Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1882-02-09
No. Il.
LITTLE DOLLY.
4 Western DrOver's Story.

My name is Anthony Hunt am drover.
and live miles and miles away upon the
Western prairie. There wasn't a house within
sight when l moved there, my wife and !,
and now we haven't many neighbOrs 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. | was to buy
some groceries and dry goods before l came
back, and above all, Il doll for our Youngest
Dolly; she had never a store 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 to buy
her big one. Nobody but parent can
understand how full my mind WAS of that
toy, and how, when the cattle were sold, the
first thing | hurried Off TO buy Dollys doll
L found a large one, with eyes that would
open and shut when you pulled q Wire and
had 1t wrapped up in paper, and tackled it
under my arm, while ! had the parcels of
calico and delaine and tea and sugar put up
Then, late as it was, ! started tor home 1t
might have been more prudent 10 stay until
morning, but | felt anxious 10 get back, and
eager to hear Dolly praises about her doll
l was mounted on Il steady going old horse
OF mine, and pretty well loaded. Night set
in before | was a mile from town and settled
down as dark as pitch while | was in the
middle of the widest bit OF road know Of
[ could have felt my way, though, | remem-
bered it so well; and when the storm that
had been brewing broke and pelted the rain
in torrents | was five miles or maybe six from
home yet, too.
| rode as fast as could. but all of sud
den heard little cry like q child's voice. |
stopped short and listened-I heard it again.
l called and it answered me. l couldn't see
thing all was dark as pitch. got down
and felt around in the grass called again,
and again was answered. Then l began to
wonder. I'm not timid, but was known to
be drover and to have money about me. 1t
might be q trap to catch me unawares and
rob and murder me.
[ am not superstitiOus-no very ; but how
could real child be out in the prairies in
such 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, but once
more heard the cry, and said I:
IF any mans child is hereabouts, An
thony Hunt is not the man to let it die
| searched again. At last | bethOught me
OF q hollow under the hill, and groped that
way. Sure enough found little dripping
thing, that moaned and sobbed as took it
in my arms. l called my horse, and the
beast came to me, and mounted and tucked
he little soaked thing under my coat as
we'll as | could, promising to take it home to
1t seemed tired to death, and
pretty soon cried itself to sleep against my
)OSUm
1t had slept there over an hour when |
Jaw my own windows. There were lights in
I, T fo IL,
or my sake but when | got into the door
ard I saw something was the matter, and
TODD still with q dead fear of heart five
minutes before / could lift the latch At
asst did it, and saw the room full of neigh
'ors, and my wife and them weeping.
When she saw me she hid her face
"Oh, don't tell him. she said. 1T will
ill him.
What is it, neighbors?'' | cried
Nothing now, hope-what's that in your
rms %
"A poor, lost child' said L. Il found it
II the road Take it, will you? I've turned
amt" And l lifted the sleeping thing and
aw the face of my own child, my Dolly.
1t was my darling, and none other, that |
ad picked up ON the drenched road
My little child had wandered out to meet
daddy and the doll, while her mother was
t work, and whom they were lamenting as
ne dead. l thanked heaven on my knees
efore them all. 1t is not much of story,
eighbors, but think of it often in the
lights, and wonder how / could bear to live
ow if had not stopped when heard the
ry for help upon the road, the little baby,
ardly louder than a squirrels chirp.
That's Dolly, yonder with her mother in
he meadow, a girl worth saving-I think
out then I'm her father, and partial maybe)
le prettiest and sweetest thing this side Of
lie Mississippi.