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

HOME BUILDING IN MINNESOTA 245
free, and we knew our loved ones were now on their way
to join us.
We had moved down to the new place and I had papered
the house with The New York Independent, which Brother
William was taking that winter. It was a fine large paper,
and its back numbers came in very satisfactorily to me in my
renovating, for it looked clean and neat on the wall. We had
one large room and two bedrooms off from it, so we could have
some heat in all the rooms from the one fire; besides we had a
large "lean-to" kitchen and a good well with an old-fashioned
sweep. The land was smooth and a broad field stretched to
the east and south, neighbors were in sight and the air of being
at home increased. I had cleaned thoroughly and gotten
everything in order as best I could for the ones who were soon
to be with us. Fish had begun to run into the outlet of the
lake, so there was no lack of fresh fish — pike and pickerel,
bass, suckers, and other varieties, but the former two were our
favorites. As all our folks were fond of fish, we knew we
should have at least one delectable dish to set before the new
arrivals. We were pretty certain, too, to have had venison
from our friendly hunters, the Stanleys.
It was about the middle of May when we got word that they
had landed in St. Paul, and then we kept busy that the time
might fly to bring our reunion. I was glad that the grass
had begun to show its spring color and that the groves of
popple were sending out their delicate, pale green leaves. The
plum trees filled the air with their own peculiar fragrance, not
so sweet perhaps, as the cherry trees and the grapevines about
the old home they had left behind them in Ohio, but we hoped
they would enjoy the new country as they journeyed overland
toward us.
It was Sunday, just after dinner, when we heard some one
calling at the gate, and we all ran out to find father's carriage
with mother and Julia and Baby Rosamond and Brother Joe;
the latter was well wrapped up in blankets and looked pale and
thin. This was the first we knew of his illness on the road.
In spite of his weakness and the crutch, he looked bright and
happy, as did they all. Little Rosamond was opening her