Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-11-09
A Touching Incident.

My name is Anthony Hunt. am dro-
yer, and live miles and miles away, upon
the western prairie. There wasn't house
within sight when we moved there, my wife
and | /; and now we have not many neigh
bors, though those we have are good ones.
One day about ten years ago | went away
from home to sell some fifty head of cattle
fine creatures as ever / saw. 1 was to buy
some groceries and dry goods before came
back, and above all, doll for our youngest
Dolly; she never had a shop doll of her
own, only the rag babies her mother had
made her. Dolly could talk of nothing
else, and went down to the very gate TO call
after me, "Buy big one" Nobody but
parent can understand how my mind was
on that toy, and how, when the cattle were
sold, the first thing hurried off to buy was
Doly's doll. found a large one, with eyes
that would open and shut when you pulled
wire, and had it wrapped up in paper,
| and tucked it under my arm, while / had
the parcels of calico and delaine and tea
and sugar put up. 1t might have been
more prudent to stay until morning. but
felt anxious to get back, and eager to hear
Dolly's pratt, about the doll she was so anx-
| iously expecting.
/ mounted on steady going old horse of
mine, and pretty well loaded. Night set in
before was a mile from town, and settled
down dark as pitch while | was in the mid
| die of the widest bit of the road know of.
| could have felt my way through, remem-
bered it 80 well, and it was almost that
when the storm that had been brewing,
broke, and pelted the rain in torrents, five
miles, or maybe six, from home too. | rode
on as fast as could but suddenly heard
little cry like childs voice. / stopped
short and listened. l heard it again. |
called aud it answered me. | couldn't see
thing. All was dark as got down and
felt in the grass called again, and again
was answered. Then l began to wonder.
I'm not timid but | was known to be a
drover, and to have money about me. / am
not superstitious--not vary-but how could
real child be out on the prairie in such a
night at such an hour? 1t might be more
than human. The bit of coward that
hides itself in most men showed itself to me
then, and was half inclined to rum away ;
but once more I heard that piteous cry, and,
laid |, "If any mans child is hereabouts,
Anthony Hunt is not the man to let it lie
here to die ! searched again. At last |
bethought me of hollow under the hill,
and CROPPED that way. Sure enough found
a little dripping thing that moaned and
sobbed as / took it in my arms. | called
my horse, and the beast came to me, and
mounted and tucked the little soaked thing
under my coat as well as l could, promising
TO take it home to its nanny. 1t seemed
tired to death, and pretty soon cried itself
to sleep against my bosom. 1t had slept
there over an hour, when | saw my own
windows. There were lights in them, and
| supposed my wife had lit them for my
sake; but when l got into the yard l saw
something was the matter, and stood still
with dead fear of heart FIVE minutes before
could lift the latch. At last did it, and
saw the room full of neighbors, and my wife
amid them weeping. When she saw me she
hid her face.
30 don't tell him r. she cried. at will
kill him."
"What is it, neghbors ?" cried.
And one said, "Nothing now, I hope.
What's that in your arms p
"a poor lost child" said I, al found it on
the road. Take it, will you I've turned
faint" And lifted the sleeping thing and
saw the face OF my own child, my little
Dolly
1t was my darling, and no other, that |
had picked up upon the drenched road Ny
little child had wandered out to meet
daddy" and the doll, while her mother was
at work, and whom they were lamenting as
one dead. thanked God on my knees be-
fore them all. 1t is not much of story
tory, neighbors; but think of it often in
nights, and wonder how could bear to live
now if had not stopped when heard the
cry for help upon the road-the little baby
cry, hardly louder than a squirrels chirp.
All, friends, the blessings of our work
often come nearer to our homes than we
ever dare to unprecedented.