The Allis Family; or, Scenes of Western Life

American Sunday School Union

Description

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Allis Family; or, Scenes of Western Life by American Sunday School UnionCopyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the copyright laws for your country before downloadingor redistributing this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook.This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do notchange or edit the header without written permission.Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of thisfile. Included is important information about your specific rights and restrictions in how the file may be used. You can alsofind out about how to make a donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved.**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts****eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971*******These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!*****Title: The Allis Family; or, Scenes of Western LifeAuthor: American Sunday School UnionRelease Date: May, 2005 [EBook #8083] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first postedon June 13, 2003]Edition: 10Language: English*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ALLIS FAMILY ***Produced by Ted Garvin, Erik Bent, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.THE ALLIS FAMILY;OR,SCENES OF WESTERN LIFE* * * * *Entered according to Act of Congress, in the ...

Informations

• Publié par: nosog
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 40
• Langue: English

Extrait

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Allis Family; or, Scenes of Western Life by American Sunday School Union s C u o r p e y  t ri o g  c ht h  l e a c w k  s t   h a e r   e c   o c p h y a r n ig gi h n t  g l   a a w ll  s o  f v o e r r     y t o h u e  r  w c o o r u ld n . t   r B y e before downloading or redistributing this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. v T i h e i w s  in h g e   a t d hi e s r     P s r h o o je ul c d t     b G e u   t t e h n e  b fi e r r s g t    t fi h l i e n .  g P   l s e e a e s n e     w d h o  e n n ot remove it. Do not change or edit the header without written permission. Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is important information about your specific rights and restrictions in how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. **Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** **eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** *****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** Title: The Allis Family; or, Scenes of Western Life

Author: American Sunday School Union Release Date: May, 2005 [EBook #8083] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on June 13, 2003] Edition: 10 Language: English * E ** B   O ST O A K  R T T  H O E  F A  T LL H I E S     P F R A O M J IL E Y C  * T *   * GUTENBERG Produced by Ted Garvin, Erik Bent, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading .maeT

THE ALLIS FAMILY; ,RO SCENES OF WESTERN LIFE * * * * * 1 E 8 nt 5 e 8 r   e b d y    t a h c e c   o A rd M in E g R   I to C   A A N ct     S of U   N C D on A g Y r - e S s C s, H  in O  t O h L e year t U h N e I  E O a N s , t  i e n r   n t   h D e i   s C tr l i e c r t k   ' o s f     O P f e fi n c n e s   y o l f v  t a h n e i   a. District Court of * * * * * No books are published by the AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION without the sanction of the Committee of Publication, consisting of fourteen members, from the following denominations of Christians, viz.: Baptist, Methodist, Congregational, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Lutheran, and, Reformed Dutch. Not more than three of the members can be of the same denomination, and no book can be published to which any member of the Committee shall object.

* * * * * THE ALLIS FAMILY. Mr. and Mrs. Allis lived away out West, on a broad prairie, where Mr. Allis was busily engaged in "making a farm." Perhaps some of my young readers, who have always been accustomed to see farms already "made," will not understand what I mean by "making a farm;" and I will try to tell them. First of all, let them try to fancy a large meadow, either perfectly flat or a little uneven, as large, perhaps, as can be measured with the eye, and sometimes without a single tree, or scarcely a clump of bushes. There will be no fences in sight, and sometimes no streams of water, but the surface of the ground is covered with high, coarse grass. This is what Western people call a "prairie." In order to "make a farm," this ground must be ploughed, or, as Western people say, "broken up." Some of the children would smile, I think, if they were to see a regular "breaking team" before a "breaking plough." This plough is quite unlike that which is used in the older States, and it takes five, six, and sometimes as many as eight yoke of oxen to draw it. This ploughing is usually done in June. After ploughing, the ground must be enclosed, and then it is ready for the seed.

Some people make curious mistakes when they undertake to make a new farm. Mr. Allis was one of these persons. He arrived at the little town of B ——, with his family, late in the fall, and immediately set about looking for a location. Several miles from B—— he found a place that seemed to suit him. The soil was rich, and apparently inexhaustible; but it was poorly watered, and destitute of any timber suitable for building or fencing, and there was very little which was fit for fuel. The great thing he thought of was a large .mraf After a while he found out his mistake, but it was too late for him to help it, for his money was nearly all expended for land. But Mr. Allis was a resolute man, and he immediately set himself to work to do the best he could. It was a long walk to the grove where he went every day to cut down trees for his cabin, and to split rails for his fence, and a whole day's work to go twice with his oxen to draw the logs and rails to his farm. But he rose early, and was ready to begin his work with the dawn. On rainy and stormy days, when he could not be out, he was at work in a shop near his house, making doors and window-frames, and cupboards, and other things for his new house. Early in the spring the cabin was reared, and soon all was in readiness for the removal of the family, which consisted of Mrs. Allis, Mary, a distant relative whose home was with her, and two little twin-daughters, Annie and Susie, who were about five years old at this time. These little girls loved

each other very much, and usually played very t p h le at a , s  l a ik n e tl   y o   t t h o e g r e   t c h h e il r d . r   e B n u , t     t it h   e w y a   s h   a s d o  t m h e e t i i r  m lit e tl s e  the case troubles, and were selfish, and of course unhappy. One day Mrs. Allis was very sick, and she called the little girls to her, and told them they might go up-stairs and play, but they must try to be very good girls, and very quiet, for she could not bear the noise of their voices. The little girls loved their mother very dearly, and were very sorry that she was so sick. So they promised to be good children, and then away they skipped up-stairs on tip-toe, that they might not disturb their mother. At first there was the patter of light feet and a subdued murmur of voices, but after a while scarcely a sound could be heard. Thus passed two hours, or more, and at last Mrs. Allis sent Mary to see what they were about. Mary reported that they were playing very pleasantly together, and seemed very happy. "But what can they be doing, Mary?" "Oh, they have a whole regiment of ragbabies, besides the kittens, for scholars. Susie says they are playing school." e At a   t l e a n s   t t  i h t  e w ir  a s s  u t p e p a e -t r i ,  m th e, e   ir a   n m d, o   t w h h er e   n c   a t l h le e  d  g t ir h l e s  m h   a t d o her. "Oh, mother! mother! we have had such a nice time."

