Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-10-11

my HAL 5 OuI luGIe. 'Oeoo yOu
better take her. ses | to the men
her mans out there. an she won't be
no trouble. She looked at me CRATE
full like, an they said she might 60.
"Well, we started. Hannah-that
was the woman's name-Wasnt a
mite of trouble. She was mighty
good cook, and done a heap of work;
and she alters had a pleasant face
and a smile that made the cakes as
good agin. When we sat round the
fire at night see she alters looked to
the west, and her face would get
bright-like when the captain said how
far we'd gone; and | knew she was
thinkin' O. her man; an sometimes |
thought I'd 60 round the world to
know such a face was lookin' for me.
Sometimes, after supper, I'd say suth
in to her, an | got acquainted some,
but she alters 'peared keerful bout
bein' too free an easy like, though
the Lord knows she needn't with me-
"Things went on all quiet an
smooth till we come to the Laramie
Plains. to Alkali Run. When we got
there we camped close to old Tom
SCOTS chebang, an he come an ask
eG US to take long a woman that had
been left there by train cause she
was sick an couldn't 60 no further.
She was most well now, an wanted
tc 90 to her husband in California;
She wanted to 90 bad. The men
said no. but Hannah said she'd 60
and see her. When she came back |
/ see she'd been cryin', an she told the
men they must take the woman-she
wouldn't be no trouble, and sne'd
take care O. her. So after a while
they let her 90 She'd a mind to,
an she brought her. She took her
into her wagon, an waited on her
likes she'd been child.
"The women wasn't a mite alike !;
Hannah q been raised in the West,
an she's tall an strong, an her black
/ eyes flashed when she's mad, | ken
tell you; but the other woman was a
little white thing, an her eyes were
soft an tender-jest like a young
rabbits under the sage. She looked
as if the wind would blow her over
an Hannah took to her right away.
She tried to cheer her up an was al
lus bright and cheerful; an they'd
talk about Californy till you'd think
there wasn't no other place in the
world. Hannah had been there, an
tother woman hadn't, and one was
alters askin' questions Of 'tother. l
noticed they never said nothin' bout
the folks they was 'goin to see, only
bout the country and what was goin
on there.
well, one night-jest such a night
as this-the women had got inter
their wagon, an we was all asleep.
'cept Ben Jones an me, who was
keepin' watch I set rite by the wo-
mems wagon, SOS that cf anything
/ happened | could take keer o them
first; an pretty soon / see Ben doz
in on t'other side o the fire. an ey.
erything was silent. Before long
heard women's voices in the wagon
an | moved off closter to the fire
cause | didn't spose they wanted me
to hear what they was sayin' but
they talked loud, an | couldn't heIT
hearin'. Anyway, l ses to myself
its 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 a bell l heard onst wheI
l was boy; an she was excited, an
spoke so loud an clear-ike | couldn'
help hearin'.
ooh, Hannah, l was so happy
she said; it was only a little home
bat it was pretty an neat, an l wa:
/ so proud Of it, and | loved my hus
! band more nor l can tell. He wa.
steady and good in those days, an h
. went to his work every mornin', an
did my part at home. The house wa.
alters clean, an his supper read,
r when he came home at night, an ef
2 was tired, SO was he, an l never mad
} no complaints; for | thought ther,
wasn't a happier home in all tn
world. But after baby came | wa
3, aiIin', an worn out with havin' N,
!, rest broke, an forgot to have
l smile for him when he came home
an l was cross an frotful. So pret
Y ty soon be took to going out evening
4 when he'd had his supper, scause h
/ couldn't have no peace at home; ar
5 then he got unsteady, an didn't 90 t
his work regular. Things went o
. from bad to worse-an'-then he
went away
n Here she broke down cryin'; bu
It after while Hannah says, in a quee
| tone, jest as eff it had bin pinched ou
b of her;
a "'But where did your-where di
your Jim go?'
L "'He went to Californy,' she Sc
P between her Sobs, AN I've never see
n him Sence.
"They was quiet for a while, an
], thought they'd gone to sleep; but tn
r woman spoke agin:
IL "'When he was gone the baby too
II sick; she was sick long while, al
,e then she died. | hadn't nothing I
" live for, an | thought l should di
too. But l pined for jim; l though
1T that eff | could see him onst more
lie could die happy. After long viii
le | got better, an then | sold everythin
it | had an started to find Jim. | don
le know where he is, only he was in Ca
to iforny somewhere, an I'll find him
s. | live. | never was no good to him
ID the poor thing went on, Gan may
d, he's forgot me by this time; but
It would be good wife t him now, a
st try to make him happy
g, "'What did you say his name was
| Jim what 2 asked Hannah.
rt "Jim Myers
"'My God,' was all l heard.
to jumped. had heard such a mos
I'd out in the Injun country when a ms
dropped beside me-I was all of
ut tremble, and then | heard t'other W
. man cry out:
or ado you know him, Hannah ? O