abated, and the party halted, while father with Mr.
McCutchen and Mr. Miller went on ahead to send back aid for those who
were exhausted from the terrible journeying. Hiram Miller carried
Tommy, while Patty started bravely to walk, but soon she sank on the
snow and seemed to be dying. All gathered around in frantic efforts to
revive the child, and luckily father found some crumbs in the thumb
of his woolen mitten which he warmed and moistened between his own
lips, and fed Patty. Slowly she came to life again, and was carried
along by different ones in the company, so that by the time the party
reached Woodworth's Camp she was quite herself again, and as she sat
cozily before a big camp-fire she fondled and talked to a tiny doll
which had traveled with her all the way from Springfield and which was
her chosen confidante.

"As soon as father's party reached Woodworth's Camp a third relief
party started back to help those who were slowly following, and still
another party went on to Donner Lake to the relief of those who were
still living. But many of that emigrant band lie sleeping to-day on
the shore of that quiet mountain lake, for out of the eighty-three
persons who were snowed in there, forty-two died, and of the
thirty-one emigrants who left Springfield on that lovely April morning
of 1846, only eighteen lived to reach California. Among them were our
family, who, despite the terrible hardships and hideous privations we
had suffered, yet seemed to have been especially watched over by a
kind Providence, for we all lived to reach our goal, and were the only
family who were not obliged at some part of the journey to subsist on
human flesh to keep from perishing. God was good to our family, and I,
Virginia, testify to the heroic qualities which were developed in even
the youngest of us, and for my own part, I gratefully recognize the
blessings which came to me from an unqualified faith in God and an
unfaltering trust that He would take care of us--which He did.

"Mother, Jimmy and I reached California and were taken at once to the
home of the mayor, Mr. Sinclair, where we were given a warm welcome
and where nothing was left undone for our comfort. But we were still
too anxious to be happy, for we knew that father's party had been
caught in the storm." Virginia says: "I can see mother now as she
stood leaning against the door for hours at a time, looking at the
mountains. At last--oh wonderful day--they came, father, Pat