Port Royal commercial and Beaufort County Republican. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1873-1874, 1873-11-20
THE WINDS OF THE WEST.

had sprung up on the banks of ravine
that cut through the western bluffs of
the Missouri. In o 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 Western
neighbors-a rusty stove-pipe sticking
through the roof; a small window, cur
tanned by scalloped-edge newspaper,
and a 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 steamboat echoed
among the hills, this door was opened
by pleasant young woman, who was
followed by crying child.
go Sammy, quit your noise; that's
pappy's little man see the great big
boat way yonder"- lifting him up;
"don't you see lock right sharp now,
close ag'in the bank. Does Sammy
want to go down town and see the big
boat, and see pappy The willing feet
toddled down the path but the mother
called, "Wait a bit, and nanny II
pack Sammy" and, tying on pink
sunbonnet, she took him in her arms
and started down the steep, crooked
path.
1t was a picturesque scene that lay
before her. The sunlight, sitting
through the trees that covered the
western hills, glinted the windows here
and there and reached, like a 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-
tentious Gothic dwelling on the north
ern hill and the brick business houses
down street, to log cabins and cotton
wood shanties while the road that
wound up the bed of the ravine was
lined with long, white train of Den
ver-bound freight-wagons.
She reached the steep main street to
find it filled with wagons that had been
turned crosswise of the street to rest the
teams. Butedging her way close to
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, togeth-
er with the putting of the mill near by,
was too much for baby bravery, and
Sammy's lips began to quiver. Catch
ing him in her arms, his mother sat
down on a saw-log, saying, "There,
there, honey, don't be afeared; be pap
py's man, now"
The tide-wa of the receding boat
sank 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 cot
tonwood trees on the opposite shore.
At length four men came out of the
woods and, entering askiff, started across
the river. Shewatched the skiff anxious
ly, for it frequently disappeared between
the waves which were raised by the
strong south wind-such winds belong
ing as proverbially to Kansas Springs
as whooping-cough to children or gapes
to chickens.
Four rough-looking men, in red wool
en- shirts-for lumbermen did not pre-
tend to wear coats, except in the cold
est weather-jumped out of the skiff,
and, with boisterous laughter and rude
jests, entered the mill. Presently one
of them spied her, and came towards
her, saying boisterously, "Hoorah for
you, Nancy! Whatever brought you'uns
down ere this time of evenin' Mighty
fine doins, when You oughter be to
home gettin' your old man bite O. sup
per Packed that young 'un down, too,
I'll bet | Reckon you'd as we'll 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 to see his pap p
Poor Nancy Her husband was drunk
again.
She hurried up the street, pinning
her sun-bonnet more closely about her
face, 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 so much pleasure on
meeting him, after his weeks absence.
How often she had thought of it in
those long, lonely nights, when she had
only her thoughts and her child for
company.
1t took but few minutes to put sup
per on the table. Then she sat down
on the doorstep to watch for her hus-
band, worrying all the time lest he let
something 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 it would make him angry.
So she fed Sonny, 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 dis
turb his father.
The first peep of dawn found her
busily preparing breakfast, for she
knew that John wanted an early start.
She sound of the coffee mill woke him
from his heavy sleep, and he lay quiet
ly 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 cupboard, setting on the
dishes, watching the bacon, and taking
the crisD sorn- -dOdoar from tho ouan