The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-05-12
{ NUMBER 46.
Dolly
A WESTERN DRovER's STORY.

My name is Anthony Hunt. I am d
drover, and live miles away, upon the
; Western prairie. There wasn't a home in
sight twhrn he moved there-my wife and
land now we haven't many neighbors,
though those we have are good ones.
One day, about ten years aso. I went
away from home to sell some fifty head Of
cattle--iGne creatures rs J. ever saw. 1
was to buy some dry goods and groceries
before i came back. and. above all doll
for our youngest, Dolly. She had never
fllada store doll of her own--only the rag
babies her mother made her. - ~
Dolly could talk of rothing else, and
went down to the very gate to call after me
to "buy a big one." Nobody but parcnt
can understand how full my mind was OF
that, toy, and how. when the cattle were
sold, the first thing, l hurried off to bay
Dollys doll. l found large one, with
eyes that would open and shut when yon
pulled o wire, and had it wrapped up in
paper, and tucked it under my arm, wllileI
had the parcels OF calico, and deIaine, and
tea and sugar put up. Then, late as it was,
l'started for home. II might have been
more prudent to stay until morning, but /
felt anxious to get back, and eager to hear
Dollys prattle about her doll. ba
i was mounted on a steady,gcsnx old
horse of mine, and pretty well loaded
Night set 10 before l was milo from town
and settled down dark ns pitch while was
lin the middle of the darkest bit of road I
know of. l could have felt. my way,
though, l remembered it SO well. and 1t was
almost that when the storm that had been
brewing, broke, and pelted the rain in tor
rents, five miles, or may be, six, from home
yet, t0o.su Dirt seyiG ftil Sa8agsH Ef,if
Il rode on as EAST as Icould, but OF sud.
den,I heard q little;ery Ike child's soice.
stopped short and listened--I heard 10
again. called and it answered.. / couldn't
see a thing ; oil was ozark as pitch. I got
down and felt about in the grass-calied
again, and again, was answered Then I
began to wonder. I'm not timid. but 4
was known to be drover and to have
money ahou. me. 1t might be trap TO
catch me unawares, and rob and murder
me. Ft rt -. rs--r.a
! am not superstitious--not very. but
how could a real child be ont on the prai.
ieiin such night, at such IN honrf Il
might be more than human. sss,lts D..x
The bit of coward tlat hides itself i'll
most men showed Itself to ME then, and, i
was half inclined to run away, but once
more heard that cry. and said +: ',,
2"If any mans child is hereabouts, AM
thony Hunts is not the man to. let it die:'
I searched again. AT last bethonght
me ola hollow under The hin. and grouped
tina. way. Sure enough. 1 found d littls
grouping thing that moaned and soSbed as
| took it in My arms, I cali my horse;
and the beast came to me. and mounted;
and tucked the little soaked thing under
my coat as well as I could, promising to
take it home to nanny. II seemed. tired
to death, and pretty soon cried itself t3
sleep against mr. bosom. .isa9 70 'ioi'
1t had slept there over an hour when
saw my own windows. There wera lights
in them. and supposed my wife had lit
them for my sake, but when I got into tho
door-yard l saw something. was the matter,
i
and stood still with q dread fear Of hedft
five minutes, before | could lift the latch.
At last I did it,, and saw the room .fail Of
neighBors. and my wife amidst therh weep
/ ins.Hg sssSs la2d 81 .s li baa
| When enc saw me, she hid her lace
"0h, don't tell him." she cried 1t will
kill him., as.H 10 q7taH4iaf3 s.aJ
"Wbat is it, neishbors?" I cried. ~
And one said, "Notting now, j hope
what's that in your arms ?"iaf - p afes
"a poor, lost child" said 1. II found
it on the road. Take it, viii you, I'ye
turned faint" and lifted the sleeping
thing, and saw the face Of my own child,
my own Dolly. H 8iH
1t was my darling, that 1 lad picked up
upon the drencbed road. a
My little child had wandered out to
meet daddy" and the doll, while her /,
mother was at work, and whom they were
lamepting as one dead. thanked Heaven
on my knees before them all. 1t is not
much Of . story, ne,ghbors, but think u
toften in the nights, and wonder how r
could bear to live now if i had stopped
when | heard the cry for help on tho roSJ.
the little baby cry, hardly louder than a
]. squirrels chitp. - - 1'iaa
That's Dolly yonder with her mother in
the meawow, girl worth saving / think
lbut then, I'm her father, and par.;a) may
bel the prettiest and sweetes. thing .his,
side ofItie Mississippi. IL. -
4 sDHJPPED tT.iE NEGRO Rcecher. 10 Ria
! speeci'flas.s Monday night. before the Free
Trade League, as reported by the Herald,