the story of a pioneer-第10章

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appeared。　　His　costume；　like　himself；　left　much　to

be　desired。　　He　wore　a　blue　flannel　shirt　and　a　pair

of　trousers　made　of　flour…bags。　　Such　trousers　were

not　uncommon　in　our　region；　and　the　boy's　mother；

who　had　made　them　for　him；　had　thoughtfully

selected　a　nice　clean　pair　of　sacks。　　But　on　one　leg

was　the　name　of　the　firm　that　made　the　flourA。　and

G。　W。　Greenand　by　a　charming　coincidence　A。

and　G。　W。　Green　happened　to　be　the　two　young

men　who　were　calling　on　my　sisters！　　On　the　back

of　the　bags；　directly　in　the　rear　of　the　wearer；　was

the　simple　legend；　‘‘96　pounds''；　and　the　striking

effect　of　the　young　man's　costume　was　completed

by　a　bright　yellow　sash　which　held　his　trousers　in

place。



The　vision　fascinated　my　sisters　and　their　two

guests。　　They　gave　it　their　entire　attention；　and

when　the　new…comer　signified　with　an　eloquent　ges…

ture　that　he　was　calling　on　me；　and　beckoned　me

into　an　inner　room；　the　quartet　arose　as　one　person

and　followed　us　to　the　door。　　Then；　as　we　inhospit…

ably　closed　the　door；　they　fastened　their　eyes　to

the　cracks　in　the　living…room　wall；　that　they　might

miss　none　of　the　entertainment。　　When　we　were

alone　my　guest　and　I　sat　down　in　facing　chairs　and

in　depressed　silence。　　The　young　man　was　nervous；

and　I　was　both　frightened　and　annoyed。　　I　had

heard　suppressed　giggles　on　the　other　side　of　the

wall；　and　I　realized；　as　my　self…centered　visitor　failed

to　do；　that　we　were　not　enjoying　the　privacy　the

situation　seemed　to　demand。　　At　last　the　youth　in…

formed　me　that　his　‘‘dad''　had　just　given　him　a

cabin；　a　yoke　of　steers；　a　cow；　and　some　hens。　　When

this　announcement　had　produced　its　full　effect；　he

straightened　up　in　his　chair　and　asked；　solemnly；

‘‘Will　ye　have　me？''



An　outburst　of　chortles　from　the　other　side　of　the

wall　greeted　the　proposal；　but　the　ardent　youth

ignored　it；　if　indeed　he　heard　it。　　With　eyes　staring

straight　ahead；　he　sat　rigid；　waiting　for　my　answer；

and　I；　anxious　only　to　get　rid　of　him　and　to　end

the　strain　of　the　moment；　said　the　first　thing　that

came　into　my　head。　　‘‘I　can't；''　I　told　him。　　‘‘I'm

sorry；　butbutI'm　engaged。''



