The Sagebrusher

A Story of the West

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Pages: 195

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About this book

In a neglected log cabin in the Two-Forks Valley, Sim Gage listens while his neighbor Wid Gardner criticizes his housekeeping. The bedding lies on the floor, dishes need washing, and the owner's plans for a profitable hay crop sound better than his daily efforts. Emerson Hough begins this Western novel with the talk of two men who know both the appeal of the country and the weariness of living alone.

A later scene turns attention to Mary Warren, who is blind and seriously ill. Sim fears losing her, while Doctor Barnes insists that her welfare comes first. Karen Jensen cleans the cabin and agrees to remain and care for Mary. These scenes give readers a story in which frontier life includes housework, illness and dependence on neighbors. The characters' regional speech carries the humor of their exchanges as well as the anxiety behind decisions about another person's future.

About the author

Emerson Hough

Emerson Hough (1857-1923) was an American novelist and journalist, born in Newton, Iowa. He studied law and was admitted to the bar, but gave up practice for writing, and in 1889 became western editor of Forest and Stream.