The Black Creek Stopping-House And Other Stories - nuovo libro

To the Pioneer Women of the West, who made life tolerable, and even comfortable, for the others of us who fed the hungry, advised the erring, nursed the sick, cheered the dying, comforted the sorrowing, and performed the last sad rites for the dead The beloved Pioneer Women, old before their time with hard work, privations, and doing without things, yet in whose hearts there was always burning the hope of better things to come The godly Pioneer Women, who kept alive the con- science of the neighborhood, and preserved for us the best traditions of the race To these noble Women of the early days, some of whom we see no more, for they have entered into their inheritance, this book is respectfully dedicated by their humble admirer, The Author. Let me live in a house by the side of the road, and be a friend of man. CONTENTS THE BLACK CREEK STOPPING-HOUSE CHAPTER PAGE I. The Old Trail - 9 II. The House of Bread 15 III. The Sailors Rest 24 IV. Farm Pupils 30 V. The Prairie Club-House 37 VI. The Counter-irritant VII. Ladies Day at the Stopping-House - 48 VIII. Shadows of the Night IX. His Evil Genius X. Das Turn 79 XI. The Blizzard XII. When the Day Broke 103 THE RUNAWAY GRANDMOTHER THE RETURN TICKET THE UNGRATEFUL PIGEONS You NEVER CAN TELL - 44 61 71 89 113 131 145 159 A SHORT TALE OF A RABBIT - 179 THE ELUSIVE VOTE 187 THE WAY OF THE WEST - - 209 THE BLACK CREEK STOPPING HOUSE The Black Creek Stopping- House CHAPTER I. THE OLD TRAIL. WHEN John Corbett strolled leisurely into the Salvation Army meeting in old Victoria Hall in Winnipeg that night, so many years ago now, there may have been some who thought he came to disturb the meeting. There did not seem to be any atmospheric reason why Mr.Corbett or anyone else should be abroad, for it was a drizzling cold November night, and the streets were muddy, as only Winnipeg streets in the old days could be none of your light-minded, fickle-hearted, changeable mud that is mud to-day and dust to-morrow, but the genuine, original, brush-defying, soap-andwater-proof, north star, burr mud, blacker than lampblack, stickier than glue Mr. Corbett did not come to disturb the meet- ing. His reason for attending lay in a perfectly legitimate desire to see for himself what it was all about, he being happily possessed of an open mind. Mr. Corbett would do anything once, and if he liked it he would do it again. In the case of the Salvation Army meeting, he liked it. He liked the music, and the good fellowship, and the swing and the zip of it all. More still, he liked the blue-eyed Irish girl who sold War Crys at the door. When he went in he bought one when he came out he bought all she had left. The next night Mr. Corbett was again at the meeting. On his way in he bought all the War Crys the blue-eyed Irish girl had. Every minute he liked her better, and when the meeting was over and an invitation was given to the anxious ones to tarry awhile, Mr. Corbett tarried. When the other cases had been dismissed Mr. Corbett had a long talk with the captain in charge. Mr. Corbett was a gentleman of private means, though he was accustomed to explain his manner of making a livelihood, when questioned by magistrates and other interested persons, by saying he was employed in a livery stable. When further pressed by these insatiably curious people as to what his duties in the livery stable were, he always described his position as that of chamber maid. Herethe magistrates and other questioners thought that Mr. Corbett was disposed to be facetious, but he was perfectly 10 THE OLD TRAIL sincere, and he had described his work more accurately than they gave him credit for...