn't seem to
mind it bit, and when HUldah touched
her with the switch she always carried,
she pranCed Ikea colt.


The sun was just setting behind the
trees, and the long shadows fell IN fan
cifuI shapes across the pathway, as Hull
dab trOtted hOmeWard. The evening
birds sang their hymns Of praise, and
the pines gave out their delicious bal
samic odOr upon the dewy air. All at
once the sound Of hOofs in the distance
attracted Huidah's attention. Turning
quickly, she saw following her afar off a
man on a white horse. A stranger 1t
must be, because none of the neighbCrs
had white horses.


She thought over every horse that she
ever saw in Fryeburg, at mill Ormeeting,
but not a white horse could she remem-
Der. On came the pale steed, and 1t
seemed to HulGah that he was gaining
on her. With voice and whip she urged
on Fan, and the trees fairly flew by her.
On looking round in the dusk it seemed
as though he must overtake her, and
with the quick wit of a womanshe threw
off the bag Of meal.


The pursuing horse stopped, and HUI
dah could see the man picking up the
grist and putting it on his horse! lie
must be a Tobberl To add to her terror,
the man cried out to her to stop TO
stop! Wild now with fright, Huldah
screamed to Fan, and whipped her into