River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-12-06

NV name is Anthony Hunt. l am a
drover aud live miles and miles away upon
the western prairie. There wasn't house
within sight when we moved there, my
wife and l, 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
caffeine creatures as ! ever saw l was
to buy some groceries and dry goods be-
fore come back, and. above all, doll for
onr Youngest Dolly; she had never had a
store doll of her own-only the rag babies
her mother had made her.
Dolly could talk nothing else, and went
down to the very gate to call after me TO
buy big one. Nobody but parent can
understand how full my mind was.of that
t oy. and how, when the cattle were sold,
the first thing j buried off to buy Dolly $
Doll. | found large one, with eyes that
would open and shut when You pulled
wire. and had il wrapped up in paper, and
tucked II under my arm, while | had the
parcels of calico and delaine and tea and
sugar put up. Then, late sit was starr
ed for home. 1t might have been more
prudent to stay until morning, but ! felt
| anxious to get back, and eager 10 hear
Dolly's praise about her doll.
| was mounted on steady gong OLD
horse of mine, and pretty well loaded
Night set in before was mile from town,
and settled down dark as pitch while | was
in the middle of the widest bit of road l
know Of could have felt my way, though,
remembered it so well and was almost
| when the storm that had been brewing broke
and peltad the rain in torrents, five miles,
| or NAV be six, from home yet, too.
| rode on as fast as / could, but all of a
sudden heard a little cry like child's
voice. l stopped short and listened 1
| heard it again. ! called and ii answere j
me- | couldn't see thing; all was dark as
pitch / got down and felt about in tho
| grass-called again ana again was an
| swered. Then | began to wonder. I'm
not timid but | was known to be droyer
| and to have money about me. 1t might be
| trap to catch me unawares and rob ana
| murder me.
am not superstitious--no very; but how
could real child be out in the prairies in
such night, at such an hour? Itmlght be
more than human.
The bit of coward that hides itself n
most men showed itself to me then, and l
| was half inclined TO run away, but once
more heard that cry, and said l.
IF any mans child is hereaboutS, An
| th0ny Hunt is not the man to let II die.
| searched again. AT last | hethought me
of a hollow under tAe hill, aud CROPPED
that way. Sure enough | found little
| dripping thing, that moaned and sobbcd 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 | could, promising to
| take it home to 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 nv own windows There were lights
| in them, and / supposed my wife had lit
| them for my sake; but when | got into the
| door, yard | 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 fun OF
| neighbors, and my wife amid them weeping
When she saw me she hid her face.
ooh, don't tell him." size said. at will
kill him.
What is it, neighbours" cried.
And one said:
Nothing now, 1 hope what's that in
your arms?"
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 none other, that l
had picked IN upon the drenched road.
My 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 Heaven on my knees
before them all. II is not much of a story,
neighbors but / think of it often in the
nights, and wonder how could bear to live
now if had not stopped when / heard the
cry for help upou the road, the little baby,
hardly louder than squirrels chirp
That's Dolly yonder with her mother in
the meadow, girl worth saying-I think
(but then I'm her father, and partial,
maybe) the prettiest and sweetest thing
this side Of the Mississippi.