Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1875-03-20
'Let tho che.ild come and kiss

1
"You aint Dave! you aint Dave! =
Paul screamed, shrinking back; and
nothing could induce him to &c
nearer the wounded man. An hour
after midnight he sObbed himself to
sleep, and Peach Gulch had more
sorrow than it had ever known be.
fore. ...
| All of the miners were rude sur.
geons, and they made the injured
man as comfortable as circumstan.
ces would permit, though they dar-
ed not hope he would live beyond a
few hours. ...
| There was no work in the gulch
next day. Everybody liked Dave.
lie was = sort of father to them all ,
always maintaining an even temper,
and having superior judgment.
When morning came he rallied, in
stead of sinking. They wondered
at it, for he was not remarkably
strong. but behind his constitution
was will as strong as ever given
to man.
III hev got to live for the che-ild,"
he said to the sad-faced miners and
he was going to make will conquer
death, even though he stood in the
shadow of the sombre mantle.
The miners hoped that the face
would look better by the light Of
day, but it did not. The nose was
smashed and broken. one Of the
eyes had nearly been torn out, and
there were wounds on the cheeks
which would leave deep scars. They
did not dare tell him how badly he
was hurt, and they were thankful
that he made no inquiries.
Little Paul was made to under
stand that Dave had fallen upon
the rocks, and was seriously injured,
and then they took him into the
shanty, fearing that he might ex-
press terror and aversion. and there
by wound the noble heart, and yet
hoping he would not.
Dave had been sleeping lightly.
AS he heard the boys voice he un-
closed his eyes, and asked:
.'Hev ye brought pet fur me to
see ?"
The men brought the boy for
ward. The patches on the miners
face did not look AS hideons MS the
blood, and Paul was not as fright
ened as before.
"Be you Dave!" he asked, as he
leaned over the miner.
"Yes, my che,ild, ar'-kiss me
once !" replied Dave.
The boy did it, though unwilling,
ly, and then he shrank away again.
"He's kinder scarf like" explain
ed one of the men, "but reckon
he loves ye jist the same !"
81 hope SOL hope so !" replied
Dave and there were tears in his
eyes.
Paul was very quiet for the next
week. They made him understand
that Dave was very sick, but might
get we'll, and that it was necessary
for some one else to take charge of
him. "Uncle Sile" was the man
chosen. He was widower, with
three or four children somewhere in
the East, and was next best to Dave
in all that would be needed in a
guardian. He took the pet to his
shanty, and in a little time the boy
clung to him as he had to Dave.
There were days when Dave was
wild with pain, and could have no
one but the nurse around the shan
ty; and again there were times
when he was cheerful, and wanted
the pet to sit by him. After a time
the bones of the arm began to knit,
and the wounds to heal, and it was
settled that the miner would live.
Then he wanted the pet restored to
the shanty. !
"Seems as if I'd get we'll faster if
the boy was here" he pleaded; and
the two men who had taken turns
at nursing him, felt that a critical
hour had arrived.
They were not keen, sharp men
in the study of human nature, but
they had seen from the first that
the pet was to go back on Dave. 1t
was hard for the boy to believe that
the crushed and wounded man,
with his face so terribly destroyed,
and his voice so altered, aoas Dave.
He felt afraid of him from the start,
and the longer he remained with
Uncle Sile, the more he dreaded to
90 in and face Dave.