the story of a pioneer-第6章

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At　last　my　brother　brought　the　horses　close　to　the

cabin　and　built　fires　to　protect　them　and　us。　　He

was　only　twenty；　but　he　showed　himself　a　man　dur…

ing　those　early　pioneer　days。　　While　he　was　picketing

the　horses　and　building　his　protecting　fires　my

mother　came　to　herself；　but　her　face　when　she

raised　it　was　worse　than　her　silence　had　been。　　She

seemed　to　have　died　and　to　have　returned　to　us

from　the　grave；　and　I　am　sure　she　felt　that　she　had

done　so。　　From　that　moment　she　took　up　again　the

burden　of　her　life；　a　burden　she　did　not　lay　down

until　she　passed　away；　but　her　face　never　lost　the

deep　lines　those　first　hours　of　her　pioneer　life　had

cut　upon　it。



That　night　we　slept　on　boughs　spread　on　the　earth

inside　the　cabin　walls；　and　we　put　blankets　before

the　holes　which　represented　our　doors　and　windows；

and　kept　our　watch…fires　burning。　　Soon　the　other

children　fell　asleep；　but　there　was　no　sleep　for　me。　

I　was　only　twelve　years　old；　but　my　mind　was　full　of

fancies。　　Behind　our　blankets；　swaying　in　the　night

wind；　I　thought　I　saw　the　heads　and　pushing　shoul…

ders　of　animals　and　heard　their　padded　footfalls。　

Later　years　brought　familiarity　with　wild　things；

and　with　worse　things　than　they。　　But　to…night　that

which　I　most　feared　was　within；　not　outside　of；　the

cabin。　　In　some　way　which　I　did　not　understand

the　one　sure　refuge　in　our　new　world　had　been　taken

from　us。　　I　hardly　knew　the　silent　woman　who　lay

near　me；　tossing　from　side　to　side　and　staring　into

the　darkness；　I　felt　that　we　had　lost　our　mother。







II



IN　THE　WILDERNESS



Like　most　men；　my　dear　father　should　never

have　married。　　Though　his　nature　was　one　of

the　sweetest　I　have　ever　known；　and　though　he　would

at　any　call　give　his　time　to　or　risk　his　life　for　others；

in　practical　matters　he　remained　to　the　end　of　his

days　as　irresponsible　as　a　child。　　If　his　mind　turned

to　practical　details　at　all；　it　was　solely　in　their　bear…

ing　toward　great　developments　of　the　future。　　To

him　an　acorn　was　not　an　acorn；　but　a　forest　of　young

oaks。



Thus；　when　he　took　up　his　claim　of　three　hundred

and　sixty　acres　of　land　in　the　wilderness　of　northern

Michigan；　and　sent　my　mother　and　five　young　chil…

dren　to　live　there　alone　until　he　could　join　us　eighteen

months　later；　he　gave　no　thought　to　the　manner　in

which　we　were　to　make　the　struggle　and　survive

the　hardships　before　us。　　He　had　furnished　us　with

land　and　the　four　walls　of　a　log　cabin。　　Some　day；

he　reasoned；　the　place　would　be　a　fine　estate；　which

his　sons　would　inherit　and　in　the　course　of　time　pass

on　to　their　sonsalways　an　Englishman's　most　iri…

descent　dream。　　That　for　the　present　we　were　one

hundred　miles　from　a　railroad；　forty　miles　from　the

nearest　post…office；　and　half　a　dozen　miles　from　any

neighbors　save　Indians；　wolves；　and　wildcats；　that

we　were　wholly　unlearned　in　the　ways　of　the　woods

as　well　as　in　the　most　primitive　methods　of　farming；

that　we　lacked　not　only　every　comfort；　but　even

the　bare　necessities　of　life；　and　that　we　must　begin；

single…handed　and　untaught；　a　struggle　for　existence

in　which　some　of　the　severest　forces　of　nature　would

be　arrayed　against　usthese　facts　had　no　weight

in　my　father's　mind。　　Even　if　he　had　witnessed　my

mother's　despair　on　the　night　of　our　arrival　in　our

new　home；　he　would　not　have　understood　it。　　From

his　viewpoint；　he　was　doing　a　man's　duty。　　He　was

working　steadily　in　Lawrence；　and；　incidentally；

giving　much　time　to　the　Abolition　cause　and　to

other　big　public　movements　of　his　day　which　had

his　interest　and　sympathy。　　He　wrote　to　us　regu…

larly　and　sent　us　occasional　remittances；　as　well　as

a　generous　supply　of　improving　literature　for　our

minds。　　It　remained　for　us　to　strengthen　our　bodies；

to　meet　the　conditions　in　which　he　had　placed　us；

and　to　survive　if　we　could。



We　faced　our　situation　with　clear　and　unalarmed

