Six years on the border

Chapter I. First Experiences

MY object in this narrative is to give my Eastern friends an idea of life on the Western plains — not such an idea as the tourist forms while riding over these great prairies in the swift-moving cars and stopping a few days in the different towns and villages, but such a one as is gained by those who live on the extreme border, and thus prepare the way not only for railroads and cities, but for civilization and good society. History tells us of the trials of our forefathers — their batding with sickness, cold and hunger, their deadly conflicts with the treacherous Indians — together with their firm, unshaken faith in the God whom they worshiped; but how many of their posterity whose names and labors of love are never written for the benefit of those who come after them have passed through sorrows and dangers as great as theirs !

In my quiet New England home, during my youthful days, I never dreamed of being a minister's wife or of passing through scenes which to many of my readers may seem incredible. But the young cannot see the path which God has marked out for them to walk in through this wilderness of life. After we have gone forward for a number of years, and then look back, how many exclaim, '' He has led me in a way which I knew not " !

In the month of August, 1871, I left my Eastern home, friends and many surroundings that were dear, especially the graves of loved ones, which I never expected to see again, and started for the Far West — a journey of twenty-five hundred miles. But it

FIRST EXPERIENCES.

was not without scattering tears over places which memory held so dear, that I bade farewell to friends ; and after weeping over the graves of my mother and darling babe, I turned my back upon the scenes of my childhood, and with my husband and two small children began my long and wearisome journey.

After traveling day and night for ten days, I found myself beyond the clatter of engines and the sound of '' the church-going bell." But "Onward! Onward!" was our motto. We had heard of a village on the banks of a beautiful river, surrounded by a rich country fast filling up with intelligent people, but with no one to proclaim the glad tidings of salvation, and to that town we were going with bright hopes of happiness and usefulness. But long before we reached our destination my heart grew faint and my own native New England seemed dearer than ever before. Our conveyance was a litde open wagon drawn by two small ponies which were very unruly ; and the driver, on account of a bottle which projected from the pocket of his old brown jacket, was no better than the ponies.

There were many deep ravines and streams without bridges to cross, and several times I sprang from the wagon, with my little girl of two years in my arms, to see our trunks go tumbling down into some ditch. The driver seemed to be perfectly unconcerned over our misfortunes, and occasionally would say, " You'll soon get used to this if you stay in the West." This was early in the month of September, and the dry grass in many places was much higher than the horses' heads, and as far as I could see in every direction this dry brown coat of nature was waving in the wind, which blew furiously, and to me seemed almost unearthly on account of its parching heat. Occasionally we would pass a little cabin, but no barns, no fences, no orchards, no springs ; and, what gave the country a more desolate appearance, there were no trees except a few dwarfed cottonwoods, which scarcely lifted their topmost branches above the ravines in which they stood.

Being very thirsty, I called at one cabin, and as I looked in I started back with horror. There were three or four invalids lying on blankets which were spread on the ground ; for the cabin had no floor and was so open that a cat could enter between the logs. The woman of the house said, " We are all sick here." I asked for a drink of water, and she pointed to a ravine in which stood a stagnant pool, and said, "There is the water we use." I turned away thinking I could never drink such water as that. But as I saw the driver dipping it up in his old hat and drinking it, I recalled what he had said before : " You'll soon get used to this if you stay in the West."

At last we reached the town of which we had read such glowing accounts before lO SIX YEARS ON THE BORDER.

leaving the East. My hands were brown, my face blistered and my eyes red, and as I stood in the village which had appeared to my imagination in so many different forms (but always with beautiful houses, sidewalks and level streets), feeling homesick and discouraged, I looked around and counted the buildings. One blacksmith's shop, one small store, one dwelling-house and two little cabins, and all surrounded by the same brown, rustling mantle which covered the whole region. As I looked for the beautiful river, I saw a bed of sand half a mile away, with a little stream, shallow and muddy as it is at that season of the year, finding its way through the sand. There was no hotel, but in one of the cabins we found a shelter; it contained but one room, and had no floor. Besides the family, consisting of man and wife and a daughter nearly grown, there were three gentlemen-boarders, and all down sick. The first night we slept in that cabin I

FIRST EXPERIENCES. II

thought of the one represented by Richardson in his " Beyond the Mississippi," where a man stands in the door saying to a stranger who desires admittance, " We are about full here." I soon began to learn what border life meant.

