“This don’t belong to any one man, my dear,” replied her mother, smiling; “it is one of God’s gardens. He planted all these flowers, and made them grow without anybody’s help. All these are wild flowers.”
“O,” exclaimed the child, “how good he is!–isn’t he, mother? Has God such a garden where our new home is?”
“I expect he has,” she answered; “for out here, my child, it’s almost all garden. You might ride thousands of miles, and not see a stone, or any sand–nothing but the green grass and the sweet blooming flowers.”
“O,” cried Blue-eye, clapping her hands, 123 “I’m so glad we’ve come west!–aren’t you, mother?”
The passengers were delighted with the prattle of the dear girl, and the matronly lady who had her in charge could not forbear giving her a kiss, and said,–
“I hope you will meet with nothing more unpleasant than prairie flowers.”
But just then the child’s bright eyes caught sight of a settler pursuing his lonely way with his gun on his shoulder, his tall figure standing in bold relief against the sky, although he was several miles in the distance, and she asked,–
“Mamma, is that a wild man?” And, later, seeing a cow grazing, she inquired, “Is that a wild cow?”
The next night, about sundown, Mr. Sawyer deposited the missionary’s family at Mr. Lincoln’s snug western cottage.
“Well,” said Mrs. Lincoln, laughing, as she took her guest’s things, “you’ve stolen a march on your husband this time.”