As　it　happened；　James　was　away；　and　mother　had
  to　meet　her　unwelcome　guests　supported　only　by
  her　young　children。　　She　at　once　prepared　a　meal；
  however；　and　when　they　arrived　she　welcomed　them
  calmly　and　gave　them　the　best　she　had。　　After　they
  had　eaten　they　began　to　point　at　and　demand　ob…
  jects　they　fancied　in　the　roommy　brother's　pipe；
  some　tobacco；　a　bowl；　and　such　triflesand　my
  mother；　who　was　afraid　to　annoy　them　by　refusal；
  gave　them　what　they　asked。　　They　were　quite
  sober；　and　though　they　left　without　expressing　any
  appreciation　of　her　hospitality；　they　made　her　a
  second　visit　a　few　months　later；　bringing　a　large
  quantity　of　venison　and　a　bag　of　cranberries　as　a
  graceful　return。　　These　Indians　were　Ottawas；　and
  later　we　became　very　friendly　with　them　and　their
  tribe；　even　to　the　degree　of　attending　one　of　their
  dances；　which　I　shall　describe　later。
  Our　second　encounter　with　Indians　was　a　less
  agreeable　experience。　　There　were　seven　‘‘Mar…
  quette　warriors''　in　the　next　group　of　callers；　and
  they　were　all　intoxicated。　　Moreover；　they　had
  brought　with　them　several　jugs　of　bad　whisky
  the　raw　and　craze…provoking　product　supplied　them
  by　the　fur…dealersand　it　was　clear　that　our　cabin
  was　to　be　the　scene　of　an　orgy。　　Fortunately；　my
  brother　James　was　at　home　on　this　occasion；　and
  as　the　evening　grew　old　and　the　Indians；　grouped
  together　around　the　fire；　became　more　and　more　ir…
  responsible；　he　devised　a　plan　for　our　safety。　　Our
  attic　was　finished；　and　its　sole　entrance　was　by　a
  ladder　through　a　trap…door。　　At　James's　whispered
  command　my　sister　Eleanor　slipped　up　into　the
  attic；　and　from　the　back　window　let　down　a　rope；
  to　which　he　tied　all　the　weapons　we　hadhis　gun
  and　several　axes。　　These　Eleanor　drew　up　and　con…
  cealed　in　one　of　the　bunks。　　My　brother　then　di…
  rected　that　as　quietly　as　possible；　and　at　long　in…
  tervals；　one　member　of　the　family　after　another　was
  to　slip　up　the　ladder　and　into　the　attic；　going　quite
  casually；　that　the　Indians　might　not　realize　what　we
  were　doing。　　Once　there；　with　the　ladder　drawn　up
  after　us　and　the　trap…door　closed；　we　would　be　rea…
  sonably　safe；　unless　our　guests　decided　to　burn　the
  cabin。
  The　evening　seemed　endless；　and　was　certainly
  nerve…racking。　　The　Indians　ate　everything　in　the
  house；　and　from　my　seat　in　a　dim　corner　I　watched
  them　while　my　sisters　waited　on　them。　　I　can　still
  see　the　tableau　they　made　in　the　firelit　room　and
  hear　the　unfamiliar　accents　of　their　speech　as　they
  talked　together。　　Occasionally　one　of　them　would
  pull　a　hair　from　his　head；　seize　his　scalping…knife；
  and　cut　the　hair　with　ita　most　unpleasant　sight！
  When　either　of　my　sisters　approached　them　some
  of　the　Indians　would　make　gestures；　as　if　capturing
  and　scalping　her。　　Through　it　all；　however；　the
  whisky　held　their　close　attention；　and　it　was　due　to
  this　that　we　succeeded　in　reaching　the　attic　unob…
  served；　James　coming　last　of　all　and　drawing　the
  ladder　after　him。　　Mother　and　the　children　were
  then　put　to　bed；　but　through　that　interminable
  night　James　and　Eleanor　lay　flat　upon　the　floor；
  watching　through　the　cracks　between　the　boards
  the　revels　of　the　drunken　Indians；　which　grew　wild…
  er　with　every　hour　that　crawled　toward　sunrise。
  There　was　no　knowing　when　they　would　miss　us
  or　how　soon　their　mood　might　change。　　At　any
  moment　they　might　make　an　attack　upon　us　or
  set　fire　to　the　cabin。　　By　dawn；　however；　their
  whisky　was　all　gone；　and　they　were　in　so　deep　a
  stupor　that；　one　after　the　other；　the　seven　fell　from
  their　chairs　to　the　floor；　where　they　sprawled　un…
  conscious。　　When　they　awoke　they　left　quietly　and
  without　trouble　of　any　kind。　　They　seemed　a
  strangely　subdued　and　chastened　band；　probably
  they　were　wretchedly　ill　after　their　debauch　on　the
  adulterated　whisky　the　traders　had　given　them。
  That　autumn　the　Ottawa　tribe　had　a　great　corn
  celebration；　to　which　we　and　the　other　settlers　were
  invited。　　James　and　my　older　sisters　attended　it；
  and　I　went　with　them；　by　my　own　urgent　invita…
  tion。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　as　I　was　sharing　the
  work　and　the　perils　of　our　new　environment；　I
  might　as　well　share　its　joys；　and　I　finally　succeeded
  in　making　my　family　see　the　logic　of　this　position。
  The　central　feature　of　the　festivity　was　a　huge　kettle；
  many　feet　in　circumference；　into　which　the　Indians
  dropped　the　most　extraordinary　variety　of　food　we
