Year: 1875

cess y0urSelI AT tne same time, replleu
Aunt Faith; "at any rate, 1 believe
grandma always preferred to churn in
the old way afterward, SO Iguess it wasn't
so nice as you imagine.


"Well, when they came to the head of
the lake they found, where the beautiful
town of Ithaca now stands, only few log
houses. Here grandma and the children
embarked in little boat with the house
hold goods, while the men drove the cat
tie along an Indian trail the remaining
nine miles of the way. When they came
to the end of their journey, the first
thing to be done was to cut down some
of the tall trees which covered the ground
thickly for miles and miles on every side,
and build little cabin to shelter them
from the rain and snow. This was their
home for two or three years, until they
were able to build larger and better
one. 1t stood in the south orchard, on
the spot where the old Romantic tree
now stands.


"At last they were settled for winter,
and Uncle Charles went back to the
Susquehanna, leaving them alone in the
wilderness. But settlers were beginning
to come in fast, and as grandpa was sur
veyor, he was always away from home a
great deal, locating claims. Sometimes
he would be gone two or three days at a
time, leaving grandma alone with the
children. The day before Christmas he
went away with a man who had bought
lot of land ten miles of, expecting to
be home again before the evening of the
next day; but night came, and he had
not returned. You may be sure it was
not very merry Christmas" to grand
ma as she sat before the fire in the lonely
cabin, anxiously listening to every sound,
and hoping each moment to hear her
husbands footsteps. No visions of sugar
plums danced through the children's
heads as they played about the floor, for
Santa Claus didn't find his way into the
backwoods in those days. All at once
there was strange paving noise at the
door, and grandma's heart began 10 beat
fast, for bears were very plenty in the
country then, and she thought she was
going to be favored with a visit from one
of the family. But in a moment the
latch was raised, and as the door slowly
opened the first thing she saw was the
end of a gun pQking into the room, this
was followed by an Indian, then came
another and another, each armed with
gun and tomahawk. These uninvited
Christmas guests all squatted on the floor
before the fire, and began to entertain
their hostess by telling horrible stories
of the massacre of Wyoming in which
they had taken part. They fourished
their tomahawks, and described the way
the settlers were butchered and scalped,
while poor grandma sat listening in
terror, although she tried to appear
brave and unconcerned, for she had al.
ways heard that the sayages were much
more likely to spare those who showed
no signs of fear. The youngest child,
who was just beginning to teddle around,
was greatly attracted by the tomahawks,
and in spite of all she could do would
break away from his mother, and going
up to the Indians reach out his hands for
the horrible weapons, which she every
moment expected to see buried il his
brains. After awhile they inquired the
name of the owner of the cabin; when it
was told them one said:


Observation-Disclosures, me know
one Tomkin, but he died and rotten long
ago-Charles Tomkin he killed at
Wyoming


"Now, grandma who, was woman who
always would speak her mind, fright
ened as she was, couldn't help saying:


"No, he wasn't killed either, for he was
here only last week"


"This seemed to make them very
angry, and they again began to flourish
tomahawks and tell their dreadful stories.
At last they called for food, which was
given them. When they had eaten what
they wanted, they asked for loaf of
bread to carry away, and then took their
departure. l don't believe anybody was
ever so glad before to have their party
out as was grandma Tompkins that
Christmas night.


"Three or four years after, an Indian
came along one day with moccasins to
sell. Grandpa bought pair, and when
he paid for them the Indian insisted
upon returning part of the money, say
ing;
motoring with his hands to show the
size of the loaf


"Then grandma knew that he was one
of her Christmas guests"


Nellie sat silent several minutes after
Aunt Faith had finished her story. At
last she said, slowly: -


az don't know as I'd like to have been
there that night; but should like to see
an Indian though"


She went to bed and dreamed of seeing
Santa Claus riding in a wagon filled
with toys, and drawn by eight bears.
He had tomahawk. in his hand, and, as
he went about the country, shook it at
the naughty children, but threw sugar
plums and all sorts of nice things at the
good ones. She awoke in the morning to
find her own stockings we'll filled; but
she has not yet made up her mind
whether she would like to have been at
Grandma Tompkins' Christmas Party.