The Jasper weekly courier., 1873-10-17
JOHNS PROMISE.

souri,. IN "a lDltktl Ol bih ni-i
up The side of one of those bluffs. stood
hastilv-built house. sided with rough,
upright. cottonwood boarlS-as are many
of it, Western neighbors-a rusty stove
pipe sticking through the roof: a small
window. curraincd by Scaliopedcdge news
paper. and white door taken from sunk
en- steamboat. whose nicely finished panels
cOnirasted strangely with it, surroundings,
completing the exterior.
One pleasant llay evening. Just as the
shrill whistle of steamboat echoed among
the hills. this door wls opened by pleas
ant young woman, who was followed by
crying child.
"Oh. sammy. quit your noise; that's
pappy's little man: see the great biz boat
way yonder;" lifting him up: = Don't
YOU see. look right sharp now. close ag'in
the hank. Does sammy want To go down
town and see the biz boat. and see pappy:"
The willing feet toddled down the path
but the mother called. "Wait bit. and
nanny II pack sammy" and tying on
pink >UmbOnnct. She took him in her arms
and started down the steep. crooked path.
Ii was 4 picturesque scene that lay before
her. The sunlight. sitting through the
trees that coverdthe western hills. glintcd
the windows here and there and reached.
like golden bar, just across the top of the
forest ON the low eastern shore. Scattered
through the hollow and up the sides of the
bluffs. were divers houses. from the pre-
teptious Gothic dwelling on the northern
hfl and the brick business houses down
street. 10 log cabins and cottonwood shan
ties; while the road that wound up the
bed of the rayine was lined with "A long
white train Of Denyer-bound freight
wagons.
She reached the steep main street 10 find
il filled with wagons that had been turned
crosswise Of the street. 10 rest the teams.
But cdging her way close 10 the clay bank.
she reached the river just as the steamer
was leaving the wharf. The snorting of
the engine and the shouting of the deck
hands, together with the putting of the
mill near BIZ. was too much for baby
bravery. and Sammy's lip began to quiver.
Catching him in her arms. his mother sat
down on a saw-log. saving, There. there.
honey, don't be afeared. be pappy's man.
now.'
I'ne tide-waves of the receding boat sank
lower and lower on the sand the CAV
crowd that leaned over the guards grew
indistinct. and She peered more and more
eagerly in among the tall cottonwood trees
on the opposite shore. At length four
men came ont Of the woods. and entering
a skill, started across the river. She
watched the >kiff anxiously. for il fire.
qnentlv disappeared between the waves
which were raised by the strong south
wind-->ueh winds belonging a. proverbi-
ally to Kansas springs. a swhooping-cough
to children. or galres 10 chickens.
-Four rOugh-looking men. in red wooden
shirts-for lumbermen did not pretend to
wear coats. except la the coolest weather
jumped out of the skill. and with bolster
Gus laughter and rude tests. entered the
mill. Presently one of them spied her and
came toward her. saying boisterously.
"IIoorih for You. Nancy, Whatever
brought you'uns down ere this time of
eyenin's Mighty fine doins. when You
oughter be 10 home gettin' your old man
a bite o. supper Packed that young'm
down. too. I'll bet. Reckon you'd as well
get back. right quick. now - He snatched
the baby from her and tossed him On his
shoulder. shouting. Hoorah for pappy's
man, Peertest boy in this ere town,
Mighty proud 10 see his pap" Poor
Nancy Her husband was drunk again.
She hurried up the street. pinning her
deep sunbonnet more closely about her
hcc. that the passers might not see the
tears that would come. He had kept sober
so long that she had hoped he would come
home sober again. She had anticipated 50
much pleasure on meeting him. after ms
weeks absence. How often she had
thought of il in those long. lonely nights.
when She had only her child and her
thoughts for company
II took but a few minutes 10 put supper
on the table Then she sat down on the
doorstep u watch for her husband. wor-
rying an the time lest he let something
happen 10 sammy. When at last lIe came.
the effects of the liquor were wearing of.
and he ate his supper and smoked his pipe
in sullcn silence. She could not eat
mouihful. but she dared not let the tears
come. for she knew that il would make
him angry. So she fed sammy. laying her
face on his little head once in while. 10
force back the choking lump that kept ris-
ing in her throat Then she hastcncd 10
rock him asleep. lest his fretfulness disturb
his father.
The first peep Of dawn found her busily
preparing breakfast. for she knew that
John wanted m early start. The sound
of the coflec-mill woke him from his
heavy sleep. and he lay quietly watching
her by the light of the dim grease lamp.
as she moved quickly back and forth from
table 10 stove: from thence to the little
row Of shelves. in lieu of a cupboard. set
ting ON the dishes. watching the bacon.
and taking the crisp corn-,lodgcr from the
oven '.Shc i dear good wife," thought
he: .'what n scoundrcl | was 10 make her
feel 50 badly" lie knew that he had been
rough to her the night before. He wished
that he could remember what he said. OF
course he never got dead-drunk. but he
wished that he ever could whisky alone
Ills breakfast was just to his liking. and
his wiic as cheerful as II ne was the best
man In the world. He wanted to say
something pleasant TO break the awkward
silcncr but ne did not know how To begin