the story of a pioneer-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



of　the　cabin　itself。　　Then　father　returned　to　Law…

rence　and　his　work；　leaving　James　behind。　　A　few

months　later　（this　was　in　1859）；　my　mother；　my　two

sisters；　Eleanor　and　Mary；　my　youngest　brother；

Henry；　eight　years　of　age；　and　I；　then　twelve；　went

to　Michigan　to　work　on　and　hold　down　the　claim

while　father；　for　eighteen　months　longer；　stayed　on

in　Lawrence；　sending　us　such　remittances　as　he　could。　

His　second　and　third　sons；　John　and　Thomas；　re…

mained　in　the　East　with　him。



Every　detail　of　our　journey　through　the　wilder…

ness　is　clear　in　my　mind。　　At　that　time　the　railroad

terminated　at　Grand　Rapids；　Michigan；　and　we

covered　the　remaining　distanceabout　one　hundred

milesby　wagon；　riding　through　a　dense　and　often

trackless　forest。　　My　brother　James　met　us　at

Grand　Rapids　with　what；　in　those　days；　was　called

a　lumber…wagon；　but　which　had　a　horrible　resem…

blance　to　a　vehicle　from　the　health　department。　

My　sisters　and　I　gave　it　one　cold　look　and　turned

from　it；　we　were　so　pained　by　its　appearance　that

we　refused　to　ride　in　it　through　the　town。　　Instead；

we　started　off　on　foot；　trying　to　look　as　if　we　had　no

association　with　it；　and　we　climbed　into　the　un…

wieldy　vehicle　only　when　the　city　streets　were　far

behind　us。　　Every　available　inch　of　space　in　the

wagon　was　filled　with　bedding　and　provisions。　　As

yet　we　had　no　furniture；　we　were　to　make　that　for

ourselves　when　we　reached　our　cabin；　and　there

was　so　little　room　for　us　to　ride　that　we　children

walked　by　turns；　while　James；　from　the　beginning

of　the　journey　to　its　end；　seven　days　later；　led　our

weary　horses。



To　my　mother；　who　was　never　strong；　the　whole

experience　must　have　been　a　nightmare　of　suffering

and　stoical　endurance。　　For　us　children　there　were

compensations。　　The　expedition　took　on　the　char…

acter　of　a　high　adventure；　in　which　we　sometimes

had　shelter　and　sometimes　failed　to　find　it；　some…

times　were　fed；　but　often　went　hungry。　　We　forded

innumerable　streams；　the　wheels　of　the　heavy　wagon

sinking　so　deeply　into　the　stream…beds　that　we　often

had　to　empty　our　load　before　we　could　get　them　out

again。　　Fallen　trees　lay　across　our　paths；　rivers

caused　long　detours；　while　again　and　again　we　lost

our　way　or　were　turned　aside　by　impenetrable　forest

tangles。



Our　first　day's　journey　covered　less　than　eight

miles；　and　that　night　we　stopped　at　a　farm…house

which　was　the　last　bit　of　civilization　we　saw。　　Early

the　next　morning　we　were　off　again；　making　the　slow

progress　due　to　the　rough　roads　and　our　heavy　load。　

At　night　we　stopped　at　a　place　called　Thomas's

Inn；　only　to　be　told　by　the　woman　who　kept　it　that

there　was　nothing　in　the　house　to　eat。　　Her　hus…

band；　she　said；　had　gone　‘‘outside''　（to　Grand

Rapids）　to　get　some　flour；　and　had　not　returned

but　she　added　that　we　could　spend　the　night；　if

we　chose；　and　enjoy　shelter；　if　not　food。　　We　had

provisions　in　our　wagon；　so　we　wearily　entered；　after

my　brother　had　got　out　some　of　our　pork　and

opened　a　barrel　of　flour。　　With　this　help　the　woman

made　some　biscuits；　which　were　so　green　that　my

poor　mother　could　not　eat　them。　　She　had　admitted

to　us　that　the　one　thing　she　had　in　the　house　was

saleratus；　and　she　had　used　this　ingredient　with　an

unsparing　hand。　　When　the　meal　was　eaten　she

broke　the　further　news　that　there　were　no　beds。



‘‘The　old　woman　can　sleep　with　me；''　she　sug…

gested；　‘‘and　the　girls　can　sleep　on　the　floor。　　The

boys　will　have　to　go　to　the　barn。''

