Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1869-05-14

My name In Anthony Hunt. am
a drover and live miles and miles
away upon the Western Prairie
There wasn't home In sight when
we moved here, my wife and I, and
now We haven't many neighbors,
though those we have are good ones.
One day about ten years ago, l
went away from home to sell some
fifty head of cattle--fine creatures as
ever saw. / was TO buy some gro.
ceries 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 hnd made her.
Dolly could talk OF nothing else,
and went down to the very gate to
calfafter me 10 "buy a big one."-
Nobody but parent can under.
stand how full my mind was of that
toy, aud how, when the cattle were
sold, the first thing, l hurried off to
buy Dolly's doll. found a large
one, with eyes that would open and
shut when you pulled a wire, aud
had 1t wapped up In paper and
tucked 1t under my arm, while had
the parcels of calico and delnin
and tea and sugar put up
Then, late as 1t was, started for
home. II might have been more
prudent to stay till morning, but j
felt anxious to get back. and eager
to hear Dolly's prattie about her toy.
was mounted ON steady going
old horse Of mine, and pretty well
loaded. Night set I'm before / was q
mile from town, and settled down
dark as pitch while was I'm the
widest bit Of road know of. I could
have felt my way though, remem-
Der itso well, and IL was almost that
when the storm which had been
brewing broke, and pelted the rain
In torrents, five miles or, may be,
six, from home yet, too.
rode on as fast as could, but all
Of sudden heard little cry like a
child's voice. I stopped short and
listened-f heard II again. I called
and 1t answered me. I couldn't see
a thing, all was dark as pitch. got
down and felt about In the grass
called again, and again was answered.
Then I began to wonder. I was not
timid, but / was known TO be dro-
yer and to have money about me-
IL might be trap to catch me una
wares and rob and murder me.
am not superstitious--not very,
but how could real child be cut on
the prairie In such a night at such
an hour. Itmight be more than hu-
man.
The bit Of coward that hides itself
In most men showed itself In me
then, and I was half inclined to run
away, but 1 once more heard the cry,
and said L:
"If any mans child Ii hereabouts,
Anthony Hunt Is not the man to let
Ii die"
1t scrcached again. At last / be-
thought me Of hollow under the
hill. and grouping that way, sure
enough, found little dripping
thing that moaned and sobbed as
took 10 In my arms. / called my
horse and the beast came to mo, and
tucked the little soaked thing under
my coat ~ well ~ Icould, promising
to take 1t home TO nanny. II
seemed tired to death, and pretty
soon cried itself to sleep on my bos-
ON.
It had slept there over nm hour
when l saw my own windows.--
There were lights Ia them, and ]
supposed that my wife had III
them for my sake, but when I go,
into the door-yard saw something
was the matter, and stood still with .
dead fear of heart, Ave minutes be
foro could lift the latch. Az last
did Ii aud saw the room full Of neigh
bors, and my wife amidst them weep
ing.
When she saw me she hid hor face
"Oh. don't tell him." she said, II
will kill him."
"What Is 1t neighbors9" cried
And one said, Nothing now
hope what's that In your arms p
"A poor, lost child" said !. a
found IL on the road. Take IL will
you, I'VE turned faint" and I Iiftet
the slce ping thing and saw the fac,
! Of my own child, my little Dolly.
It was my darling, and none other
that 1 had picked up on the road.
My little child had wandered on
, to meet daddy" and the doll, Will
J her mother was at work, whom the,