Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1869-05-12
DolIY-A Western Droyer's StOry.

droyer and / live miles and miles away
upon the western prairie. There wasn't o
house in sight when We moved there my
wife and !, and now we have not many
neighbOEs, though those we have are good
ones
One day about ten years ago, | went
away from home I'd sell fifty head of cattle
fine creatures as ever saw, / was to
buy some groceries and dry goods before l
came back, and above all, 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 to call after me
to sbuy a 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 OF TO buy
Dolly's doll. I found large one, with
ewes that would open and shut when you
pulled u wire, and had il wrapped up in
paper and tucked it under my arm, while !
had the parcels of calico and delaine and
sugar and tea put up. Then, late as it
was, started for home. 1t might have
been more prudent to stay until morning,
but 7 felt anxious to get back, and eager to
hear QOlly's pFattle abput her,
1 was mounted on . steady-golng 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 tho middle of the widest bit of road l
know Of. ! could haYe felt my way, though,
remembered it SO well, and il was almost
that when the storm that had been brew
ing broke, and pelted the rain in torrents,
five miles, pr may be, six, from home yet
too.
/ rode on as fast as could, hut all OF q
sudden / heard a little cry like a childs
voice / stopped short and istened-I
heard it again / called and it answered
me. / Icouldn't see thing all was dark as
pitch. I got down and felt about in the
grass-called again, and again was an
swered. Then began to wonder, I'm not
timid, but was known to be drover and
to have money about me. II might be q
trap to catch me unawnreS ana rob and nlur'
der me-
| am not superstitious-not very; but
how could real child be out in the prairie
on such night, at such an hourY It might
be more than human.
The bit of coward that hides itself in
most men showed itself to me then, and !
was half inclined to run away, but once
more heard that cry. and said l.
''If any mans child is hereabouts, An
thony Hunt is not the man to let it die
1 searched again. At last / bethought
me of hollow under the hill, and CROPPED
that way Sure enough, found little
dripping thing that moaned and sobbea as
I 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 well as | could, promising to
take ii home to nanny. 1t seemed tired
to death, and pretty soon cried itself to
sleep against my bosom.
1t had slepy there over an hour when
saw my own windows. There were lights
in them, and supposed my wife lit them
for my sake, but when I got into the door
yard | saw something was the matter, and
stood still with dead fear of heart five emin-
ltes before could lift the latch. At last
did itand saw the room full of neighbors,
md my wife amidst them weeping.
When she saw me she hid her face,
"Oh, don't tell him." she said, 1T will
Kill him,
what 10 ii, neighbors," cried.
And one said, "Nothing now, | hope
what's that in your arms2"
"a poor, lost child" said /. 81 found
t on the road. Take it, will you, I've
urned faint" and | lifted the sleeping
hing and saw the face of my own child
ny little Dolly.
IT was my darling, and none other, that
had picked up upon the drenched road.
Ny little child had wandered out tomeet
daddy" and the doll, while her mother
vas at work, and whom they were lament
ng as one dead. I thanked Heaven on my |
.nees before them all.
It is not much of a story, neighbors, but |
think of it often in the nights, and won.
Ter how could bear TO live now if ! had |
lot stopped when heard the cry for help |
Ipon the road-the little baby cry, hardly, |
hardly louder than squirrels chirp.
That's Dolly, yonder, with her mother in
he meadow; q girl worth saving, think
but then, I'm her father, and partial, may
,e-the prettiest and sweetest thing this
ide Of the Mississippi.