American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-04-09

there to feel like a father. / took the
little blue-eyed, red-cheeked, white
haired plumpness, and sitting her upon
my breast, l was just going to COM
mence talking to her when she said,
pointing:
".Look at 90 dog
"And, sure enough, there was that
fool dog just a-tearing around camp.
a-walloping his tail on the ground. and
every now and again jumping high ever
me and the young one, as if he had
plumb lost his Material senses. He was
the Claddest dog l ever see.
Now" 1 said to the young lady,
"what is your name?"
".Lainey.'
Where do YOU HTeP'
lin ow wagon
"'Where does your mamma live?'
'Oh, my other mamma, shes dead!
the bad Ingins killed her. Now mes
got another mamma.'
Where does the new mamma
liveP'
'.'In ow wagon.
"'Where is the wagonT
Down there pointing forward.
Down whereT said l, rising, with
the child in my arms.
"'Down there pointing again.
"'Oh, no; there isn't any wagon
dow n there. That's away off the road
s.No, 90 ask'e dog. He knowsr
81 looked inquiringly at Nep, but he
had fallen into his old. solemn, sleepy
looks again.
".W Where did you sleep last night?'
"tOo know. l sleep wiz 90 and e
dog
Il held the child in my arms, and
looked all about the sage-covered plain,
and up and down the lonesome, desolate
dust-line or road, but could see no sign
of camp smoke, nor any object indicat-
ing civilization.
80 How far did you walk, to come
here?'
".Ohi such long, long wayne
and e dog tiss me in e face and wake
me up; then-then-we walk a long
way, some more. and come here to sleep
wiz co.
We'll, now, Miss Lainey, you set
right down here on the blankets, along
side of the dog. until 1 get US some
breakfast and put the child out of
my arms.
All right! Wen soon have some
breakfast. Which do you like, Miss
Lainey, tea or coffee?
'Toffee, and heaps of sugaw.'
And so, chattering along to the
child, l fused around until I got our
little breakfast ready in the midst of the
wilderness.
"She was very hearty young lady,
and did justice to my rough efforts to
please her palate, and after breakfast.
she insisted on large pan of hot water
> 4
afford that luxury in the midst of per-
petual drought, we compromised the
matter by my agreeing to let her ride
on top of the pack-animars pack. This
arrangement delighted her no little for
a while, and also suited me first-rate,
until she got into the idee of standing
up like circus rider. She never had
much sense of fear. 1 argued. and even
scolded against this circus business, but
it was no use. and finally gave her a
rope send in each hand, which suited
her mighty fine, until she got to being
sleepy and laid down on top of the
pack and fell fast asleep, while walked
beside the jack to see that she didn't
fall off.
~ didn't reckon we should 60 far
without hearing inquiries for a lost
child, yet, as 1 passed immigrant wag-
ons, and was passed by other immigrant
wagons, they had none of them lost
child q heard of child being lost.
my little procession wasn't quite SO
solemn after we got Lainey, cause the
dog. instid OF walking behind with his
tail dropped, now marched In front,
with tail and head up; and Canary, cal
culating to keep up. with the dog:
stepped heap more lively than he did
haforo onh uo-hoo hau onlonI;lI,,
And now if you think that when Lainey
was standing up on top of Canary's
pack that we WASN'T some circus, yer
mistaken.
81 don't know what the immigrants
and stage drivers took me for-whether
they thought l was Mormon running
away from too much wife, or a widder-
er in distress, or a man what had killed
a family in order to steal gal-baby and
jack and black dog-but took myself
for man with a powerful responsible
ty on his hands.
1.-THE fust two or three days l was
awful feared / wouldn't find any one to
take Lainey off my hands. Then, by
jung, L began to dread meeting or find
ing any one who would take her. And,
at last, to tell we the truth, left
the reg lar stage road and sneaked off
over the Sierra into California by an old
Swallowed route.
Il got some changes of clothes for
Lainey here and there from immigrant
women, piece at time, and by the
time l got down into the coast coun-
ties-'cow counties some calls EN-
l was mighty handy in taking care of
that young lady.
81 got down to my stopping place
well on into November, turned my jack
out on a rancho, rented little cabin
in little town-not such n very little
town-and went to keeping house and
attending to my boss speculation.
hired an old Mexican woman to look
after Lainey when l wasn't at home.
AT last it came Christmas day, and
l had Lainey by the hand, going up
street as big as could be, to fill her
stocking, when we meets lady, and
down drops that lady on her knees on
the board walk right in front of us,
and, reaching out her arms, she said:
'Lainey Woods! Laincy Woods!
Thank God, / have found you at lastr
And that lady took my baby into
her arms and began kissing her.
"Well, it cut me so to the quick that
started away without saying one
word, and would have left, but the lit
tie one wouldn't stand no such non
sense, and came a-crying and tearing
after me, draOOinU the woman nv the