My husband began to preach the gospel and visit the sick. It being the malarial season of the year, there was scarcely a well person to be found in all the region. Whole families were suffering at once ; so that one could not wait on the others. I went three miles from home with my husband to attend the funeral of a child. The mother was a refined, educated woman from Boston, and she said she had not been out of bed for six weeks, during which time all of her children had been sick and two of them had died, and not a woman had before been to see her. Her husband had been sufferinof with the chills until he was scarcely able to wait on his sick family. It is sad to see a whole family sick even when surrounded by kind friends to care for and comfort them ; but when father and mother and children are all sick in a strange land, and surrounded by invalids, God alone can sustain them.

In the midst of these scenes of poverty and suffering, where such an opportunity for usefulness opened before him, and where one possessed of health and strength felt such animation and delight in trying to relieve sufferers, my husband was taken suddenly and violently ill with a fever. What to do I did not know. A physician could not be had. One had just died with a congestive chill, and the other was very ill. I did the best I could. For nearly two weeks my husband had a burning fever day and night, during which time I endeavored to trust in the Lord ; and after caring for my husband, I did what I could for others. After he began to recover health he gained very rapidly. In four weeks from the time that he was taken ill he was able to walk around, and in a short time he began to visit the sick and preach the gospel " from house to house."

The nights were now cold and frosty, and people who survived the scourge were in most cases convalescent. In a short time we moved into a cabin by ourselves, and my husband commenced driving a team for wages, preaching every Sabbath in the different cabins. We were now comparatively comfortable, and were quite happy until the next spring.

Early in the month of April my husband was helping a neighbor plant corn, when, he said, all at once the hoe became so heavy he could scarcely lift it ; his head pained, his arms were tired and his back ached. He finally concluded that he must be sick, but he continued to work until his teeth began to chatter, and he knew he was having a chill. He then came home, and after shakinof for an hour or more he had a burning fever, and was quite sick during the day. After this he had a chill nearly every other day for six weeks, until he was reduced in flesh almost to a skeleton, and was not able to do any labor. By this time our money was all gone, and about the first of June we had eaten our last morsel of bread for breakfast. We did not know where our dinner — if we were to have any — was to come from. My husband took a small sack and went from house to house among those to whom he had been preaching during the winter, askinor for the loan of a little cornmeal (cornmeal and buffalo-meat were our principal articles of food), but late in the afternoon he returned with his sack as empty as when he had left home in the morning. He was so faint, weary and hungry that he lay down to rest. Our little children, who had been waiting patiently for his return, looked at the empty sack with much disappointment, and without saying a word walked away.

FIRST EXPERIENCES. I 5

While he was resting many thoughts passed through my mind. I thought of leaving such a place of poverty and wretchedness, but we had no money. I thought of writing to some friend, but we would all die before I could get an answer. I then thought of the precious promise of Jesus: "Ask, and ye shall receive;" and I knew my husband was at the same time looking to our heavenly Father. Shortly after he arose from the bed, stepped from the cabin and walked over to the store. The man who kept it was away, but my husband told his wife that he was out of bread, and she pointed to a pile of flour and said, " Help yourself." I was surprised when I saw him return with a sack of flour, for I knew that the rule at the store was " Strictly no credit." We thanked God for his mercy in that our prayers were answered and we not forsaken.

From this time my husband began to improve, but continued to have an occasional chill, which kept him weak during the whole summer.