" o S r  o y f o tl u y   ,  w s il o l  ft m ly a ,  k c e h   i y ld o r u e r  n, m "  o s t a h i e d r     M si r c .  k  A a lli g s a ; i  " n. b " e careful, "Are you better now, mother?" said little Susie, going softly towards her bed. t "Y w e o  s l , it   tl m e y     g d ir e ls a   r h  c av hi e l   d h ,  e I l   p a e m d    t m o u   c m h a   k b e e   tt m er e ,     s a o n ." d you "We, mother?" said Susie, while her black eyes s m p a a k r e k   le y d o   u a   t b  t e h tt e e   r t , h   o w u h g e h n t   .  w "I e     w h o a n v d e  e b r  e h e o n w     al w l t e  h c e o   u w l h d ile at play up-stairs." " d I i   d c n a 't n     m gu a e k s e  s  a h n o y  w n ," o   i s s a e i :  d  d A o n n' n t  ie y . o  " u, M   o m t o h t e h r  er m ? e " ans we t " h N a o t t ;     j b u u s t t     f t i h rs a t t   , t   e o l r l   r m at e h   e w r h   a a t     g y o o o u d     p d la e y a e l  d m  u o p r - e s  t t h ai a r n s." "Oh, it was so pleasant: wasn't it? Why, mother, don't you think, we played school; and first I let Susie be teacher, and then she let me; and we played I was a little girl come to school, and by- and-by, when we got tired of that, we got out the dolls, Bessie and Jessie, and the pussy, and then we made three more little girls out of our sun- bonnets and Susie's pink apron, and then we both played teacher, like Miss Jackson and Miss Williams in the academy where we used to live, you know." "Oh, yes, mother," interrupted Susie; "and, don't you think, sometimes Annie would pull pussy's tail and make her say 'Mew,' and we made believe that

one of the little girls cried to go to her mother." " b Y el e i s e , v "  e s  s ai h d e     A w n a n s i   e n ,  a " u a g n h d t   y a , f   t a e n r  d a     s w e h n i t l   e h   e w r e     h m o a m d e e ." "Very well, my dear; I see you have had a very pleasant time,—much more pleasant than if you had been cross and unkind to each other, or had made a noise to disturb me. I see you have loved one another, and this is what has made you so happy this afternoon. Tell me, now, which you had rather be, teacher or scholar, when you play school." "Oh! a teacher, a great deal, mother," said Annie. "Then why did you not be teacher all the time, and let Susie be the scholar?" "That wouldn't be right. Susie likes to be teacher as well as I," replied Annie, timidly. t " o B   u h t a  d v o e  n b 't e  y e o n  u t  t e h a i c n h k  e y r  o a u ll    t w h o e u   l t d i   m h e a , v  A e  n b n e ie e ? n "  happier "I did want to be at first, but then I thought Susie would like it too; and, after all, it was just as pleasant." "I presume it was, my dear, and much more p D l o e   a y s o a u n   t k ;  n n o o w     p w e h rs at o   n it    i c s a  t n o     b b e e     h s a e p lf p is y  h, w   h m o y  i  l s i   tt s l e e lfish. Susie?"

"Yes, mother; you told Annie and I one day that it was selfish to want every thing just to please ourselves." "Do you love to run about the room, and laugh and play?" "Oh, yes; you know we do, mother." "Would you not rather have stayed down-stairs to play to-day?" "Oh, yes," said Annie; "only——" "Only what, my dear?" "Annie means that you were sick, and didn't want us to make a noise; and, really, we did try to play just as still as we possibly could." "Why did you take so much pains to be quiet?" "You told us to be still, didn't you, mother?" "I did; but were you afraid I would punish you if you made a noise, Susie?" "Oh, no, indeed; but we did not want to make you sick," said Susie, clinging to her mother, and looking into her face with her loving eyes. "Then you love your mother, do you, girls?" "Indeed we do," said the children, in one breath. "Well, supposing your mother had been well, and

some poor sick woman, whom you had never seen before, lay here sick in my bed: would it have been more pleasant then for you to be very still, so as not to disturb her?" The girls hesitated a moment, and then Annie said, — t "I o     th m in a k k   e it     a w n o y u b l o d, d   y m  s o u t f h f e e r r ; ,     f I  o h r  a it v   e w   o h u e l a d r   d b   e y   o v u e   r s y  a c y r . u " el "Then you could love a poor stranger enough to deny yourself some of your own pleasures for her sake; and you think it would make you happier to do so, do you?" "Oh, yes, I am sure we should be happier," said little Susie. "Well, my dear children, I cannot talk any longer now, but I want you to repeat this little verse after me until you can remember it:—              "   L   o T v h e e     i h s  a t p h p e  y  g s o o ld u e ls n     a c b h o a v in e   ; that binds                   A  H n i d s     h b e o 's s   o a m n    h gl e o ir w     of w   it h h e   a lo v v e e n .   " that finds * * * * * THE PRAIRIE FIRE.