A Child of the Sea; and Life Among the MormonsWilliams, Elizabeth Whitney
History
A Child of the Sea; and Life Among the Mormons
Williams, Elizabeth Whitney
Beaver Island (Mich.); Latter Day Saints -- Michigan; Strang, James Jesse, 1813-1856
Sometimes Bob could not get up alone, then father would lift him up and
rub his neck where the collar had worn it sore on his long pulls. He
would lick father's hand and look into his face so pitiful it made us
all feel sorry to see him suffer. Very soon Bob began not to notice his
master very much, but would try to go fast to meet father when he came
into the house, and when he could not get up father would go to him,
talk and rub him. The dog seemed to understand the kindness. When
grandpa saw Bob cared more for father than for himself he cried like a
little child. After awhile he said, "No wonder Bob love you, you so good
to him, you so good to me, me love you too. Me now give you Bob. You
keep Bob for yourself till he die." Then the tears fell fast for a time.
After that Bob seemed to know he had a new master and seemed content.
With care Bob improved and got about so much smarter. Father had to be
away all day to his work. At night when he came home Charley, Bob and I
were always at the door to meet him. Sometimes in the winter evenings
when grandpa would be telling us his stories and singing to us his songs
Charley and I would fall fast asleep curled up on the rug with Bob.
DEATH OF MRS. MCWILLIAMS.
One day mother was very sick in bed with neuralgia. How gloomy and
lonely the house seemed to us children, we missed her so. Grandpa was
caring for us children and doing the house work as best he could. Then
mother was better and able to sit up trying to sew, saying she could not
afford to be idle. Not long after this one day, I know it was Sunday, we
were dressed in our Sunday suits, father was reading to us, a knock came
on the door, the latch was lifted, the door opened and John McWilliams
almost fell into the room, saying, "Come both of you, my mother is
dead." Then he sank into a chair and cried as if his heart would break.
Mother arose from her easy chair saying "Come Walter, we must go."
Father tried to have her not go, telling her she was not able to go, she
ought to be in bed as her face was still badly swollen. The snow being
deep and it was very cold. Neither father, grandpa, nor we crying
children could stop her going. She was dressed in a short time and tried
to have poor John eat. He could not eat, saying he must go right back to
his dead mother. He left us and all was now commotion. Father and mother
were now both going away into the cold, deep snow and leave us children
with grandpa.
STARTING ON THEIR PERILOUS TRIP.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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