About the last of the month he heard of a town springing up in a very beautiful part of the country, forty miles farther west, and he resolved to go, if possible, to that place. He heard that there were some capitalists at the new town, and he thought that if he were once there he could get work to do and thus maintain his family. So he started away from home with only six cents, which was all the money we had. Our flour was nearly gone. I divided what was left, wrapping a loaf of bread in a paper for him to take and keeping a little for my children and myself. When he returned, he gave me the following account of his journey, trials and success :

"After traveling all day, riding part of the distance on a load of lime and walking the remainder, I stopped for the night in a little unoccupied house. I had divided my food with a hungry man during the day, and my bread was all gone. I had no blankets, but slept on the floor, using my boots for a pillow. Morning came and the sun was shining brightly, but I was in a strange land without anything to eat and with only six cents in money. I started on my journey ; but, feeling faint, weary and almost discouraged, I went back to the place where I had slept, and after I had closed the door I went to one corner of the room and fell on my knees, determined not to arise until the load of sorrow and care should be removed from my poor depressed soul. I resolved to cast my burden on the Lord, for I knew that he was willing to bless and sustain me. I have often preached from the text 'There is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother,' and I endeavored to claim that promise and look to that Friend for help.

"After I had unbosomed my sorrows to Jesus, and told him I was sick and hungry and a poor wanderer in a strange land and had not money enough to pay for my breakfast, my soul was filled with peace. I felt him to be very near, and I knew he would help me. I started again, and had gone only a short distance when I saw a man coming from another direction. He hailed me and asked me if I knew the way to the new town. I told him that I did, and was on my way to that place. The stranger said he had a team, and if he could sell his load of meal at the store a little farther on he would give me a passage. I felt certain in my mind that he would sell the meal ; and he did. I told him 1 was sick and preferred to lie down in the wagon, and as I closed my eyes to thank God for answering my prayer I heard the crack of a whip, and we

were off for the town of H . I would

have purchased a loaf of bread, but I had learned that there was a toll-bridge on the way, a little beyond the place where I spent the night, and I expected to have to pay five cents to cross the bridge ; but, as the man with whom I was riding paid the toll for his team, I was allowed to go over with him free.

"After going a short distance his boy looked around and asked me if I did not want a lunch. He said he had some corn-bread and molasses, and, bringing it forth, told me to help myself It was now near the middle of the day, and I enjoyed that corn-bread and molasses as much as though I had been partaking of the bounties of a king's table. ' This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.' "

Chapter II. Looking For A Home

THAT night," continued my husband, " we camped out on the wild plains, and the following day, about 1 1 a. m., we were at the new town. But how disappointed was I again ! There were two stores, a blacksmith's shop, and a short distance away a little house. I asked every man I could find if he wanted to hire a man to do any kind of work, but they all said * No ;' and, judging from their looks, they had no money to pay for work, or for anything but bread and quinine. After a while I found one man who said he had a well to finish ; it was then twenty feet deep and some water in the bottom. I told him I would work in the well for fifty cents a day ; but after looking me in the face I think he concluded I was not able to do such labor, and said he thought he would not employ me. I was much disappointed and wished myself back in N

with my family, and concluded to get back if I could. I accordingly found a man who was going with a team to within four miles

of N , and I asked him for a passage ;

but he refused to take me, as I had not money to pay him.

'' I then walked away from the little town — perhaps a quarter of a mile — and in the tall, waving grass I knelt down and asked my heavenly Father to take care of his poor wandering child. After spending a few moments in prayer, my mind was composed, for I knew my Father would still care for me. I then returned peacefully to the town, and went to the little house before mentioned and asked for five cents' worth of bread; and the woman of the house gave me such a loaf for five cents

22 S/X YEARS ON THE BORDER.

as I had never before known to be sold for twice that amount of money. I took that, and gave it to the man and boy who had given me my conveyance. 1 then told them if they would let me have some cornmeal from their wagon I would get some bread baked (they were not very good cooks), and they said they would be very glad if I would do so. I then took some meal and went back to the house where I got the bread, and told the lady if she would bake me some bread I would chop wood to pay her, as I had no money. She said she would be glad to do so, as her husband was sick.

