When the West Was Young (1914)
Ned Halton and his young bride, Nellie, depart from the east in a prairie schooner to seek a home in the western wilds. They traverse the plains until they arrive at a spot which seems to them suitable for the making of a permanent home. Ned builds a comfortable cabin, and in due time a baby enlivens the monotony of their existence. A neighboring tribe of Indians are most friendly to the young settler and his wife, and bring a host of barbaric gifts which to them represent the height of amity. Then one day comes the shock. The doctor is called from the nearest village many miles away, but he is too late. The gentle little spirit fades away until the spark of life goes out. Ned comforts his young wife as best he can, but the sorrow of a bereaved mother is not something to lightly pass away. Ned receives a summons to go to the settlement and complete the formalities in connection with his title to their home. In the absence of Ned, Nellie becomes disconsolate. She sits by the empty cradle and dreams of the little one gone beyond. In her spirit of desolation, she again visits the tiny grave where she has a vision of the Savior holding her little babe in his arms and comforting her with the assurance which rests in the kindly words: "Suffer little children to come unto me, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven." Her faith in the spiritual life is reassured and her spirit of depression is dispelled in the belief that her baby is at rest and that she will see him in the next world. On his return from the settlement, Ned Halton becomes a participant in a frightful tragedy. An itinerant bootlegger has supplied a band of Indians with whiskey, which they drink with the usual consequence. A young immigrant and his wife and tiny baby are attacked by the Indians. Despite the heroic defense on the part of both the man and woman, they are killed, while the little baby lies quietly sleeping and unhurt beneath the overturned wagon. Ned Halton arrives in time to see the conclusion of the tragedy and to drive away the drunken redskins. He discovers the orphaned baby and carries it home. On the way, his horse, which has been wounded in the fight with the Indians, falls, and when Ned reaches his cabin door, he falls exhausted on the threshold. Nellie has been sitting by the empty cradle dreaming of the little one snatched from her arms by death. When she hears the stumbling footsteps of her husband, she springs to the door and finds him lying there almost unconscious from fatigue. She hastens to revive him, all eagerness and love and thoughtfulness for his comfort, and it is not until he has become refreshed that her attention is attracted to the tiny bundle, which he clasps tenderly in his arms. In all the struggles which he had undergone in his dazed condition, he had unconsciously kept the tiny baby from injury and harm. The joy of Nellie when she discovers what the bundle contains is unbounded, and she clasps the little one in her arms, and clutches it tenderly to her breast. To the two who stand there caressing the tiny baby, appears once more that vision of the gentle Savior, together with the spirit of the murdered mother.
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Domestic
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International
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Worldwide
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GenresAdventure
Short
Western
IMDbPro
See more details at IMDbPro
| Filmmakers | Role |
|---|---|
| Colin Campbell | Director |
| Cyrus Townsend Brady | Writer |
| William Nicholas Selig | Producer |
| Cast | Role |
|---|---|
| Wheeler Oakman | |
| Bessie Eyton | |
| Jack McDonald | |
| Gertrude Ryan |