She　and　her　bed　were　not　especially　attractive；

and　mother　decided　to　lie　on　the　floor　with　us。　　We

had　taken　our　bedding　from　the　wagon；　and　we　slept

very　well；　but　though　she　was　usually　superior　to

small　annoyances；　I　think　my　mother　resented　being

called　an　‘‘old　woman。''　　She　must　have　felt　like

one　that　night；　but　she　was　only　about　forty…eight

years　of　age。



At　dawn　the　next　morning　we　resumed　our　jour…

ney；　and　every　day　after　that　we　were　able　to　cover

the　distance　demanded　by　the　schedule　arranged

before　we　started。　　This　meant　that　some　sort　of

shelter　usually　awaited　us　at　night。　　But　one　day

we　knew　there　would　be　no　houses　between　the　place

we　left　in　the　morning　and　that　where　we　were　to

sleep。　　The　distance　was　about　twenty　miles；　and

when　twilight　fell　we　had　not　made　it。　　In　the　back

of　the　wagon　my　mother　had　a　box　of　little　pigs；

and　during　the　afternoon　these　had　broken　loose　and

escaped　into　the　woods。　　We　had　lost　much　time　in

finding　them；　and　we　were　so　exhausted　that　when

we　came　to　a　hut　made　of　twigs　and　boughs　we　de…

cided　to　camp　in　it　for　the　night；　though　we　knew

nothing　about　it。　　My　brother　had　unharnessed

the　horses；　and　my　mother　and　sister　were　cooking

dough…goda　mixture　of　flour；　water；　and　soda；

fried　in　a　pan…when　two　men　rode　up　on　horse…

back　and　called　my　brother　to　one　side。　　Immedi…

ately　after　the　talk　which　followed　James　harnessed

his　horses　again　and　forced　us　to　go　on；　though　by

that　time　darkness　had　fallen。　　He　told　mother；　but

did　not　tell　us　children　until　long　afterward；　that　a

man　had　been　murdered　in　the　hut　only　the　night

before。　　The　murderer　was　still　at　large　in　the　woods；

and　the　new…comers　were　members　of　a　posse　who

were　searching　for　him。　　My　brother　needed　no

urging　to　put　as　many　miles　as　he　could　between

us　and　the　sinister　spot。



In　that　fashion　we　made　our　way　to　our　new　home。　

The　last　day；　like　the　first；　we　traveled　only　eight

miles；　but　we　spent　the　night　in　a　house　I　shall　never

forget。　　It　was　beautifully　clean；　and　for　our　eve…

ning　meal　its　mistress　brought　out　loaves　of　bread

which　were　the　largest　we　had　ever　seen。　　She　cut

great　slices　of　this　bread　for　us　and　spread　maple

sugar　on　them；　and　it　seemed　to　us　that　never　be…

fore　had　anything　tasted　so　good。



The　next　morning　we　made　the　last　stage　of　our

journey；　our　hearts　filled　with　the　joy　of　nearing

our　new　home。　　We　all　had　an　idea　that　we　were

going　to　a　farm；　and　we　expected　some　resemblance

at　least　to　the　prosperous　farms　we　had　seen　in　New

England。　　My　mother's　mental　picture　was；　natu…

rally；　of　an　English　farm。　　Possibly　she　had　visions

of　red　barns　and　deep　meadows；　sunny　skies　and

daisies。　　What　we　found　awaiting　us　were　the　four

walls　and　the　roof　of　a　good…sized　log…house；　stand…

ing　in　a　small　cleared　strip　of　the　wilderness；　its　doors

and　windows　represented　by　square　holes；　its　floor

also　a　thing　of　the　future；　its　whole　effect　achingly

forlorn　and　desolate。　　It　was　late　in　the　afternoon

when　we　drove　up　to　the　opening　that　was　its　front

entrance；　and　I　shall　never　forget　the　look　my

mother　turned　upon　the　place。　　Without　a　word

she　crossed　its　threshold；　and；　standing　very　still；

looked　slowly　around　her。　　Then　something　within

her　seemed　to　give　way；　and　she　sank　upon　the

ground。　　She　could　not　realize　even　then；　I　think；

that　this　was　really　the　place　father　had　prepared

for　us；　that　here　he　expected　us　to　live。　　When　she

finally　took　it　in　she　buried　her　face　in　her　hands；

and　in　that　way　she　sat　for　hours　without　moving　or

speaking。　　For　the　first　time　in　her　life　she　had　for…

gotten　us；　and　we；　for　our　part；　dared　not　speak　to

her。　　We　stood　around　her　in　a　frightened　group；

talking　to　one　another　in　whispers。　　Our　little　world

had　crumbled　under　our　feet。　　Never　before　had

we　seen　our　mother　give　way　to　despair。



Night　began　to　fall。　　The　woods　became　alive

with　night　creatures；　and　the　most　harmless　made

the　most　noise。　　The　owls　began　to　hoot；　and　soon

we　heard　the　wildcat；　whose　crya　screech　like

that　of　a　lost　and　panic…stricken　childis　one　of

the　most　appalling　sounds　of　the　forest。　　Later　the

wolves　added　their　howls　to　the　uproar；　but　though

darkness　came　and　we　children　whimpered　around

her；　our　mother　still　sat　in　her　strange　lethargy。



At　last　my　brother　brought　the　horses　close　to　the

cabin　and　built　fires　to　p