The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-11-14
Johns Promise.
PATHETIC STORY or WESTERN LrFE.

Sumner was mushroom city which
had sprung up on the banks Of a ravine
that cut through the western bluffs of
the Missouri. In thicket Of oak sap
lings, high up on the side of one Of
those bluffs, stood hastily-built house,
sided with rough, upright, cottonwood
boards, as are many of its wetsern
neighbors-a rusty stove-pipe sticking
through the roof; a small window, cur
tanned by a scallOped-edged newspaper,
and white door taken from a sunken
steamboat, whose nicely-finished panels
cOntrasted strangely with its surround
ings; completing the exterior.
One pleasant May evening, Just
as the shrill whistle of a steam
boat echoed among the hills,
this door was opened by q pleasant
young woman, who was followed by q
crying child.
"Oh, Sammy, quit your noise; that's
pappy's little man; see the great big
boat way yonder;" lifting him up;
"dOn't you see? look sharp now, close
ag'in the bank. Does Sammy want 10
90 and see the big boat, and see pappy?''
The willing feet toddled down the path
but the mother called, "Wait bit, and
mammy'n pack sammy and tying on
pink sun-bOunet, she took him in hel
arms and started down the steep
crooked path.
IL was picturesque scene that lay
before her. The sunlight, sitting through
the trees that shaded the western hills
glinted the windows here and there
and reached, like a golden bar, jus
across the top of the forest on the low
eastern shore. Scattered through tn
hOllOws and up the sides of the bluffs
were divers houses, from the pretentiou
gothic dwelling on the northern hill
and the brick business houses down tn
street, TO log cabins and cottOnwOO'
shanties; while the road that wound VI
the bed Of the ravine was lined with
long, white train Of Denver-boun'
freight-wagOns.
She reached the steep main street Z
find il filled with wagons, that had beel
turned crOsswise Of the street, to res
the teams. But edging her way clos
to the clay bank, she reached the rive
Just IS the steamer was leaving tn,
wharf. The snorting of the engine an,
the shouting Of the edeck-hands, togethe
with the putting Of the mill near by
was too much for baby-bravery, an,
Sammy's lip began TO qiuyer. CATCHING
him in her arms, his mother sat dow
on a saw-log, saying, "There, there
honey, don't beafeared, be pappy's man
now"
The tide-waves OF the receding boa
sank lower and lower on the sand; tn
gay crowd that leaned over the guard
grew indistinct, and she peered NOR
eagerly i'm among the tall cOttonwoo
trees on the opposite shore. At lengt
four men came out of the woods, and Ell
tering skih, started across the rive
She watched the skiff anXiously, for
frequently disappeared between th
waves that We're raised by the stron
south wiuds-such winds belong s
prOverbially to Kansas springs, ;
whooping-cough to children, or gapt
TO chickens.
Four rough-looking men, in red WOO
en- shirts-for lumbermen did not pr
tend TO wear coats-eXcepti in the rougl
est weather-jumped out Of the ski
and with boisterOus laughter, and rue
jests, entered the mill. Presently OF
of them spied her and came toward h'
saying, boisterously, "HOorah for yOl
Nancy. Whatever brought you iul
down ere this time of evenini? Might
fine doins when you Oughter to be
home gettin' your old man a bite
supper. Packed that youngiuu dow
too, pll bet! Reckon you'd as well q,
back right quick, nowr' He snatche
the baby from her and tossed him on h
shoulder, shouting, "Hoorah for pa
py's man. Peertest boy in this ,e
town! Mighty proud to see his nan
Poor Nancy! Her husband was drum
again.
She hurried up the street, pinning h
deep sun-bonnet more closely about b
face, that passers might not see the tea
that would come. He had kept sob
so long that she had hoped he wou
come home sober again. She had a
ticipated so much pleasure in meeti,
him, after his weeks absence. HC
often she had thought of il in the