Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-03-08

+ yOu, sald she.
"Oh, you don't hurt" said he. "Ca
you sing?'
"Oh, yes--lots Of things" answere
the child promptly. "What do yo
like the best-'Tommy Green o
Happy Land q"
]. "Well, whichever is livelicst," re
. piled Sam, shifting the child to til
J other shoulder, while she sang Tom
my Green" with the best spirit
soaked child could command.
"That sounds che-ery," said Sam.
"Why, how funny you talk !" sal,
she what makes YOU say things 81
shaky-like z"
"Oh, just felt cold for a minute.
rcplicd Sam, very hastily" "Wouldn'
1t be nice il we could warm III
water somehow:
1 "To think Of warming all the waite
ina big river!" said she: show fun
ny !"
! "'Tis nonscnsical. isn't? Sam ad
mitted. "Wcll, 'twonld be nice i
somebody was making soap, and W,
were standing by the fire, wouldn'
I it? What was the biggest fire yo,
ever saw
j "'Twas old Brctzgcr's barn." sale
she, promptly. sIt burned way NJ
to the sky, and made my face warn
i way off on the fence, as far as from
here across the river"
"Did it roar and cracklc. and lool
red and comfortable 2. asked Sam.
i Eyes. indeed!" said the child. san
shifted her from ono shoulderi 10 tn
other again, and once more gave ven
to several calls, hut no one responded
1 There was dead silence for littl,
while, and then the child remarked
/ "It's kinder lonesome hcrc--wh,
4 don't You say something?"
"I-lm kind o sleepy" said San
Strengthening himself a little.
"Why, its early in the morning -
exclaimed the child-s.,he idea of he
ing sleepy"
| Il guess was up very late la,
night said Sam, in explanation
"Aren't You glad caught the hridg,
and kept You from floating way
down the river--nobody knows hoa
far?"
! "Oh amt !" replied the little girl
"Thcn couldn't you give me kiss 2
asked the rescucr.
/ "l1l give you 4 thousand" said tht
child, impetuously, as Sam lifted hel
of his shoulder and i'm front Of him
carefully holding her so high that hol
feet should not get wet.
"Whv, how blue you look" she ex,
claimed, as she saw his face.
"lt's the reflection of the water
makes one look that way" explained
Sam, pressing her tightly to hi
breast, and kissing her many times
But yon think I'm good for somethiat
don't you?'
"Yon're gooder than anybody il
the world hut papa" replied tn,
child.
"That's a darling said sam. put
| ting her back on his shoulder. Thel
he took from his pocket long piece
of "tront-line"--a heavy fishing
line made to hold forty or iifty hook
yard apart-and managed TO throw
the end around the tree by which h,
stood, and catch 1t again.
"Now hold tight to my head sal,
he 81 want to use both hands mo
ment. Why didn't think Of thi
line when the skiif floated or:
might have caught it, OGod." !"
"Oh, you swear.' exclaimed Iii
child.
i "Not--eyactly," said Sam. hesitat
ingly, though he did not explain
lie tied the line tightly around hi
body, so that he was fastened agains
shn ht f,an o,,l 4.
river. Then nc bent his head for
ward and said:
4 ";See if you can sit on my back
now, with one foot over each of IN,
shoulders"
The little girl wrigglcd about
little, and then exclaimed:
"Oh, yes its just like chair. will
the big tree for a haek-it'S awtu
comfortable.
swell, when ! go TO Sleep, sale
j Sam, ''you can sit there withou, IN,
holding you: do you sec?'
4 Yes" replied the child, "but
don't want you to GO TO sleep-l'll b
so Lonesome"
4 ooh, no; you can keep a-lookin;
for boats" said sam. "Ifaye you 90
"a handkerchief
/ "No."
'.Then wave my hat and halloa. i
You see a boat do you understand !.
I "Ycs, understand"
Two or three moments passed in 81
lencc. which the child broke by ask
ing:
"What are yon whispering about !!
IL was thinking about the onl
friend I've got left, and l was whis
pering Just what I'd say if saw him.
said Sam, not overload. "Do yo'
ever say prayers
"Oh, yes every night and morn
ing"
Cant yon say little PRAYER 10
me? l don't like to 20 to sleep with
out praying, and the Lord might hca
two people better than one. DO yo
ever tell lies z"
"No--not never at all.
.'Then you ask the Lord To let IN
wake up in the right place.
when the boat comes, You mean
"Yes: and ask him TO let the ferry
man take me where my mother is.
The child was silent for moment
then she said:
"Dear Lord, let the man that's bee
so good to me wake up in the rigl
place when the boat comes, and b
took right TO where his mother i
and let her love him awful much fo
taking me of the bridge. And I'll b
/. q real good girl il you will. FC
Chrisl's sake. Amen.
"Thank yon," said Sam, hoarsel,
{ reaching up wet hand and claspin
the chila's little fingers. snow sin
"Happy Land" And don't--forget-
to wave-the hat and-hailoa.'
The child began to sing. and Sam
head dropped. 1t fell lower all
. lowen. until, when the song was iii
ished, the singer had good broa
c scat.
"Don't it hurt you to lean.ovcr so
/, she asked. But She received no re
! ponsc.
! On the same morning, as the coo
/, (ior the day. of the flatboat Rougl
. and-Ready was taking doome
chicken from cook on deck. he hcal
a shrill scream, and, looking up, 81
a little girl sitting upon somethil
!; where the bank should be. lie ha
!, tily called up the crew.. took Il
: boats skifi' and rowed off 10 tho chill
!; She was glad enough to be release
! from her position. and begged Il
: men TO wake up the dear good ma
J. who had taken her of the bridge.
"Who tied him that way?- dcma
ded the old man who was the cook
O companion.
: "Hc did, HIMSELF said the chill
Q "Hc said he was so sleepy, and he til
himself SOS not to fall in the wat
0 and drown us both. And then
9 went to sleep"
II hope" said the old man. WI
9 was a Methodist elass-leadcr. .th
n he fell asleep in Jesus, for he'll nev
+ wake again in this world"
The natboat was worked ashore
! the next town, and the dead man W
= soon identified. 1t was proposed J
: some Of the residents to leave the /
y mains, under suitable guard in
barn not far from the river, until Il
3 Coroner should arrive, but when Il
J, wifn 0f oyvunr of The harm heard ho