Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-11-25
JOHNS PROMISE.
An Incident of Western Pioneer Life.

An Incident of Western Pioneer Life.
Sumner was a mushroom city which
had sprung up on the banks of ravine
that cut through the western bluffs of
the Missouri. In thicket of oak sap
tings, high up on the side of one of
those bluffs, stood hastily built house,
sided with rough, upright cottonwood
boards, a rusty stovepipe sticking
through the roof small window, cur.
tanned by a scollop edged newspaper; {;
and white door taken from sunken
steamboat, whose nicely finished panels
contrasted strangely with it's surround
ings, complt ting the exterior.
One pleasant May evening, just as
the shrill whistle of a steamboat echoed
among the hills, this door was opened
by pleasant young woman, who was
followed by crying child.
"Oh, Sammy, quit your noise; that's
pappy's little man; see the great boet
way yonder ;" lifting him up; "dont
you see9 look right sharp now, close
ag'in' the bank. Does Sammy want to
go down town and see the big boat, and
see pappy2" The willing feet toddled
down the path; but the mother called
"Wait bit, and nanny IL pac'
Sammy" and, tying on pink sunboF
net, she took him in her arms and stal
ed down the steep, crooked path.
She reached the steep main street I,
find it filed with wagons that had bee,
turned crosswise of the street, to ref
the teams. But, edging her way clos
to the clay bank, she reached the river
just as the steamer was leaving The
wharf. The snortipg of the engine and
the shouting of the deck hands, togeth-
er with the putting of the mill near by,
was too much for baby bravery, and
Sammy's lip begun to quiver. Catch,
ing him in her arms, his mother sol
down on a sawlog, saying: "There,
there, honey, don't be afeared, be
pappy's man, now."
The tide waves of the receding boat
sunk lower and lower on the sand; the
gay crowds that leaned over the guards
grew indistinct, and she peered more
and more eagerly in among the tall cot.
tonwood trees on the opposite shore. At
length four men came out of the woods,
and, entering skiff, started across the
river. She watched the skiff anxiously,
for it frequently disappeared between
the waves which were raised by the
strong south wind.
-Four rough looking men, in red
woolen shirts-for lumbermen did not
pretend to wear coats, except in the
coldest weather-jumped out of the
skiff, and, with boisterous laughter and
rude iests, entered the mill. Presently
one of them spies her and came to
ward her saying, boisterously
"Hoorah for you, Nancy Whatever
brought you'un down ere this time
of evenin' Mighty fine doin's, when
you ougbter be to home gettin' your
old man bite O. supper Packed that
young 'un down, too, I'll bet Reckon
you'd as well get back right quick,
nowl" He snatched the baby from hel
and tossed him on his shoulder, shout
ing: "Hoorah for pappy's man
Peertest boy in this ERE town. Mighty
proud to see his pap" Poor Nancy
Her husband was drunk again.
She hurried up the street, pinnine
her deep sunbonnet more closely
about her face, that the passers might
not see the tears that would come. He
had kept sober so long that she haG
hoped he would come home sober again
She had anticipated so much pleasure
of meeting him, after his weeks alb
sence. How often she had thought O
it in those long, lonely nights, whe1
sho had only her child and hei thought
for company.
1t took but a few minutes to put sup
per on the table. Then she sat down OF
the doorstep to watch for her husband
worrying oil the time lest he let some
thing happen to Sunny. When at las
he came the effects of the liquor wer,
wearing off, and he ate his SUP per an,
smoked his pipe in sullen silence. Sh
could not eat mouthful, but she daret
not let the tears come, for she knev
that it would make him angry. So sh
fed Sammy, laying her face on his littl
head once in while, to force back th
choking lump that kept rising in he
throat. Then she fastened to rock hir
to sleep, lest his fretfulness should dis
turb his father.
The first peep of dawn found be
busily preparing breakfast, for sh
knew that John wanted an early start
The sound of the coffeemill woke hir
from his heavy sleep, and he lay auiet
ly watching her by the light of the dir
lamp, as she moved quickly back an
forth from table to stove from thence {
the little row of shelves, in lieu of cur
board, setting on the dishes, watchin
the bacon, and taking the crisp cor
dodger from the oven. "She is deal
good wife," thought he; "what scour
drel was to make her feel SO badly.
He knew that he had been rough to he
the night before. He wished that
could remember what he said. c
course he never got dead dunk, but
wished that he could forever let whish
alone.
His breakfast was just to his likine
and his wife as cheerful as If he was I'll
hook MON in kha xuOrIJ T. -u~uLu1 4