Litchfield enquirer., 1873-10-30
JOHNS PROMISE

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 Sumner was q mushroom city which had sprung up Tn the banks of rayine that cut through the western bluffs of the l Missouri In thicket of oak saplings, high up on the side of one of those bluffs, stood hastily built house, sided with rough, upright, cottonwood boards-as are many of it's western neighbors-a rus 1 ty stove-pipe sticking through the roof; a small window, curtained by scalloped- edge newspaper, and white door taken from sunken steamboat, whose nicely finished panels contrasted strangely with its surroundings, completing the exterior.
 One pleasant May evening. just as the shrill whistle of a steamboat echoed among the hills, the door was opened by a pleasant young woman, who was follow ed by crying child.
 "Oh, Sammy, quit your noise; that's pappys little man, see the great big boat way yonder;;" lifting him up: ''don't you see? look right sharp now, close ag'in the bank. Does Sammy want to go down town and see the big boat, and see papap
 The willing feet toddied down the path; but the mother called, 'sWait bit, and nanny Il pack Sammy" and tying on a pink sun-bonnet, she took him in her arms and started down the steep, crookd path. 1t was picturesque scene that lay be- fore her. The sunlight, sitting through the trees that covered the western hills, l glinted 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 pretentious Gothic dwelling on the northern hill and the brick business houses down street, to log cabins and cot tonwood shanties; while the road that wound up the bed of the ravine was lined with long, white train of Denver bound freight-wagons.
 She reached the steep main street to 1 find it filled with wagons that had been turned cross-wise of the street, to rest the ! teams. But edging her way close to the clay bank, she reached the river just as | the steamer was leaving the wharf. The snortlng of the engine and the shouting of the deck-hands, together with the puff ing Of the mill near by, 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, saying, ''There, there, honey. don't be afeared, be pappys man, now"
 The tide-waves of the receding boat psank lower and lower on the sand; the gay crowd that leaned over the guards grew indistinct, and she peered more and more eagerly in among the tall cotton wood trees on the opposite shore At | length four men came out of the woods. and entering a skiff, started across the river. She watched the skiff anxiously, for it frequently disappeared between the waves which were raised by the strong south wind-such winds belonging as pro- verbally to Kansas springs, as whooping- cough to children, or gapes to chickens Four rough-looking men, in red woolen | shirts-for lumbermen did not pretend to wear coats, except in the coldest weather jumped out of the skiff, and with bois- terous laughter and rude jests, entered the mill. Presently one of them spied her and came toward her, saying bolster ously, ''Hoorah for you, Nancy! What eyer brought you 'uns down ere this time of evenin? Mighty fine doins, when you oughter be to home gettin' your old man bite O supper! Packed that young 'uri down, too, I'll bet! Reckon you'd as we'll cd the baby from 0n her and tossed fana him on his shoulder, shouting, ''Hoorah for pap py's man! Peertest boy in this ere town! Mighty proud to see his papt" Poor Man. cy! Her husband was drunk again. She hurried up the street, pinning her deep sun-bonnet more closely about her face, that the passers might not see the tears that would come He had kept so- Der so long that she had hoped he would come home sober again. She had antici- pated so much pleasure on meeting him, after his week absence. How often she had thought of it in those long, lonely nights, when she had only her child and her thoughts for company.
 1t took but few minutes to put SUD- per on the table. Then she sat down on the doorstep to watch for her husband, worrying all the time lest he let some thing happen to Sammy. When at last he came, the effects of the liquor were wearing of, and he ate his supper and smoked his pipe in sullen silence She | could not eat a mouthful, but she dared not let the tears come, for she knew that 1t would make him angry. So she fed Sammy, laying her face on his little head once in while, to force back the choking lump that kept rising in her throat. Then she hastened to rock him asleep, lest his fretfulness disturb his father.
 The first peep of dawn found her busi- ly preparing breakfast, for she knew that John wanted an early start The sound of the cofee-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 to stove; from thence to the little row of shelves, in lieu of cup board. setting on the dishes, watching the bacon, and taking the crisp corn dodger from the oven. ''She IS a dear, good wife" thought he; "what scoun- drel l was to make her feel so badly. |" He 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 let whisky alone. His breakfast was just to his liking, and his wife as cheerful as if he was the best man in the world He wanted to say something pleasant to break the awk- ward silence, but he did not know how to begin. He had an uncomfortable feeling that he ought to beg her pardon, but, be- ing 8 man, of course he did not conde- scend to that. At length he began by saying: "You was right peert about your breakfast this morning, Nancy
 "Oh, allowed most likely you'd want to get off soon, she answered.
 ''Yes, Jones wants us there ag'in sun up. It's only ffty-log raft; reckon we can get 1t down to Leayenworth ag'in the night train starts, and Pll get right on, and be back to Atchison afore day. Don't catch me foolin' away another day round that old fort"
 ''Oh. John! Pm so proud pans ed abruptly, for his eyes dropped with a look of conscious shame. What mood was he in? Would it do to speak then? He had showed back from the table, and there was serious, far-away look in his eyes, but nothing sullen or forbidding. She went around, and dropping on her knees beside him, slipped her arms about his neck, saying: "Oh, John, wish you'd promise me you'd never drink no more whiskey''
 That's most too hard on fellow; but I'll promise not to-not drink too much ag'in," he answered.
 "But I'm afeard that wouldn't do nc