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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 25, 1890)
WEST SHORE. IN MOSBVS SETTLEMENT. 5rilIN(i had come, even to the high, mountain coun try of the great northwest. The sun's bright rnyi were temjcrcd by i chilly spring wind that sent the soft, white clouds drifting here and there, now lingering low near the tops of the brown mountains, now living high an if to reach the very pun himself. The magpies chattered hoarsely in the willows which overlooked the green and rushing waters of the creek, and on the hills herds of horses and cattle and flocks .of sheep were feeding. It was the Sablith day, Has ter Sunday, too, hut there was no sound of ringing church Mis, no groups of jieople to Ikj seen on the candy, sagebrush-fringed road, hastening to a place of worship; the nearest church was fifty miles from Mo by 'a settlement and there was not even a schoolhouse where service could have been held had there leen any one in that region to conduct it. The foaming waters of I lock creek, now swollen by melting snows in the mountains, wound their way through a narrow valley, pacing in their course a small log house which stood in the corner of a fifty aere field, enclosed by the irredeemable ugliness of a barbed wire fence. The field had lieen plowed and sowed to grain the previous fall, atid now sparee patches of green alternated with large, bare spaces of whitish soil, the whole resembling a huge patchwork quilt of gro tesque pattern. These evidences of civilization ln longed to Tom Rogers, sheepman and rancher in the settlement, and having returned only the day Irforc from his sheep camp, Tom was out this morning mend ing n, break in the corral fence and looking up other repairs, in which he wat assisted by hi six year old son, Dick, who followed him alout like a shadow, not saying much, but stolidly enjoying bin father's com pany. A cloud rore on Dick's horiion presently, when his mother appeared at the kitchen door and command"! him to come in and le cleaned. Mrs. Rogers was a nervous, red haired woman with a snillle, and her way of keeping the Sabbath holy was to lathe the children all around whenever she was, in her own words, "able to crawl." She was abb- to crawl this morning, and had already filled and emptied the family tub three times and three times urged, coaxed and scrublrd an unwilling victim through th cleansing and now it was Dick's turn to suffer. Ink hated bathing on general principles and hated it more heartily than ever this morning Irftause he want"! to tajf, around after his father. Hut allured by the promiw of a green and yellow Easter egg and consoled by bis father agree ing to slay in the house during the painful t ration, he yielded U, the Inevitable and went through the or deal with only an occasional howl and sniffle. Her devotions for the day Mng ended, Mrs. Rogers gave her hair a promissory combing and seated herself in the bosom of her family with an easy conscience. She then Irgan to regale her husUnd with cholre and startling bits of ncighUrhsd news which he, in the isolation of the sheep camp, had not heard. Dick and Hilly were seated on the doorstep admiring the artistic blending of colors on their Kaster eggs and slyly throwing ebble at the nomadic chickens, when they suddenly burst into a jovful chorus " Jack U)sseii's team'i a cumin' down the grade, paw." Mr. Rogers tilted his chair around and locked out through the one window. Nell, a smart girl of ten. left the eggs she was coloring and came to lok. M April fool's past an' you're the fool at last," she said, with laconic scum. " I haint a foolin'; there they air, j-sl this id o' them junipers." " The boys is right, Nell," Interred Mr. Rogers, deliU rately. "That there's Jack an' his wife an' two er three o' the kids." " Well, now, I wonder!" ejaculated Mrs Roger. " l.ike's not they're cumin' here," and she went to the door and looked earnestly at them, as if she could di vine their intentions even at that distance. " Kf they'd U n a goin' down to hU folks," she continued, musingly, " they'd a started earlier, 'ar like. She said she'd come over as soon a she coiibl git him to bring her an'" " Say, maw," Interrupted Hilly, with gnat foresight for a boy of tender years, "can't we take Tige an' run down a chicken fer dinner?" " You jest let them chirked I," snap-d hi moth er. " You're t fond u settin' Tig on Vm It's Eas ier today, an' I'll ru"k some aig anyway f r dinner, we kin have 'em hiled, fried an' In custard " The m equipage now st j jd at the hart and the Rogers family streamed out. their faer wreathed in welcoming smiles as they greeted their guests " Howdy?" " Howdy?" " Ioks like you folks was goin' some pUrr?" " No, we aint goin' ihi place; we're jest travrlin'." " Hrt stop a s- ll an' how far you g-t." While Mr. I'ogr ri exchanged ihli fire of wit with his neighbor, he r'iifry Jr down th bars, aid iw Mr. Ieu awoke his hort-, which had fII- into a ireful slumber, and guided tUm through l!to i -ti-jng Into the yard T1eo Mf I'ogTS lerame IfiUtfeaa of rerrjiionU " (iive ui the baby, Mis' It's asleep, It? !lss In httl heart! Jl'fe, Tom, hdp Mis' b sen o'it. I'll jett Uke this baby in an' Uy it i the bed till it gits its nap out ( rijht In, Mis' j