" I had worked only a few minutes when a little girl came to the door and said her papa wanted me to come in. I walked in, and the man — an elderly man — said, ' You are sick, and not fit to be working out there in the hot sun. Sit down and rest until dinner is ready.' If any one had been near, they might have heard me say

' God bless you, old man !' I sat down in a rocking-chair for the first time in the West, and in a few moments I felt well acquainted with the strangers, who gave me much valuable information about the country and seemed to be very kind indeed.

" In a short time dinner was ready, and

for the first time after leaving N I sat

down at a table and partook of a good, wholesome meal. My friend then said I could take his horse and look around over the country. I thanked him, and soon, seated in a neat saddle, was moving over the prairie. After passing several cabins I saw one made of logs from which the bark had been peeled. It looked neat and clean. Seeing a man working at the door, I rode up and asked him if there were any vacant claims near his place. Without answering my question, he asked, ' Have you a family ?' I told him I had a wife and two children. He then asked me if I did not want to buy a claim. I told him I did not, because I had no money except one cent. He lauofhed. and asked me where I was from. I told him from Maine. ' Is that so ?' said he. ' I am from Vermont.' I told him I thouoht he was a Yankee when he first spoke. He then said, 'There was a ofentleman came out here last March, took a claim, hired a man to break five acres and plant it in corn — and the claim is a good one, with ten acres of timber ; and a stream of water runs through it, so there will always be plenty of water — and then he went back for his family, and a few of us neighbors have been holding his claim for him. The other day we received a letter from him saying his wife was sick and he had given up coming West to live, and we could let some man with a family have his claim. Now,' he continued, ' I will show you the claim, and I would advise you to go right on and take possession of it at once.' He then saddled his horse, and together we rode down the stream more than a mile, and came to a beautiful piece of corn — the best sod-corn I had seen. He showed me the corners of the quartersection, and told me there were good neighbors on every side, and asked me how I liked it. I replied that it was excellent. He then said he would help me build a cabin and let me have his team to go after my family. I thanked him, and told him I would be at his place next morning; and then we went back to the town. To my joy, I met a young man just from

N , with whom I was acquainted. He

said I must stop with him that night, as he had a camping-outfit along with him. I told him of my good fortune and that I wanted to write to my wife, but I only had one cent. He very kindly assisted me in purchasing a postage-stamp. I then went into the store and asked the clerk if I could write a letter. He said, 'Yes, certainly,' and gave me a sheet of paper and envelope. But I could scarcely write for joy, I felt so much better than I did in the morning, when the stranger refused to give me a passage back to N .

" That night I listened to the conversation of several old frontiersmen who were sitting around the store, for the night was beautiful and the air was fragrant with the scent of a thousand varieties of wild flowers. I listened to those men's talk about the deer and the buffalo and the wolves, then numerous in that region. They also talked about the country — said it was the richest land in the world, and they thought the country was settling up with an excellent class of people, and they would soon have schools and churches. I concluded that the people were far superior to those

at N , and after thanking God for his

mercy and divine guidance I went to sleep, and slept sweetly until morning.

" In the morning, after a breakfast of bread, bacon and coffee, and a pleasant little chat with my friend from N , I

started for the cabin of the good Yankee who had been so kind to me the day before. I found him all ready, with his horses harnessed to his wagon ; and we were soon in the timber cutting and drawing out logs for my cabin. We cut logs about six inches in diameter and twelve feet long, and peeled off the bark. As he was a good axeman and strong and well, we soon succeeded in putting up the walls of a house. During this time I was kindly entertained by my friend and his family. Every night we read the Bible and prayed together, the doing of which seemed to unite us more firmly in the bonds of Christian love."

