River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1874-01-20


The clap-boarded saloon stood in tue
same old place Just as had first seen
it, but its dilapidatad condition show
ed that the institution was poorly pat
Tonized. A crowd had gathered near
I it-not such crowd as in the olden
time, but sober aud quiet one. Every
one looked anxious to tell me some
thing, but no one spoke till / found my
friend Thorp. Taking my hand kindly,
he led me aside, and for moment was
silent. "Well, Cap" he said, earnest
! ly, "thiugs is rough on the Bar, they
amt like they was when you left.
She's gone-that's Daisy aud things
amt gone right for some o. the boys
ever since. Yes, Cap, is is mighty
roughl"
/ | asked you where Daisy had remov.
ed to.
20 no, Cap, you don't understand.
i The old woman she went back to Sac
ramento broken hearted, they said ::
/ but. Daisy, she's gone called for, taken
up among the stars where she belong.
ed. We miss Daisy, Cap. She got
round some o. the boys, and she made
them promise to knock of their grog !:
haint touched it since, and I've saved
little. If she'd only staid, this thing
wouldn't a happened. You see, Cap"
he continued, there's how it was !:
One O. the boys got badly hurt in his
drift across the creek, and one mornin'
Daisy started over to take him some
thin, and it was q runnin' bankfull, aud
the log was slippery, and-well we
found Daisy mile below, with her
brown hair all tangled among the will
lows, and her blue eyes kind o. plead
in for help; and we brought her back
poor thing There want single
drink taken on the Bar that day, Cap
1t seemed to go agin the boys. And
Oregon Sis--her that we all thought so
( bad-she combed out the tangled hair,
and she knelt Dr. n and kissed Daisy,
and went tw miles a-foot up the
meadows and got flowers and put them
in the little blue hands, and there's
where we laid her, Cap-up there
where you see them white pickets."
For some time the poor fellow could
/ say no more, but sat with his face bur-
led in his hands.
"And Joe asked.
/" Hush," he said, pointing to the
saloon. "Joe's III there his sands
about PANIED down-shot, night afore
last, in row. Joe's a-passing' in his
checks, sure You see, Joe went to
the bad. He sat by the old foot log,
melancholy-like, and wandered up and
down the creek, and no one could do
anything with him, and he took to
drink again, and the cussed temper
came back, and he got to quarreling
with everybody. Night afore last he
got in row with Portegee John.
in poker game they both drawed.
but John was too quick for him, and
Joe's bad hurt. The doctor saws he
amt got no Twin show. May be you'd
like to see him, Cap -
We went together into the room
where the wounded man lay. The
broken windows were darkered with
blankets, and on pallet we found the
poor fellow, breathing heavily, and
two of the boys tanning him tenderly
as mother. The ashy face and heavy
drops of sweat that gathered on the
forehead told the unspeakable agony
OF the sufferer, and showed that, sure
enough, Joe sand was nearly run out,
and he loved all human leecherait We
had not meant to disturb him, but his
ear, quickened by pain, caught our
stealthy footsteps, and, turning round,
he recognized me.
go, Cap" he said, "you have come
at last. / knew she would send some
one to talk to me, as she used toto
tell me about that blessed land where
Christ lives-Htm that she just made
me understand a little, when she left
us. And pray for me, Cap, and ask
Daisy to forgive me for letting the
devil come back, and forgettin' all
that she taught me. She told me, if
would only believe all she said, that |
would go to a glorious land that was
away beyond the stars. She's gone
there, Cap, and | believe every word
of it now. O, can you pray She
taught me, but I've most forgot how.
If ever | felt like praying it was then.
If ever | felt able TO ask forgiveness
for poor, hayward shattered soul,
trembling on the brink of the I'm
known, about to be weighed in the
balance of the Eternal, 1t was at that
4 uIOHtHbs OOOu IQtfe WAS SlleDcc un-
broken, save by few smothered sobs
among the bystanders but qniet,
peaceful light rested on poor Joe's
face. " Come close, he said, in low
tone, " feel better now; know that
I'm goin' to where she is, and some
how l don't feel SO much pain.
Tell the boys to lay me be-
side her; there's room enough,
and / can find the way to where
she is. And Cap" he whispered, as
he reached his hand under the pillow
and drew out two pictures, put
these on my heart, for they belong
there poor old mother and her--the
only two that ever knew how TO reach
it. Write 10 mother how it was, and
that if / did forget her ! never will
again When I'm gone, whisper 20
Daisy that | believed 1t all, every word
of it that 1 found the road at last,
and am comm. Yes, Cap, I'm goin' to
/ Da--n
Poor Joe the blessed seeds of light
sown by the little Daisy had taken
root M last and an unruly and turbu.