St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-11-25
THF WEE CRY IN THE NIGHT.
A Tender Hearted Western Drover Finds
q Lost child ia the Storm, Takes
1t HOmr and finds Ii His

q Lost child tn fhe Storm, Takes
1t HOm- and finds 1t His
Otrn Little Oae.
From the 81. Louis Globe -Demoerst)
My name is Anthony Hunt. / am q
drover, aud live miles and miles away upon
the western prairie. There wasn't house in
sight when i first moved there, my wife and
l, and now We have not 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. i was to buy
some groceries and dry goods before came
back, and above ali doll for our youngest,
Dolly. She had never had a store doll Of
her own-Only rag babies her mother had
made her.
Dolly could talk nothing else, and went
down 10 the very gate 20 call after me to get
big one. Nobody but parent can under
stand how full my mind was on that toy,
and how. when the cattle were sold, the first
thing hurried of to buy was Dolly's doll.
found large one with eyes that would
open aud shut when you pull q wire, and
had it wrapped up in \ paper and tucked it
under my arm while bad the parcels of
calico and delaIue and tea and sugar put up.
Then, late as it was, started for home. 1t
night have been more prudent to stay until
morning, but felt anxious to get back and
eager to hear Dolly's praises abont her doll.
| was mounted on q steady going old horse
and pretty we'll loaded. Night set in before
/ was a mile from town, and settled down as
dark as pitch while was in the middle OF
the darkest bit Of road know OF. I could
have felt my way, though, remembered IL
so well; and when the storm that had been
brewing broke and pelted the rain in tor
rents, was i've miles OF maybe six miles
from home
rode as fast as could, but all Of sud
den heard a little cry like a child's voice.
/ stopped short aud listened. 7 heard IL
again. ! called and it answered me. 7
couldn't see thing; all was as dark as
pitch. / got down aud felt around in the
grass-ealled again, aud again was an
swered. Then / began 10 wonder I'm not
dmid, but was known to be 2 drover, and
TO have money about me. II might be a trap
TO catch me unawares and rob aud murder
ne. j am not superstitiOus, not very, but
how could a real child be out ON the prairie
in such night, at such an hOurl u might
he more than human. The bit Of a coward
that hides itself in most men showed itself
10 me then, but once more / heard the cry.
aud. said Il
''If any mans child is hereabouts Anthony
Hunt is not the man TO let it die''
searched again. ~ last bethought me
of hollow under the hill and CROPPED that
way. Sure enough / found little dripping
thing that moaned and sObbed as took IL in
nv arms. called my horse and the beast
came 10 me and mounted and tucked the
little soaked thing under nv CLOAK as well as
/ could, promising TO take il home 70 mamma.
II seemed so tired, and pretty soon cried it
self 10 sleep on my bosom.
II had slept there over an hour when saw
my own windows. There were lights in
them, and supposed nv wife had lit them
for my sake, but when / got into the doorway
/ saw something was the matter. and stood
still with dread fear Of heart i've minutes
before / could lifI the latch. AT last did il.
and saw the nom full Of neighbors and NV
wife amid them weeping. When she saw
me she It'd her face.
sob, don't tell him." she said, SIT will
kill him"
''What Is It, neighborsl'' cried.
Nothing now, hope. What's that you
have in your arm!i'
"A poor lost child said I; sI found II
on the road. Take It, will y0ul I've turned
faint. Aud lifted the sleeping thing and
saw the face OF my own child, my Dolly.
II was my own darling and none other
that hal picked up on the drenched road.
Ny little child had wandered out to meet
papa and the doll while mother was at work,
and they were lsmenting her AS one dead
/ thanked heaven on my knees before them.
1t is not much of a story, ueighbars, but
think OF II often IN the nights aud wonder
how could bear 10 live now II had not
stopped when heard the cry for help upon
the road, hardly louder than squirrels
chirp.
That's Dolly yonder with her mother in
the meadow; girl worth saving, think;
but, then, I'm her father and partial, maybe:
the prettiest and sweetest thing this side of
the Mississippi.