Sunshine & Shadows written by Evangeline H. Wright (d. 1960 at 92 yrs 8mo 18 days.) Part II Mother was knitting by candlelight, having a pair of woolen stockings she felt she must finish before she retired. Father having gone to bed, the evening settled down with a heavy snow storm. The snow piling itself high and deep. But she felt that Father would need the stockings for the morrow as he had a contract to cut wood for a neighbor, she felt she must finish them. The wind was howling around their log cabin, sweeping the snow in deep drifts. Her candle light flickered at every passing draft of wind. The wood in the fire place was burning low--still her fingers were flying. The light of her candle flashed on her highly polished needles at every move of her fingers. Her work almost finished, the mantel clock struck one-two. Suddenly a cry startled her. She stopped her work and listened. It came again. The wind whistled around the cabin corner. She says, "A woman, mercy she can never live in this awful storm." Again the cry of distress. It seemed very near. She lay her work down, going to father and called, "Jacob, Jacob, listen, a woman is in distress -- the cry is as near as our cabin door." Father said, "Oh, put thy light out quick--panther sees thy light and is coming to it." Out went the light. The stockings were not needed for a long time. The cry of the panther became weaker as he changed his course and traveled farther and farther until his cry died in the distance. The winter passed. The snow melted and ran down the ravines. Father went to his wood cutting contract. He got his saw, his ax wedge and mall as well as his gun which men at this time never went without, not knowing what they might come in contact with. His faithful dog, Frank went with him. Father takes his coat off, throws it on the ground. Frank lies down on the coat to take care of it and to have a nice nap while his master works. Father took up his ax and began to chop down a tree. When the cat saw Frank he began to whine and make a little noise. Father stopped, saying, "What is it, Frank?" The dog started toward the red bud tree and the cat gave a squall and got ready to make a spring on the dog. Father said, "set him, Frank, while I get my gun." The cat did not seem to notice Father's movements. His green eyes were glued on the dog and was making ready to spring. Every muscle was twitching in his body. Father said, "Ready Frank set him". The dog moved closer to the tree. Bang went the gun and down came the cat. Frank jumped him, shaking and growling. Father went to the dog, saying, "All right, Frank, we got him, didn't we." When Father would tell his wild cat story he always added , "I believe Providence sent my dog with me that morning." Living here more than eight years, we find our bread winner stricken down with typhoid fever for many weeks. He finally rallied in a weakened condition. Fall months coming on--his asthma now began to bother him. Mother, through her anxiety for father's health, thought I better write to the folks about his condition or they wouldn't like it. She wrote and the return letter ran -- "Well, Jacob, I thought thee was doing the wrong thing when thee and thine climbed in thy wagon and started West. So, sell what you have and come back east when the climate is more open." We sold all farm tools, cow, calf, horses and land for fiteen hundred dollars. Sounds cheap, doesn't it today -- when you nearly have to pay that nowadays for a one acre to build on? We left Oskaloosa on the up-to-date passenger car going over the same road only in a different wagon into the city of Chicago, now a large city which could compete with Boston. Only a few years back when the Cooks went through it was called little Chicago. It seemed strange the little town of a dozen houses could bloom out like a mammoth rose, but yet they saw it so. It seemed to them it was like growing up over night. Father seemed much better. Maybe now he was headed for home--maybe he had been suffering with home-sickness. Those trains did not run like lightning like they do now. We only made about forty miles an hour. Our family consisted of Father, mother, Charles, Mary, Willie and Lina, the troublemaker. :) Anita ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Anita (nee: Merlo) Gauld Anita_Gauld@Hotmail.Com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Have over 20,000 individuals in my database. Willing to do quick look-ups. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tracing surnames: Bellisario..Berardo..Blake..Bonner Carpenter..Chromie..Cucco..Cunningham..Dey..Eovaldi..Gauld Gianella..Gnoli..Loomis..Marek..Marlow..Merlo..Mitrovich.. Monelli..Newton..Ottolini..Pisoni..Puricelli..Travato ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WEB SITES: Family: http://www.GeoCities.Com/Heartland/Bluffs/1314 Reunion: http://www.GeoCities.Com/Heartland/Village/1315 Trees: http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/g/a/u/Anita-L-Gauld/index.html Surnames: http://www.mccserv.com/genealogy/gauld/gauld.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ QUERIES: Post: http://www.geocities.com/cgi-bin/geoplus_apps/ans_entry View: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Bluffs/1314/geobook.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ E-Mail: Anita_Gauld@Hotmail.Com agauld@mhc.net (Munson Medical Center)Work agauld@gtii.com (please send attachments here) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Contact me by web pager: http://wwp.mirabilis.com/2318786 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As long as we are Remembered we Never die A life is not lost when it is known to future generations Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com