Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1875-03-13

:, SOmewhar' Pve hearn tell or rea
s sOmethin' about Il was q strange
d an they took me in.' Idon't exac
@ ly remember just how it come il
!. but it fits yer case to a dot. ,Hay
t some more beans an meat IN
s che-iId I"
q After the labors of the day ha
!. ended, and the men had finish
3 their supper, there was a generf
l call for the pet; and Dave exhibit
ed the boy to the crowd, which wa
scarcely less demonstrative than a
r noon.
"Be kinder human with him,
chided Dave, as they whooped ant
shouted. aye see, he hez met will
great atfiiction in the loss of hi
parents, an he feels put out like"
"Did he eat anything ~ callet
out miner.
"Eat! Wall, now, you orter seen
him gittin' away with beansw re
piled Dave.
When Paul found that their zeal
proceeded from kindness, he allow
ed them to pass him around. and he
answered a number of questions
much to the delight of the crowd
When he was finally taken away the
men sat down to discuss his future
His clothing was sadly out of repair
and a dozen miners offered their
softest and best garments to be cut
over for his use; one of them could
make the boy a cap; another would
try his hand upon pair of shoes ;
another would make something else,
and every man was anxious to do
something to better the pets condi-
ton.
81 tell ye, boys" said a grizzly
old miner, sit ar amful to think of
anybody's being a orphan, without
anybody to love him an call him
purity names! Peach Gulch has
got to stand by this che.ild while
there's crust in campw
"Hooray for the Pet-hooray p
yelled the men, tossing up their hats.
Dave was the best man in camp
to have the care of little Paul, al
though he was an old bachelor, and
never had any experience with child.
ren. He kept himself the cleanest,
had the most orderly shan ty, and he
would give the boy better care than
any one else could. He therefore
had the full permission of Peach
Gulch to act as sort of adopted
father and guardian to the boy;
but it was with the understanding
that every man should still have an
interest in, and consider himself
protector and champion for the
child.
There was more cheering, hand
shaking and singing in Peach Gulch
that night than had ever been
known before, although Fourth of
July had been duly celebrated twice
and everybody had caroused and
tried to feel happy.
"Durned if l don't feel woman
ish! p said one of the roughest of
the silver diggers, as somebody
brought the news that the boy had
gone to sleep for the night ; and his
partner, who had been "offish" for
q few days, reached out his hand,
and said:
"Come, Bill, gin us your hand.
We was both to blame, an both
'ools. Eve been thinkin' bout my
)wn childers back in FORK State.
an my heart is tender as a girls y
Next morning there were many
anxious inquiries around camp to
know how the pet had passed the
hight; and Dave received all dele
gates with a smile, and explained
"Slept like a rabbit! l jist lay
lown an took him on my arm, an
The fust thing l knew it was day
light, an he was pullin' my ha'r. l
lidn't remember at fust who he was
m thought an angel had dropped
trough the roof"
There were half dozen men who
lidn't go to work that day. One
,ot a soft bootleg to make pair of
hoes; another ripped up and made
'ver a shirt and before night little
Paul had new outfit. throughout.
\ woman would have laughed to
ee him thus fixed up", but as
)ave remarked, each man had done
lis "level best, and they didn't 60
cent on fashion," Paul at night
vas brought out to be admired, and
vhen the miners saw that he was
'ecOming used to his situation, and
earned from Dave that he took his