and by her skill and my nerve she saved my life.
After four weeks I shipped on the Portland for Seattle leaving my men to
go back to the claims and stay till I could return. With the exception
of Lee Wilda he we sent to Seward to a doctor. During the most
excruciating pain I sold my Mine known as the Roving Trapper and
completed my Journey to the States, carrying with me a Dr. and A Trained
Nurse.

After a long and dedious journey we reached Seattle and there I was
confined to a room in the Hospital for four weeks--after which I took
the overland limited for Michigan. One the fourth day of June I landed
in the old town of my Childhood--Fife Lake.

I learned that my Father and mother still lived but had long since sold
the farm and kept a small store in town. Once I could have named every
individual I met--but now as I walked up the hill from the depot I was
an entire stranger--Twenty years makes a great change, Many were my
meditations as I walked over the little marsh where I had so often
passed when a mere child. I entered the old store, the one in which I
spent my babyhood--where Father ran store before he bought the farm An
old lady stooped, and seamed came in to ascertain that which I wanted,
had I have been any other place I could not have gussed who she was, I
told her I wanted a quarters worth of Cigars, I sat down upon the old
chest which I still remembered, and began to smoke, memory was
busy--Could this be my mother, I saw her last twenty years before, her
locks were black as a raven's wing, her eyes like stars in mid-winter,
her form straight agile and graceful--A horrorable thought seized me--I
threw away the cigar and walked over to mother and told her I was her
baby--I took her in my arms--It was a severe shock to mother, she had
long mourned me dead, together we wept, she for joy, but I for the
greatest mistake of my lifetime those twenty long years of prodigality.
No man ever repented more bitterly over his rash and careless actions
than I did that fourth day of june.

Presently my Father came in--he too was old and gray--that step which
had ever been so nimble and elastic was now abated, he did not recognize
me--till he saw mother had been crying then his suspiction was aroused
and I broke down--father took me one his lap; kissed me and welcomed me
home.--Boys I have made a great mistake,--I can never recover the loss
connected with this carelessness by all means never patron my example.

When the