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Footprints of the pioneers in the Ohio Valley
Footprints of the pioneers in the Ohio Valley Author:William Henry Venable Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER SEVENTH. LOG-CABIN LIFE IN THE VALLEY OP THE BEAUTIFUL RIVER. "the Hoosier's Nest." The pioneer's cabin of Indiana, with its furnishings and hap... more »py family, was graphically and amusingly pictured in words by John Finley, in lines entitled " The Hoosier's Nest." THE HOOSIER'S NEST. I'm told, in riding somewhere West, A stranger found a Hoosier's nest, In other words a Buckeye cabin, Just big enough to hold Queen Mab in. Its situation, low, but airy, Was on the borders of a prairie; And fearing he might be benighted, He hailed the house and then alighted. The Hoosier met him at the door, Their salutations soon were o'er. He took the stranger's horse aside, And to a sturdy sapling tied ; Then, having strippad the saddle off, He fed him in a sugar-trough. The stranger stooped to enter in, The entrance closing with a pin ; And manifested btrong desire To sit down by the log-heap fire, Where half a dozen hoosieroons, With mus'i and milk, tin-cupj and spoons, White bread, bare feet, and dirty faces, Seemed much inclined to keep their places; But madam, anxious to display Her rough but undisputed sway, Her offspring to the ladder led, And cuffed the youngsters up to bed. Invited shortly to partake Of venison, milk, and johnny-cake, The stranger made a hearty meal, And glances round the room would steal. One side was lined with divers garments, The other, spread with skins of varmints; Dried pumpkins overhead were strung, Where venison hams in plenty hung; Two rifles placed above the door, Three dogs lay stretched upon the floor— In short, the domicile was rife With specimens of Hoosier life. The host, who center'd his affections On game, and range and quarter sections. Discoursed his weary guest for hours, Till Somuus' all-composing powers, ' Of ...« less