With us children at home we too had our troubles. I cried all night with
earache and poor old grandpa had his hands full to take care of us all.
He was up all night, and he worried about father and mother. He was sure
they were frozen to death or eaten up by the wolves. And to make it
still harder for him brother Toney went out alone up the river to find
the rabbit traps he had set and lost his way home. When he did not come
back at dinner time grandpa was almost crazy, but would not let brother
Lewis go to look for him, fearing he too would be lost. He left us two
little ones with Lewis while he ran down to the river and called to the
men at work in the mill. At first he could not make them hear him. He
swung his arms and ran up and down, and at last they saw him and two men
came over on a raft, our boat, the only one there, being on our side of
the river. They thought something terrible must have happened to
grandpa. In his imperfect English he could not make them understand.
They came to the house and Lewis made them understand Toney was lost in
the woods and told them where father and mother had gone. We were all
crying, as we two younger ones only wanted papa and mamma. I remember
seeing the men run to the boat, cross the river, and soon come back with
all the men, Mr. Frankle, with the rest, all starting to the woods.
Lewis was gathering up limbs of trees and brush wood to make a big fire
at night to guide the men home. Grandpa cried and wrung his hands,
praying and crossing himself continually. We two little ones were
frightened, not knowing just what had happened. We had our playthings
and sat in our corner behind the stove crying to ourselves. The men had
taken the two young dogs with them. After awhile Mr. Frankle came back
and talked with grandpa, then he took Bob away with him. Then we began
to cry so hard, seeing Bob going off. He heard us and ran back to us
children, licking our faces and hands. They put a rope on Bob's neck and
led him away. Grandpa did all he could to comfort us, made the tops spin
and rocked my dolly to sleep in her cradle, and ever so many things to
please us, but we would not be comforted. Our Bob was gone, and we
wanted him to come back. At last Lewis came in telling us Bob was coming
soon with brother Toney. Charley understood and was quiet. I was put
into my cradle, where grandpa rocked me to sleep, singing to me one of
his French songs I loved so well to hear.
I have a confused memory of hearing dogs barking and of being carried to
the window and seeing a big fire shining far out over the snow and river
and the men coming in all covered with snow, and dear old Bob bounding
to greet me and kissing my face; then I remembered no more. But when I
was older mother told me all about the hunting and finding of brother
Anthony.