While my husband was thus learning the rough ways of the border I was living in awful suspense. I had plenty for myself and my children to eat. After he had gone away the merchant's wife was very kind, and seemed almost like a mother to me. But I knew the dangers were many away out on the plains, and that in the region he was exploring no man's life was safe. The red men were on the alert for scalps ; the border desperadoes lived by murder and theft; there were bears and wolves and the deadly miasma ; and the scarcity of bread and water seemed dreadful to me. I could only wait and pray.

After a week of this melancholy endurance my aching heart was lightened on receipt of the following letter :

" My Dear Wife : I have had a hard time since I left. I have suffered for bread, and yesterday, while riding over the plains, what would I have given for one moment at our old spring in Maine ! I kept the six cents you gave me until I reached here this morning, when I paid out five for bread, and have just borrowed two cents to enable me to purchase a postage-stamp. Do not be discouraged : I am not. I believe we shall come out all right yet. I had a slight chill the day I left, but am feeling quite comfortable now, though not very strong. I have some prospects before me which are good, but we have been disappointed so many times I dare not say much about it to you just yet. Do not look for me until I come. Take good care of the children, and trust in Him who feeds the ravens and notices the fall of a sparrow."

After reading this letter, like Paul before entering Rome " I thanked God and took courage."

Three days after this, on the 4th of July, my husband returned looking better than when he left. The kind man who had assisted him in building his cabin offered to lend him his team, but my husband, knowing the route to be infested with Indians, and being unarmed, concluded that he would rather come on horseback. The horse he rode was blind and could not go very fast. On the way he saw a party of Indians coming toward him ; he knew he could not keep out of their reach, so he looked to God and said, " Thy grace has brought me safe thus far : thy grace will bring me home." The Indians came very near, and one raised his gun and pointed it toward him ; but in a moment they turned their ponies and rode off in another direction.

After this we soon made arrancrements to move to our new home. A neighbor who had a good team and was well armed was engaged to take us through, and we were to pay him in wood and in other articles which we could not move. The nieht before we were to start my husband came in and said, " I do not know what we shall do to-morrow ; the river is up, and we shall have to cross with our load in the ferry-boat." (This was a different and nearer route than the one he had traveled when going before.) " I have no money to pay the ferriage ; and then we must have something to eat on the way, and I would like to have a pound of nails and a board, to make a door for our cabin. If I had five dollars, I could get along nicely." Just then he said it came to his mind that when in Maine he gave a poor minister whose son was very sick five dollars, and the Lord had said he that gives to the poor lends to him ; and he prayed : " Lord, help us." At that moment the merchant over the way, who was considered by many to be the most selfish man in the place, came in, and after talking a few moments and wishing us good luck he opened his pocket-book and handed my husband something. It was quite dark in the cabin, and my husband said, " What is this ?" and the old man said, " That is something to help you along to-morrow ;" and stepped out, saying, " Good-night." To our great joy, we found that the five dollars had come ; and we knew it was God who sent it.

Chapter III. The Cabin On The Prairie

THE next morning we were early on the way to our new home. We started early, because we did not want to camp out on the wild plains between the two settlements. The day was very hot, and, although I was seated on the top of the load, the aroma of flowers, the bounding deer and the skulking cayote, the wild sunflowers bowing before the breeze, with beautiful birds singing in their branches, one after another claimed my attention ; and, as no Indians appeared in sight, the day passed away quite pleasantly. The sun went down long before we reached the settlement, and with much dread we stopped in the open country for the night, but on account of weariness caused by the long day's ride we lay down on the ground and slept soundly until morning.

The next day, about ten o'clock, we reached the cabin of our good friends. Here I was received so kindly that I felt at home at once. The good woman of the house said I should not move into our cabin until the roof was on. As soon as I met her I knew by the expression of her countenance and the warm grasp of her hand that I had met a friend ; and if ever any poor wanderer in the desert of this world felt the need of a friend, I did at that time. Nor was I disappointed, for soon we loved each other dearly. She called me her sister, and wrote to her friends in the East that she had found a sister. She was truly a refined Christian lady,