Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-02-08

] Tor q COucn lOr DOtls i am aIFalu
am but a poor word-painter, and l
will not attempt to describe the
sleeping face before me. 1 will only
say, that l forgot the plains-forgOt
my dreams of the future-forgot
everything but the loveliness, peace,
purity and general heavenliness of
this picture,-the picture Of some
GOdy's wife and child. l now look
ed at the men in the coach TO see
who was the blessed husband and
father, but they were all coarse,
rough fellows, as unlike this lovely
woman as the vulture is unlike the
dove. Yet she could not be a widow,
for dress was OF soft fawn color,
and cravat of blue ribbon fastened
the tiny white collar which encir-
cled her throat.
Presently, the child awakened and
fixed its large lambent eyes full upon
me, smiled brightly, and then turn
ed its little head bashfully away
The lady was reused by the move
ments of the little fellow, and was
wholly unconscious of my own rude
gaze, until saw the deep flush which
sulfused the exquisitely lovely face.
[ then became again absorbed, ap-
parently, in the landscape without,
but really saw nothing outside of
the coach-wiAdow; my mind being
filled with only the Wondrous beauty
of my fair fellOw-passenger.
The first change made in our tray
cling arrangements enabled me to OBJ
tain front seat, where l could look
at my cOmP0gRORS de UOyGge, with
turning my head. By this time
the pair who so much interested me
had completed their travelling toll
ette-and the lady was gazing out Of
the window with sad, earnest eyes.
The boy looked weary and flushed
and presently laid his head on his
mothers lap and went to sleep again.
At this she was evidently uneasy
she drew off her delicate kid glove,
and felt his crimson cheek, and then
placed her snowy fingers upon his
| plump little wrist, to feel his pulse.
"Do you think the child is i'll,
ma 'am?" asked the rough, red
bearded, but kind-lookiRg man at
my side.
81 fear he is" she answered, in a
low and sweet, but perfectly self
| possessed voice.
ooh, hope it is only temporary
indispositfon," said a flashy, self
conceited fellow, opposite me, whom
L took to be a gambler. "You have
probably a long journey before
you?"
Although l hated the man for his
inquisitiYeness, yet listened eager
| ly for her answer.
eyes, am going to San Francis
CO." she replied, with her eyes fixed
upon the child, and not noticing
from whom the question came. The
boy had become very pale, and a
sudden scream from the lady start
led us all-the child was in q spasm.
His plump little limbs were rigid
and convulsed and his eyes turned
up in their sockets, like a person in
the agonies of death. The stage
was stopped, Immediately, and we
each asked the other with breathless
anxiety, "Are you a physician?"
No, not one of us knew anything
about medicine; but my red-bearded
friend quickly saturated his hand
kerchief with water from his can
teen which he carried and applied it
to the child's head, and directed me
and another passenger to pull off his
oAAOCo eAAANA 5AONAAn1o anu w 445 4CCL
and legs as briskly as possible.
Grub for dear hfe," he exclaimed;
''you can't hurt him-hot water
would be the best thing, but we can't
obtain that here"
His treatment was most judicious,
for the little one soon began to grow
better-the spasm was over, and we
all drew a long breath of relief, as
the death-like symptoms passed |
away.
But the lady-nOW as white as a |
Parian statue-said: "He IS not re-
lieVed-he has had these attacks be- |
fore, and has never escaped with |
one cOnvulsiOn. Oh, what shall l |
do! 1t will be impossible to go on
with him-he will not be able to |
bear the motion of the stage, and |
yet there is no place where we can
obtain the necessaries of life if we
STOP"
"Be assured, madam, that we will
do everything i'll our power for |
you," replied.
eyes, yes" echoed all the men,
"indeed we will"
'It is thirty miles to the nearest !
settlement" bawled the driver,
bending down from his perch tc |
throw his voice in at the window. |
Cant the child travel that fur 2"
''No, no." said the lady, clasping |
her hands, sit would. endanger his |
life to 90 mile farther"
Here was a dilemma! l and my
red bearded friend looked at each |
other in silent CONSERVATION. He |
was 4 man of resource, and as he |
had relieved the child of the spasm,
we ali Instinctively looked to him to |
suggest something. lie put his |
head out of the window-tirst on |
one side of the coach, then on the |
other, and made a careful survey of !
the bOundless prairies around US,
and said: Eyes, from that clump of |
trees to the North of US, there must |
be water in that vicinity, and we |
can carry the child there, and some |
of US will have to remain with the |
lady, while the rest go on with the
stage TO - station, and send back |
a tent and provisions, and, if posi-
BILE, physician"
"There is no physician there" |
said an elderly man, in a low voice /
to me, "and as desperate a set OF /
adventures, gamblers and cut
thrOats as were ever assembled to- |
gether. No safety here either, for
that matter" he added, "fOr the In
dians prowl around like wolves"
81, for one, will remain with the
LADY," said l, aloud, and involun-
tarily feeling for my pistols, for the /
Indian idea was not pleasant one.
The lady raised her eyes, swimming
70 fnan D r,I,
grateful look, that my heart gave n
great throb of happiness. Then
thought to myself, Fool that l am
to plant my own path with need
less thOrns, by falling in love with a
married woman"
Il will also stay" said Red-beard, |
to my great relief, ''for L have a /
wife and child at home, and l will |
do my duty to these, as trust 9TH |
ers would do for mine, in like cir |
cumstances."
twas pleasant to see the unselfsh |
eagerness which each passenger |
evinced to contribute to the COM |
fort of the helpless pair.
"Here is my shawl" said one, "it |
Will help to make couch for the |
little fellow"
"And here is my cloak" said !
another.
"And my overcoat," exclaimed a
third. !
And they piled their garments by
the roadside in such numbers that
it looked like an out-Of-dOors cloth
ing store.
Red-beard now asked the lady if
all her baggage must be taken off.
''Yes-nO-I do not know you