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