Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1870-01-22
DOLLY.
A wEsTERs DROvER's sFORf.

WEsTERs DROvER's sFORY.
Ny name is AnlhOny Hunt. I am
a dr0ver and live miles and
miles away upon the western prai.
rie, There wasn't a house in sight
when we moved there, my wife and
l, and now We haven't many neigh.
bOrs, though those We have are good
ones.
One day, about ten years ago, 1
went away from home 10 sell some
iifty head Of cattle fine creatures
as | ever saw. | was TO buy some
dry goods and groceries before /
came back, and above all, a doll for
our yOun sesL Dolly, she had never
had a store doll OF her own, only tho
rag babies her mother made her.
Dolly could talk OF nothing else,
and went down TO tho very gate to
call amer mo 10 "buy n big one"
Nobody but a parent ean hnier.
stand how full my mind was of that
toy, and how, when the cattle wero
sold, the first thing, | hurried of to
buy Dolly's doll. l found a large
one, with eyes that would open and
shut when you pulled wire, and
had il wrapped up in a paper and
tucked IL under my arm, while 1
had tho parcels OF calico and do
laino and tea and sugar put up.
Then, lato rs it was, | started for
homo. 1t might have been more
prudent to stay until morning, but
/ felt anxious to got back, and eager
to hear Dolly's prattle about her
doll,
] wac mounted on a steady going
old horse of mine, and pretty well
loaded. Night set in before / was
a mile from town, and settled down
dark as pitch while / was in tho
middle of the darkest bit of road I
know of / could have felt my way,
though, l remembered it 80 well,
and it was'almost midnight when
the storm that had been brewing
broke, and pclted tho rain in tor,
rents five miles, or inlay be; six, from
home yet, too.
l rode on as fast as could, bht
all of sudden | heard little cry
like n child's voice. | stopped
short and listcncd-heard it again.
I called and it answered. couldn't
see thing, all was dark as pitch.
| got down and felt about in tho
grass-called again, and again was
answered. Then | began to wonder.
I'm 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
l am not superstitious-not very,
but how could u real child be out
on the prairie in such q night, at
such an hour2 1t might be moro
than human. S..ar
The bit of coward that hides itself
in most men showed itself to mo
then, and | was half inclined to run
uway, but once more l heard that
cry, and said l.
elf any mans child is hereabouts,
Anthony Hunt is not the man to lot
it die" at7.; r
l searched again. At last l be-
thought me Of n hollow under the
hill, and CROPPED that way. Suro
enough, found d little dripping
thing that moaned and sobbcd as 1
took it in my arms. | called my
horse, and the beast came to me,
and L mounted, and tucked the lit
tie soaked thing under my coat, AS
we'll as 1 could, promising to take
it homo to nanny. 1t seemed
tired to death, and pretty soon cried
itself to sleep against my bosom.
q 1t had slept there over an hour
when saw my own windows.
There were lights in them, and |
supposed my wife had lit them for
my sake, but when l got into tho
dooryard l saw something was tho
and stood still with dead
fear of heart Ave minutes before l
could lift the latch. At last I did
it, and saw the room full of neigh
bors, and my wife amidst them
When she saw me she hid her
face. "Oh, don't tell him." sEe
said, ait will kill him." a
"What is it, neighbors ?" / cried.
And one said, "Nothing now, l
fope-what's that in your arms ?"
ga poor lost child,'' said |. ~
found it on the road. Take it,. will
you, I've turned faint !" and | lifted
the sleeping thing, and saw the face
Of my own child, my own Dolly.
1t was my darling, and none 9TH
er, that ! had picked up Upon the
drenched road. I Il 40,
My little child had wandered out
to meet "daddy" and the dell, while
her mother was at work, and whom
they We're lamenting as one dead. l
thanked heaven on my knees before
them all. 1t is not much of q
story, neighbor, but think of it
often in the rights, and wonder
how | could bear to live now if 1
had not stopped when l heard tho
cry for help on the road, the little
little baby cry hardly louder than
\ sdnirreps chirp. 500
That's Dolly yonder with her.
mother in the meadow, girl worth
saving-I think (but then, I'm her
iather, and partial, may bc)-tho
prettiest and sweetest thing this
'ide of the Mississippi.