, 1869-07-16
FINDING A BABY.

Ny name is Anthony Hunt I am n
drover, and live miles aud miles away upou
the Western prairie. There wasat a house
within sight when we moved there, ny vil&
aud and now we havn't many neighborS,
thoug those we have are good ones.
One day, about ten years ago, went away
from home to sell some fifty head Of cattle
hne creatures as ever saw was to buy
some groceries and dry goods, before came
back, and above all, doll for our Youngest.
Dolly. She had never q store doll of her
own, only the rag babies her mother had
made her.
Dolly could talk Of nothing else. and went
doWu TO the very gate 10 call After ma n
buy her good oue.' Nobody but par,nt
could understand how full my mind wAa of
that toy, aud how, when the cattle were sO,d.
the first thing l hurried off to buy was
Dolly's doll. found large ose, with ewes
that would open and shut when you pulled
wire, and had ii wrapped in paper aud tuck.
ed 1t under my arm while had the parcels
OF colico and delaine and tea and sugar put
up. Then late as it was started for home.
1t might have been moro prudent to stay
until morning, but l felt anxious to get back
aud eager to hear DOlly's prattle about her
toy.
5 | was on a steady going old horse of mine,
and pretty we'll loaded. Night set in before
was mile away from town, while was in
the middle of the widest bit of road knew
Of l could have felt my way, though l re-
membered it is so we'll, aud it was almost
that when the storm that had been brewing
broke, and pelted the rain in torrents, five
miles, or may be six from home vet, too.
l rode as fast as could, but all of sud-
den | heard little cry like a child's voice.
| stopped short and listened; heard it
again. l called and it answered me. I
couldn't see thing all was as 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
to be drover, and to have money about me.
1t might be trap to catch me unawares and
rob and murder me.
I'm not perstitious-not very. But
how could a real child be out on the prairie
in such a night and at such an hour? 1t
might be more than human. The bit of a
coward that hides itself in most men, showed
itself in me theD and was half inclined to
run away, but once more l heard that cry,
and l said:
"If any mans child is hereabOuts, An.
thony Hunt is not the man to let it die"
searched again. At last 1 bethought
me of hollow under the bill, and cropping
that way, sure enough, l found little dripI
ping thing that moaned and sobbed as took
it in my arms. called my horse and the
beast came to me, and mounted and tucked
the little soaked thing under my coat as we'll
as l could, promising to take it home to
mamma. 1t seemed tired to death, and pret-
ty soon cried itself to sleep against my bos.
ON. 1t had not slep! mere than an hour
when l saw my own windows. There were
lights in them, and l supposed my wife had
lit them for my sake; but when got into
the door yard l saw something was the matt
ter, and stood still with dread fear for FIVE
minutes before l could lift the latch. At
last did it, and saw my room full of neigh.
bors, and my wife amidst them weeping.
When she saw me she hid her face. "Oh,
don't tell him." che cried, "it will kill him."
"What is it, neighbors 2" l asked.
And one said: "NothiDg now l hope
what's that in your arms ?"
"a poor, lost child" said |, "that found
in the road. Take it, will your feel faint"
l lifted up the sleeping thing aud 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 lamenting as
one dead. 1 thanked heaven on my knees
before them all. Fsis not much of a story,
DeighbOrs, but think of it often in the
nights, and wonder how l 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 a squirrels chirp.