The Expedition of the Donner Party and its Tragic FateHoughton, Eliza Poor Donner
History
The Expedition of the Donner Party and its Tragic Fate
Houghton, Eliza Poor Donner
Donner Party; Overland journeys to the Pacific
He was then a handsome, rugged fellow, and particularly proud of the
shape of his nose. Frequently had he twitted my sensitive sister about
her little nose, and had once made her very angry in the presence of
others, by offering to tell her a story, then continuing: "God and the
devil take turns in shaping noses. Now, look at mine, large and finely
shaped. This is God's work; but when yours was growing, it was the
devil's turn, and he shaped that little dab on your face and called it
a nose."
Georgia fled, and cried in anger over this indignity, declaring that
she hated Castle and would not be sorry if something should happen to
spoil his fine nose. So when he came to us from the sick-room, soured
and crestfallen because disease had deeply pitted and seamed that
feature which had formerly been his pride, she laughingly whispered,
"Well, I don't care, my nose could never look like his, even if I had
the smallpox, for there is not so much of it to spoil."
Our dislike of the man became intense; and later, when we discovered
that he was to be bartender at grandpa's bar, and board at our house,
we held an indignation meeting in the back yard. This was more
satisfaction to Georgia than to me, for she had the pleasure of
declaring that if grandma took that man to board, she would be a
Schweitzer child no longer, she would stop speaking German, make her
clothes like American children's; and that she knew her friend Mrs.
Bergwald would give her a home, if grandma should send her away.
Here the meeting was suddenly interrupted by the discovery that grandma
was standing behind us. We did not know how long she had been there nor
how much she had overheard, nor which she meant to strike with the
switch she had in her hand. However, we were sitting close together and
my left arm felt the sting, and it aroused in me the spirit of
rebellion. I felt that I had outgrown such correction, nor had I
deserved it; and I told her that she should never, never strike me
again. Then I walked to the house alone.
A few moments later Georgia came up to our room, and found me dressing
myself with greatest care. In amazement she asked, "Eliza, where are
you going?" and was dumbfounded when I answered, "To find another home
for us."
In the lower hall I encountered grandma, whose anger had cooled, and
she asked the question Georgia had. I raised my sleeve, showed the welt
on my arm, and replied, "I am going to see if I can't find a home where
they will treat me kindly."
Poor grandma was conscience-stricken, drew me into her own room, and
did not let me leave it until after she had soothed my hurts and we had
become friends again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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