He　rose　quickly；　with　the　effect　of　a　half…closed

jack…knife　that　is　suddenly　opened；　and　for　an　in…

stant　stood　looking　down　upon　me。　　He　was　six　feet

two　inches　tall；　and　extremely　thin。　　I　am　very　short；

and；　as　I　looked　up；　his　flour…bag　trousers　seemed　to

join　his　yellow　sash　somewhere　near　the　ceiling　of

the　room。　　He　put　both　hands　into　his　pockets　and

slowly　delivered　his　valedictory。　　‘‘That's　darned　dis…

appointing　to　a　fellow；''　he　said；　and　left　the　house。

After　a　moment　devoted　to　regaining　my　maidenly

composure　I　returned　to　the　living…room；　where　I

had　the　privilege　of　observing　the　enjoyment　of　my

sisters　and　their　visitors。　　Helpless　with　mirth　and

with　tears　of　pleasure　on　their　cheeks；　the　four　rocked

and　shrieked　as　they　recalled　the　picture　my　gallant

had　presented。　　For　some　time　after　that　incident

I　felt　a　strong　distaste　for　sentiment。



Clad　royally　in　the　new　gown；　I　attended　my　first

ball　in　November；　going　with　a　party　of　eight　that

included　my　two　sisters；　another　girl；　and　four　young

men。　　The　ball　was　at　Big　Rapids；　which　by　this

time　had　grown　to　be　a　thriving　lumber　town。　　It

was　impossible　to　get　a　team　of　horses　or　even　a

yoke　of　oxen　for　the　journey；　so　we　made　a　raft　and

went　down　the　river　on　that；　taking　our　party　dresses

with　us　in　trunks。　　Unfortunately；　the　raft　‘‘hung

up''　in　the　stream；　and　the　four　young　men　had

to　get　out　into　the　icy　water　and　work　a　long　time

before　they　could　detach　it　from　the　rocks。　　Natu…

rally；　they　were　soaked　and　chilled　through；　but　they

all　bore　the　experience　with　a　gay　philosophy。



When　we　reached　Big　Rapids　we　dressed　for　the

ball；　and；　as　in　those　days　it　was　customary　to

change　one's　gown　again　at　midnight；　I　had　an　op…

portunity　to　burst　on　the　assemblage　in　two　cos…

tumesthe　second　made　of　bedroom　chintz；　with

a　low　neck　and　short　sleeves。　　We　danced　the

‘‘money　musk；''　and　the　‘‘Virginia　reel；''　‘‘hoeing

her　down''　（which　means　changing　partners）　in

true　pioneer　style。　　I　never　missed　a　dance　at　this

or　any　subsequent　affair；　and　I　was　considered　the

gayest　and　the　most　tireless　young　person　at　our

parties　until　I　became　a　Methodist　minister　and

dropped　such　worldly　vanities。　　The　first　time　I

preached　in　my　home　region　all　my　former　partners

came　to　hear　me；　and　listened　with　wide；　understand…

ing；　reminiscent　smiles　which　made　it　very　hard　for

me　to　keep　soberly　to　my　text。



In　the　near　future　I　had　reason　to　regret　the　ex…

travagant　expenditure　of　my　first　earnings。　　For

my　second　year　of　teaching；　in　the　same　school；　I

was　to　receive　five　dollars　a　week　and　to　pay　my

own　board。　　I　selected　a　place　two　miles　and　a　half

from　the　school…house；　and　was　promptly　asked　by

my　host　to　pay　my　board　in　advance。　　This；　he　ex…

plained；　was　due　to　no　lack　of　faith　in　me；　the

money　would　enable　him　to　go　‘‘outside''　to　work；

leaving　his　family　well　supplied　with　provisions。　　I

allowed　him　to　go　to　the　school　committee　and　col…

lect　my　board　in　advance；　at　the　rate　of　three　dol…

lars　a　week　for　the　season。　　When　I　presented　myself

at　my　new　boarding…place；　however；　two　days　later；

I　found　the　house　nailed　up　and　deserted；　the　man

and　his　family　had　departed　with　my　money；　and

I　was　left；　as　my　committeemen　sympathetically

remarked；　‘‘high　and　dry。''　　There　were　only　two

dollars　a　week　coming　to　me　after　that；　so　I　walked

back　and　forth　between　my　home　and　my　school；

almost　four　miles；　twice　a　day；　and　during　this　en…

forced　exercise　there　was　ample　opportunity　to　re…

flect　on　the　fleeting　joy　of　riches。



In　the　mean　time　war　had　been　declared。　　When

the　news　came　that　Fort　Sumter　had　been　fired

on；　and　that　Lincoln　had　called　for　troops；　our　men

were　threshing。　　There　was　only　one　threshing…

machine　in　the　region　at　that　time；　and　it　went

from　place　to　place；　the　farmers　doing　their　thresh…

ing　whenever　they　could　get　the　machine。　　I　re…

member　seeing　a　man　ride　up　on　horseback；　shout…

ing　out　Lincoln's　demand　for　troops　and　explaining

that　a　regiment　was　being　formed　at　Big　Rapids。　

Before　he　had　finished　speaking　the　men　on　the　ma…

chine　had　leaped　to　the　ground　and　rushed　off　to

enlist；　my　brother　Jack；　who　had　recently　joined　us；

among　them。　　In　ten　minutes　not　one　man　was　left

in　the　field。　　A　few　months　later　my　brother　Tom

enlisted　as　a　buglerhe　was　a　mere　boy　at　the　time

and　not　long　after　that　my　father　followed　the　example

of　his　sons　and　served　until　the　war　was　ended。　　He

had　entered　on　the　twenty…ninth　of　August；　1862；　as

an　army　steward；　he　came　back　to　us　with　the　rank

of　lieutenant　and　assistant　surgeon　of　field　and　staff。



Between　those　years　I　was　the　principal　support

of　our　family；　and　life　became　a　strenuous　and　tragic

affair。　　For　months　at　a　time　we　had　no　news　from

the　front。　　The　work　in　our　community；　if　it　was

done　at　all；　was　done　by　despairing　women　whose

hearts　were　with　their　men。　　When　care　had　become

our　constant　guest；　Death　entered　our　home　as　well。　

My　sister　Eleanor　had　married；　and　died　in　childbirth；

leaving　her　baby　to　me；　and　the　blackest　hours　of

those　black　years　were　the　hours　that　saw　her　pass…

ing。　　I　can　see　her　still；　lying　in　a　stupor　from　which

she　roused　herself　at　intervals　to　ask　about　her　child。　

She　insisted　that　our　brother　Tom　should　name　the

baby；　but　Tom　was　fighting　for　his　country；　unless

he　had　already　preceded　Eleanor　through　the　wide

portal　that　was　opening　before　her。　　I　could　only

tell　her　that　I　had　written　to　him；　but　before　the

assurance　was　an　hour　old　she　would　climb　up　from

the　gulf　of　unconsciousness　with　infinite　effort　to

ask　if　we　had　received　his　reply。　　At　last；　to　calm

her；　I　told　her　it　had　come；　and　that　Tom　had　chosen

for