  had　ever　seen　combined。　　Deer　heads　went　into　it
  whole；　as　well　as　every　kind　of　meat　and　vegetable
  the　members　of　the　tribe　could　procure。　　We　all　ate
  some　of　this　agreeable　mixture；　and　later；　with　one
  another；　and　even　with　the　Indians；　we　danced　gaily
  to　the　music　of　a　tom…tom　and　a　drum。　　The　affair
  was　extremely　interesting　until　the　whisky　entered
  and　did　its　unpleasant　work。　　When　our　hosts　be…
  gan　to　fall　over　in　the　dance　and　slumber　where　they
  lay；　and　when　the　squaws　began　to　show　the　same
  ill　effects　of　their　refreshments；　we　unostentatiously
  slipped　away。
  During　the　winter　life　offered　us　few　diversions
  and　many　hardships。　　Our　creek　froze　over；　and　the
  water　problem　became　a　serious　one；　which　we　met
  with　increasing　difficulty　as　the　temperature　steadily
  fell。　　We　melted　snow　and　ice；　and　existed　through
  the　frozen　months；　but　with　an　amount　of　discom…
  fort　which　made　us　unwilling　to　repeat　at　least　that
  special　phase　of　our　experience。　　In　the　spring；
  therefore；　I　made　a　well。　　Long　before　this；　James
  had　gone；　and　Harry　and　I　were　now　the　only　out…
  door　members　of　our　working…force。　　Harry　was
  still　too　small　to　help　with　the　well；　but　a　young
  man；　who　had　formed　the　neighborly　habit　of　rid…
  ing　eighteen　miles　to　call　on　us；　gave　me　much
  friendly　aid。　　We　located　the　well　with　a　switch；
  and　when　we　had　dug　as　far　as　we　could　reach　with
  our　spades；　my　assistant　descended　into　the　hole
  and　threw　the　earth　up　to　the　edge；　from　which　I
  in　turn　removed　it。　　As　the　well　grew　deeper　we
  made　a　half…way　shelf；　on　which　I　stood；　he　throw…
  ing　the　earth　on　the　shelf；　and　I　shoveling　it　up　from
  that　point。　　Later；　as　he　descended　still　farther
  into　the　hole　we　were　making；　he　shoveled　the　earth
  into　buckets　and　passed　them　up　to　me；　I　passing
  them　on　to　my　sister；　who　was　now　pressed　into
  service。　　When　the　excavation　was　deep　enough
  we　made　the　wall　of　slabs　of　wood；　roughly　joined
  together。　　I　recall　that　well　with　calm　content。　　It　was　not　a
  thing　of　beauty；　but　it　was　a　thoroughly　practical　well；　and
  it　remained　the　only　one　we　had　during　the　twelve　years
  the　family　occupied　the　cabin。
  During　our　first　year　there　was　no　school　within　ten
  miles　of　us；　but　this　lack　failed　to　sadden　Harry　or　me。　　We
  had　brought　with　us　from　Lawrence　a　box　of　books；　in
  which；　in　winter　months；　when　our　outdoor　work　was
  restricted；　we　found　much　comfort。　　They　were　the　only
  books　in　that　part　of　the　country；　and　we　read　them　until
  we　knew　them　all　by　heart。　　Moreover；　father　sent　us
  regularly　the　New　York　Independent；　and　with　this
  admirable　literature；　after　reading　it；　we　papered　our　walls。
  Thus；　on　stormy　days；　we　could　lie　on　the　settle　or　the
  floor　and　read　the　Independent　over　again　with　increased
  interest　and　pleasure。
  Occasionally　father　sent　us　the　Ledger；　but　here
  mother　drew　a　definite　line。　　She　had　a　special　dis…
  like　for　that　periodical；　and　her　severest　comment
  on　any　woman　was　that　she　was　the　type　who　would
  ‘‘keep　a　dog；　make　saleratus　biscuit；　and　read　the
  New　York　Ledger　in　the　daytime。''　　Our　modest
  library　also　contained　several　histories　of　Greece
  and　Rome；　which　must　have　been　good　ones；　for
  years　later；　when　I　entered　college；　I　passed　my
  examination　in　ancient　history　with　no　other　prep…
  aration　than　this　reading。　　There　were　also　a　few
  arithmetics　and　algebras；　a　historical　novel　or　two；
  and　the　inevitable　copy　of　Uncle　Tom's　Cabin；　whose
  pages　I　had　freely　moistened　with　my　tears。
  When　the　advantages　of　public　education　were　finally
  extended　to　me；　at　thirteen；　by　the　opening　of　a　school
  three　miles　from　our　home；　I　accepted　them　with　growing
  reluctance。　　The　teacher　was　a　spinster　forty…four　years　of
  age　and　the　only　genuine　‘‘old　maid''　I　have　ever　met　who
  was　not　a　married　woman　or　a　man。　　She　was　the　real
  thing；　and　her　name；　Prudence　Duncan；　seemed　the　fitting
  label　for　her　rigidly　uncompromising　personality。　　I　graced
  Prudence's　school　for　three　months；　and　then　left　it　at　her
  fervid　request。　　I　had　walked　six　miles　a　day　through
  trackless　woods　and　Western　blizzards　to　get　what　she
  could　give　me；　but　she　had　little　to　offer　my　awakened　and
  critical　mind。　　My　reading　and　my　Lawrence　school…work
  had　already　taught　me　more　than　Prudence　knewa　fact
  we　both　inwardryadmitted　and　fiercely　resented　from
  our　different　viewpoints。　　Beyond　doubt　I　was　a　pert　and
  trying　young　person。　　I　lost　no