Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1870-08-19

neither here nor there" and he began;
"Nigh three years ago was at Omoha,
Jest agoin' to start for tho west. 1 had bin
out tradin' with the Injuns and sich good
spell, an 1t was nigh seven years sence ia
seen the Missouri river; so come back to
look round an see the canpin' grounds.
But Lor, 1t wasn't mite asst used to be
the land was all boin' settled, an towns
agoin' up, an It didn't look natural like
an L said I'd jest go back TO the buffaloes
and bars, they're alters the same. So, as l
said, was at Omeha Ctwan't no place at
all then) agoin' to start for what 1 call th'
West. I jinod company with a lot o. fell
lers goin' on to Calforny. We had good
stock an plenty Of grub, an we started.
"There was some fuss at first about
woman that wanted Z go g cook--wanted
to cook the grub T. pay fur goin'; and some
of the chaps wouIdn't take her, cause the
Injuns was goin' T. be on the path, an they
didn't want no women. Ses 1, 'Ef she's
got pluck enough T. 20, take her; she won't
do no harm, an eff tn Injuns gets us, 1 kin
put ball through her head Thank you,
ses voice behind me. turns round, an
there she stands When 1 sees her want
sorry 1 said what l did. knew she would
MT be no trouble an Of the Injuns come
she wouldn't yell, but ask me to kill her of
1 didn't. She wasn't Altered o. nothin', I
see it in her eyes, an she wanted to go bad.
Folks out there, 1 reckon ses 1. Yes
ses she, shy-like an turnin' red, my man
is out there Guess you'd better take her.
ses to the men; her mans out there, an
she won't be no trouble She looked at
me grateful-like, an they said she might
go.
"Well, we started. Hannah-that was
tho woman's name-wan't a mite of troub-
lie. She was mighty good cook, an done
heap O. work an she alters had pleas
ant face, an smile that made the cakes as
good agin. When we sat around the fire
at night see she alters looked to the west
an her face would git bright-liko when the
Captain said how fur we'd gone, an knew
she was thinkin' O. her man an some
times thought I'd go round the world to
know such a face was lookin' for me.
Sometimes, after supper, I'd say suthin' to
her, an got acquainted some but she al
lers 'peared keerful bout bein too free an
easy like-though, Lor' knows, she need
MT with me.
"Things went on all quiet and smooth
till we came to the Laramie Plains, to AL
kali Run. When we got there we camped
close to old Tom Scott's chebang, an he
come an asked us to take long woman
that had been left there by a train, cause
she was sick an couldn't go no further.
She was most well now, an wanted to go
to her husband in Calforny. She wanted
to go bad The men said NO; but Han
nah said she'd go an see her. When she
come back / see she'd bin cryin' an she
told tho men they must take the woman
she wouldn't be no trouble, an she'd take
care on her. So after a while they lot her
do as she'd a mind to, an she brought her.
She took her into her own wagon, an wait
ed on her like she had bin child.
| The women wasn't mite alike Han
nah'd bin raised in the West, an she was
tall and strong, an her black eyes flashed
when she was mad, 1 kin tell ye; but the
other woman was little white thing, an
her eyes was soft and tender-just like a
young rabbits under the sage. She looked
as if n wind would blow her over an
Hannah took to her right away. Hannah
tried TO cheer her up, an was alters bright
an cheerful an they'd talk about Cali
forny till you'd think there wasn't no 9TH
| er place in the world. Hannah had bin
there, an t'other woman hadn't, an one
was alters askin questions of tother
though 1 noticed they never said nothin'
bout the folks she was goin to see, only
,I.atx lot tla-
"Well, one night-jest sich night as this
the women had got inter their wagon, an
we was all asleep 'cept Bill Jones an me,
who was keepin' watch. / set right by the
women's wagon, so that Of anything hap
pened could take keer o. them first an
pretty soon see Ben dozin' on tother side
of the fire, an everything was still. Before
| long 1 hoard the womon's voices in the
wagon, an moved off closter to the fire,
cause 1 didn't s'pose they wanted me to
hear what they was sayin'; but they talke
loud, an 1 couldn't help hearin'. Amy
way / ses to myself, 'it's only old Bill,
an he never tells no tales 1t was t'other
woman who was talkin', an her voice was
clear an soft, like bell heard onst when
was a boy an she was excited, an spoke
so loud an clear-like couldn't help hear
in:
$50, Hannah, was so happy she said !;
1T was only little home, hut it was pretty
and neat, an 1 was SO proud of it, an
loved my husband more than can tell.
He was steady an good in those days, an
he went to his work every mornin, an
did my part at home. The house was al
ler's clean, an his supper ready when he
came home at night, an Of was tired so
was he, an 1 never made no complaints !;
for l thought there wasn't happer home
in the world. But after baby came was
ailin', an worn out with havin' my rest
broke, an forgot to have a smile for him
when he came home, an / was cross an
fretful. So pretty soon he took to goin
out evenings when he'd had his supper,
cause he couldn't have no peace at home |;
an then he got unsteady, and didn't 20 to
his work regular. Things went ON from
bad to worse-an'-then he-went away
Hero she broke down cryin; but after
n while Hannah says, in queer tone, Jest
as Of 1t had been pinched out out o. her:
"'But whore did your-where did your
Jim go2'
"'He went to Caliiorny,' she ses, be-
tween her sobs, 'an' I've never seen him
sence.'
"They was quiet for a while, an tho't
they'd gone to sleep but the woman spoke
agin:
"'When ho was gone the baby took sick /;
she was sick long while, an then she
died. 1 hadn't nothin' to live for, an |
thought should die too. But pinod for
Jimj 1 thought Of | could see him onst
more l could die happy. After long
while got better, and then l sold every
thing had an started to find Jim. l don't
know where he is, only he was in Califor-
ny somewhores, an I'll find him of live.
never was no good to him. the poor thing
went on, AN may be he's forgot me by this
time but would be good wife T. him
now, an try make him happy
"'What did you say his name wasS Jim