The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1869-09-02
Finding n Baby.

hIh urOEcTj anu i've miles ana
miles away upon the western
prairie. There wasn't q house in
sight when wo moved there, my
wife and l, and now We havn't ma. +.
ny neighbors, though those we
have are good ones.
One day, about ten years ago,
went away from home to sell
some fifty head Of cattle-fine
creatures as ever I saw. was to
buy some groceries and dry goods
before | came back, and, above all,
doll for our youngest, Dolly
She had never a store doll of her
own, only the rag babies her moth.
er had made her.
Dolly could talk of nothing else,
and went down to tie very gate to
call after me TO "buy her a good
one" -Nobody"but a parent could
understand how full my mind was
of that toy, aad how, when the cat.
tie were sold, the first thing | bur.
ried off to buy was Doly's doll. /
tound a large one, with eyes that
would open and shut when you
pulled wire and had il wrapped
in paper and tucked it under my
arm while ] had the parcels of cal.
leo and delaines and tea and sugar
put up. Then, late as it was, |
started for home. 1t might have
been more prudent to stay until
morning, but l felt anxious TO get
back and eager to hear Dolly's
prattle about her toy.
was on a steady goirg old
horse of mine, and pretty well
loaded. Night set in before l was
milo away from town, while |
was in the middle of the widest
bit Of road | knew of. l could
have felt my way through, 1 re.
membered it so well, and it was
almost that when the storm that
had been brewing broke, and pelt.
cd the rain in torrents, five miles,
or may be six from home yet, too
l rode as fast as / could, but all
Of sudden l heard a little cry
like o child's voice. / stopped
short and listened; l heard it
again. l called and it answered
me. / couldn't see a thing; all
was dark as pitch. | got down
and felt about the grass-called
again, and was answered. Then |
began TO wonder. | am not timid,
but was known 10 be a drover,
and to have money about me. 1t
might be n trap to catch me una.
wares and rob and murder me.
I'm not superstitions-not very.
But how could o real child be out
on the prairie in such night and
at such an hour2 Itmight bo more
than human. The bit of a coward
that hides itself in most men: show
ed itself in me then, and l was
half inclined to run away, but once
more l heard that cry, and l said:
"If any mans child is hcrcabouts,
Anthony Hunt is not the man to
let it die"
/ searched again. At last l be-
thought me of hollow under the
hill, and cropping that way, sure
enough, / found little dripping
thing that moaned and sobbed as
| took it in my arms. l called up
my horse and the beast came TO
me. and | mounted and tucked the
little soaked thing under my coat
as well as | could, promising to
take it home to mamma. 1t seem.
ed tired to death, and pretty soon
cried itself to sleep against my bo
som. 1t had not slept moro than
an hour when saw my own win.
dows. There were lights in them,
and | supposed my wife had lit
them for my sake; but when l got
into the door yard l saw some.
thing was the matter, and stood
still with dread fear for five min.
ntes before | could lift the LATCH
AT last l did it, and saw my room
full of neighbors, and my wife
amidst them weeping. When she
saw me sho hid her face. "Oh,
don't tell him." she cried, ait will
kill him"
What is it, neighbors?" I ask.
ed.
And one said; "Nothing now. !
hope-what's that in your arms?"
"A poor, lost child, said l, "that
| found in the road. Take it, will
you? l feel faint" 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 on the
drenched road,
My little child had wandered
out to meet daddy" and the doll,
while her mother was at work, and
whom they were lamcnting as one
dead. l thanked heaven on my
knees before them all. 1t is not
much of u story, neighbors, but l
think of it often in tho night, and
wonder how l could bear to live
now if had not stopped when l
heard the cry for help upon the
road, tho little baby cry, hardly
louder than squirrels chirp.
An Ethiopian Samson.
A colorcd deck hand gave an ex.
hibition of his strength the other
day in Detroit. Several men were
putting forth their united efforts to