Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-01-04
YIR KER.

YIK KEF.
Aft'r father dic ! some ten years AGO.
i found that for three wears we Ind
been living on credit. was eighteen.
strong and well. but did not know how
70 work. In the little back room of the
New York tenement house (by the way.
the landlady seized my clothes for our
remit cOnsidc. ed my future. | had
inherited great faith IN relatives, from
my father, so | wrote TO seven. | re-
cetved six polite notes, telling me TO 90
to work, aud the following letter:
JnNEsnnHo. CnLoH ,Do-JAuKsoN's RANCH.
DnAh NELi:-lm your cousin Jack. Your
,hthcr once give inc money To- come out West.
Two took up land. got n Coinfortnhlc home NO
style or frills. but roo folks 20 live with an 4
nchthy Eruh. I've gOt tho best wife you ever
- end s.Ncn hno youngsters The city nin't
no place Tor friendles- Eiri. Wife wants you
to come she'll be "a mother To- y1u. Come
hEht on VI meet you at Denver. JACE.
lnclosod was n check sufficient to do
Tray expenses; so | started. Denver
was then only large town and the do
pot barn-like structure. got out Of
the cars and stood bcwilderrd among
all the cmigrants and their bundles
Some one touched me ON the shoulder
roughly-drcsscd. broad-shoulderrd
man with long. blonde beard and big.
blue eyes.
Are you NellP" he said.
Yes; and you're Cousin Jack"
81 knew YOU he said rs he led the
way. "by your black clothes an sorrcr-
ful look. an them big. blue eyes. like
yer fathers NJ two peas Wei Git the
shadcr outer 'em when we cit home.
Yer father waa mighty rood man.
Bless yer dear heart. don : let them
tears come. This ore : dry country:
we don't waste no water"
Comforting me in his kind. rough
way, he reached his team, n big. green
wagon. drawn by two wild-look inc
steeds which I aftcrwar,l knew to b,,
bronchoS. 4 fat. blonde boy, about
twelve, held the rcins
That's Ted said Cousin JACK
lied, this il Miss Nell. YER cou>in. Give
her a hug Tho fat boy solcmnly
obeyed
After this he seemed To- have n special
claim ON my affections because he met
me first Jacks wife was iolly.
plump woman, with brown ewes and
curly hair. Sio always had n baby i'm
her arms and another nc her heels. She
ndOrcd Jack. l never knew them to
have quarrel. sOOu grew tO love the
lie ~ the ranch. liked the big. half
finished house. its untidyness and COM
tort-its pleasant. healthy atmosphere.
loved the children, the household pets
-Shep. the Sagncious dog; Thad. the
clever cat; the hens and sheep; the
horses Dolly. Dot and Daisy. that did
the blowing and the markc ing ut Den
Yer, twelve miles away. aud were so
gentle and Kind we used To ride them
without saddle or bridle. I learned
that cattle grew fat ON the dry-lookin0
grass and gave the best OF milk. 4
learned tn love the broad plains and the
glorious sunsets, and to watch the dis
tant bands Of Indians with half fear.
halt interest. helped Cousin Mary.
scwcd and cooked. kept the house and
children neat and lifted many burdens
from her weary shoulders. We were 80
happy. The children and I took long
walks over the plains. and Ted and Il
took many rides ON Dolly and Dot, and
IN the long winter evenings I told the
children stories. Occasionally Harry
White came over 20 yisit us from his
ranch five mjlcs away. lie lived with
his old mother; he and Jack were dear
used TO say. winking ut me.
One day Jack went To Denver for
supplies lie went alonr. and coming
homo later than usual Ted and and
baby Name went out To meet him.
Jack looked sober aud guilty. aud
SEEMED III ut ease. n be over drank.
should have thought him intoxicated.
In the wagon was n qucer-shaped heap
under horse-blankct. / was sure Il
moved. When we 20 behind the barn
Jack said, shecpishly. avoiding my eve:
well. Ted, calkcrlatc I've 90,
~ thing In that there Vaughn that nj
astunish yer marin"
Little Name pulled the blanket of
the heap; she had been pesp'ng under
10 all the while she was i'm the back OF
the wagon. There lay human being.
Such ON object; short and squat.
dressed In n queer blue blouse with
flowing slcCv, =. wide trousers and queer
wooden shoes. lie hal small. black
eyes, shavcn POLL. from which de-
pended n long. thin queue. His counte-
nance was battered and bruised. his
clothes torn and bloody.
There was u row down TO Denver. -
said Jack; 1.-THE Christian folks stove in
these ere heathen's windcrs. tore their
houses down, an killed half on 'em. I
cleared out soon rs I could. When
got half way home heard n noise back
o. me, and out crawled this thing.
was so dumbfounded couldn't speak.
He thought was going ter send him
back, an he fell ter erwin and iabber.
in In that zap II his, an clingin' onter
my han an kssin' of Il. IL sorter
turned my stomach. I told him ter set
down. < w him some crackers ter cat.
covered him up an told him he could
live with me. What do you s'posC
marm'll sayP'
''Ohl Cousin Jack" l said, ''oI
course. she viii not care. Your home
Is refuge for all the wretched and un.
fortunate"
Now, don't Nell" he said, turning
a. red as rose, and busying himself
about the harness. The Celestial
looked az US solemnly; Name toddlet
up n him. He looked al her curiously
but did not move.
Get out. John" said Jack; ..yo,
needn't be scared no more; we're 4
home"
He got out stifiy. and. to my sur
prise. turneC and lifted the baby down
She caught his pig-tail and pulled Il Il
wild delight He seemed grieved whcl
took hoe away. When Jack told Mary
the good soul found q thousand reason