Page:Six months in Kansas.djvu/51

Rh lounges, sick with Typhoid fever. The other bore the marks of recent sickness, from which she considered herself recovering.

The "party" starting with us from Boston had spread away in every direction, except the fine woman with the two boys. Her destination was Topeka, and she had to wait till her husband sent for her. The sun had come out hot—hot as it could be. There was no water that we could relish, even to wash us in; and we were stinted, necessarily, to the smallest possible quantity. I never saw a woman so homesick as this mother of the boys. Her strength was entirely exhausted and she could not rest at all, but broke forth in the most clamorous complaints.

In the kitchen there was a pretty girl from New England, called Phebe, and a stout, good humored ’Susie,’ from Illinois. One acted as waiter; the latter as cook—her business, I think she understood about as well as a freshly caught Laplander would have done. Then, there was Henry, and John, and David, who, each and all, served when there was a "rush" of company, or the water cask was dry. I believe that the first thing which impressed