Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-03-31
THE DROvER'S STORY,

Nv name is Anthony Hunt. am
a drovcr. and live miles and miles
away upon the western prairie. There
wasn't a house within sight when we
moved there, and now we havnt many
neighbors, though those we have are
good ones.
went away from home to sell some
fifty head of cattle-fine creatures as
ever YOU saw. l was to buy some
groceries and dry goods before came
back, and above all doll for our
youngest Dolly. She had never had
a store doll of her own, only the rag
babies her mother had made her.
Dolly could talk Of nothing else, and
went down TO the very gate TO call
after mo TO "buy big one" Nobody
but parent can understand how full
my mind was OF that toy, and how,
when the cattle were sold, the first
thing / hurried off to buy was Dolly's
doll. | found a large one, with eyes
that would open and shut when you
pulled wire, and had it wrapped in
paper and tucked it under my arm
while ! had the parcels of calico and
delaine and tea and sugar put up.
Then, late as it was, started for
home. 1t might have been more pru-
dent to stay until morning, but ! felt
anxious to get back, and eager to hear
Dolly's prattle about her toy.
/ was mounted on q steady going
old horse of mine, and pretty well
loaded. Night set in before l was a
mile from town, and settled down
dark as pitch while / was in the mid.
die of the widest bit Of road know Of
] rode on as fast as ] could but of
a sudden ] heard little cry like a
child's voice! | stopped short and
listened-I heard it again. | called
and it answered me. / Icouldn't see
thing; oil was dark as pitch. / got
down and felt about in the grass
called again, and again was answered.
Then | began TO wonder. I'm not a
timid man, but / was known 10 be q
drover and TO have money about me.
1t might be q trap TO catch me una
wares and rob and murder me.
I'm not superstitious-- not very.
But how could a real child be out on
the prairie on such night, at such
an hour. 1t might be more than
human.
The bit ofa coward that hides itself
in most men showed itself to me then,
and / vas half inclined TO run away;
but once more / heard that cry, and
said:
"If any mans child is hereabouts,
Anthony Hunt is not the man TO let
it die"
searched again At last / thought
ofa hollow under the bill, and cropping
that way, sure enough | found little
thing that moaned and sobbed as |
took it in my arms. / couldn't seei it,
but / thanked heaven. / called my
horse, and the beast came to me, and
] mounted, and tucked the little soak.
ed thing under my coat as well as /
could, promising TO take it home to
"mammy" 1t seemed tired to death,
and soon cried itself 10 sleep against
my bosom.
1t had slept there over an hour when
l saw my own windows. There were
lights in them, and ! supposed my
wife had lett them there for my sake,
but when | got into the door-yard |
saw something was the matter, and
stood still with a dead fear ut my
heart for FIVE minutes before / could
lift the latch. At last | did it, and
saw the room full of neighbors, and
my wife amidst them weeping.
When she saw me she hid her face.
"Oh, don't tell him" she said 'it
will kill him."
And one said, "nothing now, l hope;
what's that in your arms 2"
"a poor, lost child" said l. al
found it on the road. Take il, will
you, I've turned faint" and l lifted
up the sleeping thing and saw the face
of my own child, my little Dolly.
1t was my darling and none other,
that | had picked up upon the rain
'drenched road.
Ny little child had wondered out to
meet daddy" and the doll, while her
mother was at work, and whom they
were lamenting as one dead. thank
ed heaven on my knees before them all.
1t is not much Of a story, my friends,
but | think of it often in my nights,
and wonder how / could bear to live
now if ! had not stopped when heard
the cry for help upon the road, the
little baby cry, hardly louder than
squirrels chirp.
That's Dolly yonder with her mother
in the meadow, girl worth saving
/ think (but then I'm her father, and
may be partial,) the prettiest and
sweetest thing this side of the Missis-
sippi,