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.
Hope began to animate the bosoms of many, young and old, when the
cheering blaze rose through the dry pine logs we had piled together.
One would say, 'Thank God for the fire!' Another, 'How good it is!' The
poor, little, half-starved, half-frozen children would say, 'I'm glad,
I'm glad we have got some fire! Oh, how good it feels! It is good our
fire didn't go out!' At times the storm would burst forth with such fury
that I felt alarmed for the safety of the people on account of the tall
timber that surrounded us."

Death entered the camp on the first night. He came to claim one who was
a true, faithful mother. One who merits greater praise than language can
convey. Though comparatively little has been told concerning her life
by the survivors, doubt not that Mrs. Elizabeth Graves was one of
the noblest of the mothers of the Donner Party. Her charity is kindly
remembered by all who have spoken her name. To her companions in
misfortune she always gave such food as she possessed; for her children
she now gave her life. The last morsels of food, the last grain of
flour, she had placed in the mouths of her babes, though she was dying
of starvation.

Mrs. Farnham, who talked personally with Mrs. Breen, gives the following
description of that terrible night:

"Mrs. Breen told me that she had her husband and five children together,
lying with their feet to the fire,