eyes　the　morning　after　our　arrival。　　The　problem

of　food；　we　knew；　was　at　least　temporarily　solved。　

We　had　brought　with　us　enough　coffee；　pork；　and

flour　to　last　for　several　weeks；　and　the　one　necessity

father　had　put　inside　the　cabin　walls　was　a　great

fireplace；　made　of　mud　and　stones；　in　which　our　food

could　be　cooked。　　The　problem　of　our　water…supply

was　less　simple；　but　my　brother　James　solved　it　for

the　time　by　showing　us　a　creek　a　long　distance　from

the　house；　and　for　months　we　carried　from　this

creek；　in　pails；　every　drop　of　water　we　used；　save

that　which　we　caught　in　troughs　when　the　rain　fell。



We　held　a　family　council　after　breakfast；　and　in　this；　

though　I　was　only　twelve；　I　took　an　eager　and　determined　

part。　　I　loved　workit　has　always　been　my　favorite　form　

of　recreationand　my　spirit　rose　to　the　opportunities　of　it　

which　smiled　on　us　from　every　side。　　Obviously　the　first　

thing　to　do　was　to　put　doors　and　windows　into　the　

yawning　holes　father　had　left　for　them；　and　to　lay　a　board　

flooring　over　the　earth　inside　our　cabin　walls；　and　these　

duties　we　accomplished　before　we　had　occupied　our　new　

home　a　fortnight。　　There　was　a　small　saw…mill　nine　miles　

from　our　cabin；　on　the　spot　that　is　now　Big　Rapids；　and　

there　we　bought　our　lumber。　　The　labor　we　supplied　

ourselves；　and　though　we　put　our　hearts　into　it　and　the　

results　at　the　time　seemed　beautiful　to　our　partial　eyes；　I　

am　forced　to　admit；　in　looking　back　upon　them；　that　they　

halted　this　side　of　perfection。　　We　began　by　making　three　

windows　and　two　doors；　then；　inspired　by　these　

achievements；　we　ambitiously　constructed　an　attic　and　

divided　the　ground　floor　with　partitions；　which　gave　us　

four　rooms。



The　general　effect　was　temperamental　and　sketchy。　

The　boards　which　formed　the　floor　were　never　even　

nailed　down；　they　were　fine；　wide　planks　without　a　knot　in　

them；　and　they　looked　so　well　that　we　merely　fitted　them　

together　as　closely　as　we　could　and　lightheartedly　let　them　

go　at　that。　　Neither　did　we　properly　chink　the　house。　

Nothing　is　more　comfortable　than　a　log　cabin　which　has　

been　carefully　built

and　finished；　but　for　some　reasonprobably　because　

there　seemed　always　a　more　urgent　duty　calling　to　us　

around　the　cornerwe　never　plastered　our　house　at　all。　

The　result　was　that　on　many　future　winter　mornings　we　

awoke　to　find　ourselves　chastely　blanketed　by　snow；　while　

the　only　warm　spot　in　our　living…room　was　that　directly　in　

front　of　the　fireplace；　where　great　logs　burned　all　day。　

Even　there　our　faces　scorched　while　our　spines　slowly　

congealed；　until　we　learned　to　revolve　before　the　fire　like　a　

bird　upon　a　spit。　　No　doubt　we　would　have　worked　more　

thoroughly　if　my　brother　James；　who　was　twenty　years　

old　and　our　tower　of　strength；　had　remained　with　us；　but　

when　we　had　been　in　our　new　home　only　a　few　months　he　

fell　and　was　forced　to　go　East　for　an　operation。　　He　was　

never　able　to　return　to　us；　and　thus　my　mother；　we　three　

young　girls；　and　my　youngest　brotherHarry；　who　was　

only　eight　years　oldmade　our　fight　alone　until　father　

came　to　us；　more　than　a　year　later。



Mother　was　practically　an　invalid。　　She　had　a　nervous　

affection　which　made　it　impossible　for　her　to　stand　

without　the　support　of　a　chair。　　But　she　sewed　with　

unusual　skill；　and　it　was　due　to　her　that　our　clothes；　

notwithstanding　the　strain　to　which　we　subjected　them；　

were　always　in　good　condition。　　She　sewed　for　hours　every　

day；　and　she　was　able　to　move　about　the　house；　after　a　

fashion；　by　pushing　herself　around　on　a　stool　which　James　

made　for　her　as　soon　as　we　arrived。　　He　also　built　for　her　a　

more　comfortable　chair　with　a　high　back。



The　division　of　labor　planned　at　the　first　council

was　that　mother　should　do　our　sewing；　and　my　older

sisters；　Eleanor　and　Mary；　the　housework；　which

was　far　from　taxing；　for　of　course　we　lived　in　the

simplest　manner。　　My　brothers　and　I　were　to　do

the　work　out　of　doors；　an　arrangement　that　suited

me