Annals of our ancestors; one hundred and fifty years of history in the ...

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ANNALS OF OUR ANCESTORS
in our southern Ohio home. The first warm day I could get
out after the deep drifts had to some extent melted, I ventured
into the side yard, which in summer had been the clothes yard,
and where some philanthropic predecessor of mine had left a
clothesline in the shape of a wild grapevine! Upon this I was
hanging up some of my heavier winter clothes, for the warm
spring winds told me of the passing of winter, when I looked
up to see a large black bird much hke a crow, which I was told
was a raven. It had a voice all its own, but being high above
me I could not exactly interpret its call, though I hoped it was
of the variety of that famous one of Edgar Allan Poe and that
it was sounding the knell of winter, for that season at least,
with a cry of "Nevermore!"
I remember yet the bright warm sunshine, the fleecy clouds
which floated above instead of the dark, heavy snow clouds.
It was such a joy to see again the face of the earth so long folded
in her winding sheet. How the dear little squirrels and
gophers froHcked about and rejoiced in their freedom! The
gray and striped squirrels and some new varieties I had not
seen added interest. These pleasant signs did indeed herald
the passing of winter, as the next few days gave witness, for
just about the day our people landed in St. Paul the wind and
warm sun began to melt the ice on the lakes about Maine
Prairie.
Along the margin of our lake the ice first melted to about a
foot in extent. We went down to see the process, and found
that the little fishes were glad to have the heavy ice moved so
they could get fresh air, and here they gathered, making a
complete belt around the shore where the water was free.
Just hundreds and thousands of these little fish were sporting
in the open water! As the ice loosened from the shore the
strong wind began to play havoc with the large ice field, moving
it from north to south, catching it and beating it against
the shore with such violence as to pile it high on the beach.
In a short time the beautiful little lake was free and its waters
sparkled in the sunshine. Oh, how glad we were to see at last
the winter going! We now waited eagerly to hear how it was
with Lake Pippin, and word came to us that she, too, was