St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1869-05-21
The DrOrel.'s Story.

10 L lCu l1ttIllV- Gan 90 NiS
yer, and l live miles and miles away up
on the western prairie. There wasn't
house in sight when we moved there, my
wife and |, and now we haven't many
neighbors, though those we have are good
ones.
One day about ten years ago, [ went
away from home to sell fifty head OF cat
tle-fine creatures as ever you saw. l
was to buy some groceries and dry goods
before | came back, and above all a doll
for our youngest, Dolly. She had never
had 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 i'll her anNi
ETY. to call after me TO buy biz one"
Nobody but 4 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 Doliy's doll. found
large one with eyes that would open
and shut when you pulled Il wire, and
had had it wrapped in paper and tucked
away under my arm while | had the
parcels OF calico and delain and tea and
sugar put up. Then, late rs it was, |
started for home. 1t mi eht have been
more prudent TO stay until morning, but
felt anxious TO get back, and to hear
Dolly's prattle about her toy.
| was mounted on a steady going old
horse OF mine, and pretty we'll loaded.
Night set in before WAS mile from
town, and settled down dark rs pitch
while | was in the widest bit of road |
know Of | could have felt my way,
though. Pretty soon the storm that had
been brewing broke, while wa~ five or
six miles from home.
| rode on AS fast as | could, but all of
a sudden | heard a cry like 4 little child,
voice | stopped and li-tenci-l heard
it again. | called and il answered me.
| couldn't see thing. | got down and
telt about in the graSs-callcl again, and
again was answered. Then began to
wonder. I'm not timid, but was known
to be a drover and known TO have mon
ey about me. II might bc 4 trap TO
catch me unawarcs and rob and murlur
me.
I'm not suspiciou>-not very. But
how could a real child be out on the prai-
rle OH such a night rs this am ut such
all hour 1t nigh; bc more than hui
man.
The bit OF coward that hdy~ it-,lt
in most men began to show itself IN me.
and | was halt inclined TO run away .
but once more heard that cry, ;.ul !
said:
If any mans child Is hcrcabou.-,
Fred Ba,che is not tine man to let i, die ="
searched again. At last bcthou-ht
myself OF a hollow under the hill. ami
sropimg that way, sarf enou%h; r"n%Ht ~.
sObbcd a. | took II IN my s.-In-. could
not see it. but l thanked Heaven
called my horse, and the beast came 10
me. and mounted, and tucked the littl,.
soaked thing undar my coat a well Is
could. promising TO take it home L.
mamma. Ii seemed tired to death and
pretty soon cried itself 10 sleep against
my bosom.
1t had slept there over an hour when
| saw my own windows. There wcr,
lights in them and | sup, o>ed ny wifi,
had lit them for my sake; but when |
cot into the dooryard | saw something
was the matter, and stood still with Il
dread fear AT my heart, and it wa- iiv,
minutes before could lit the latch. At
| laSs did il. and saw the room full OF
neghbors, and my wife amidst them
weeping.
When she SAW me she hid her face
'Oh, don't tell him. she said, III
will Kill him"
What Il it nciahbors - inquired.
And one said, ''Nothing now, hope,
whats that in Your arms p
"A poor lost child" id l. Il found
it on the road, Take it, will YOU ! ",
turned faint" and lifted up the sleep.
ing thing and saw the face of my httl,
Dolly.
1t was my darling, and none other
that had picked up on the rain drcnch.
cd road.
My little child had wandered out tc
meet daddy and the doll, while hcl
mother was at work, and whom they
were lamenting as one dead. | thanked
Heaven on my knees, before them all.
1t is not much of Il story, but | thinl
of it often in the nights, and wonder how
| could bear to live now, if had no
stopped when heard the cry to
help on the road, the little baby cry
hardly louder than Il squirrels chirp.
That's Dolly yonder with her mothe
in the meadow, Il girl worth saving,
think (but then, I'm her father, and par
tial, maybe) tLe prettiest and sweetcs
thing this side of the Mississippi.