The light of heaven is, as it were, shut out from
us. The snow blows so thick and fast that we can not see twenty feet
looking against the wind. I dread the coming night. Three of my men
only, able to get wood. The rest have given out for the present. It is
still snowing, and very cold. So cold that the few men employed in
cutting the dry trees down, have to come and, warm about every ten
minutes. 'Hungry!' 'Hungry!' is the cry with the children, and nothing
to give them. 'Freezing!' is the cry of the mothers who have nothing for
their little, starving, freezing children. Night closing fast, and with
it the hurricane increases.
"Mar. 7. Thank God day has once more appeared, although darkened by the
storm. Snowing as fast as ever, and the hurricane has never ceased for
ten minutes at a time during one of the most dismal nights I have ever
witnessed. I hope I shall never witness another such in a similar
situation. Of all the praying and crying I ever heard, nothing ever
equaled it. Several times I expected to see the people perish of the
extreme cold. At one time our fire was nearly gone, and had it not been
for McCutchen's exertions it would have entirely disappeared. If the
fire had been lost, two thirds of the camp would have been out of their
misery before morning; but, as God would have it, we soon had it blazing
comfortably, and the sufferings of the people became less for a time.
Pages:
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226