KANSAS HOMES. 
49 
ing most fearful of a fall, I clambered down, and was paid for all 
my trouble, all my labor in working upon roots I could not re¬ 
move, in the realization of the fact that one of our garden favor¬ 
ites, the graceful spiderwort, grows wild here. 
The house is full of company this evening, and, with the open 
partitions, there is no quiet anywhere. Dr. 0., a practising phy¬ 
sician here, who came from Georgia recently, and his brother-in- 
law, just arrived, are the last who call. They are very gentle¬ 
manly men, of northern birth, education and intelligence, with 
southern ease of manner. Yery many of this class of people 
are looking to Kansas for a home — a home free from the curse, 
the blighting mildew of slavery, with genial climate, and the 
intercourse of enlightened, refined people surrounded by the insti¬ 
tutions of free labor. 
9 th. — Our stove smoked terribly. We moved it from the west to 
the south window before noon, and, as the wind changed before night, 
returned it to its old place. Mr. G. dug up for us some of the 
straw-colored flowers, which must be a variety of evening primrose. 
KM. — Doctor went to Topeka. We moved the dressing bureau 
up stairs, which until now has served us for a cupboard. We 
cut prairie hay, and put down carpet in front room. A young 
lady, who came to the territory in the autumn, called. She has 
enjoyed life here very much. Our new book-case was brought up at 
evening. It is of black walnut, of Kansas manufacture, and very 
pretty. E. and I spent the whole evening arranging books. 
11 th. — We hung pictures and engravings on the unfinished 
walls, and the parlor really begins to have a pleasant look. Doctor 
came home. He says we have something new every time he goes 
away, and he proposed to stay altogether, that we may get all 
things in order. The truth is, when he is at home, the house is 
at all hours full of company, and we are busily employed in look¬ 
ing after their physical wants. There is seldom a meal that 
we have only our own family of five, and, more often than other¬ 
wise, the strangers number more than we. 
12 th .—A most curious fish was sent in from Topeka to-day. 
It has a long, projecting, sword-shaped upper jaw, and no lower 
jaw, — the mouth being an opening in the under side of the upper 
5 
