River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-08-20
THE DRoVER'S STORY.

| | am drover, and live miles and
miles away upon the western prairie.
There was not house within sight
when we moved there, my wife and !,
and now we haven 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-lin creatures as ever | saw.
| was to buy some groceries and dry
goods before | came back, and, above
all, doll for our youngest, Dolly; she
had never had a store-doll of her own,
only the rag babies her mother made
her.
Dolly could talk of nothing else, and
went down TO the very gate to call after
me to ''buy big one. Nobody but a
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 Dolly's doll / found
a large one, with eyes that would open
and shut when you pulled a wire, and
had wrapped it up in paper, and
tucked it under my arm, while | had
the parcels of calico and delaine and
tea and sugar put up. Then, late as it
was, / started for home. II might have
been more prudent to stay until morn
ing, but | felt anxious to get back, and
eager to hear Dolly's prattle about her
toy.
was mounted on q steady-going
old horse Of mine, and pretty well load
ed Night set in before | was a mile
from town, and settled down dark as
pitch while | was in the middle of the
widest bit of road | knew Of. | rode
on as fast as | could; but all of sud-
den / heard little cry, like child
voice! stopped short, and listened
| heard it again. | called, and it an
swered me- couldn t see a thing; all
was dark as pitch. l got down and
felt about in the graSs-called again,
and again; was answered. Then | be-
gan to wonder I'm not timid; but |
was known to be a drover, and to have
money about me. 1t might be a trap
to catch me unawarcs, and rob and
murder me.
| am not superstitiOus-nOt very;
but how could a real child be out on
the prairie in such a night, at such an
hour? 1t might be more than human
The bit of a coward that hides itself in
most men showed in me then, and |
was half inclined to RIM away; but
once more | heard that cry, and said /:
..If any mans child is hereabouts,
Anthony Hunt is not the man to let 1t
die p"
| searched again. At last | be-
thought me Of a hollow under the hill.
and grouping that way found little
dripping thing that moaned and sobbed
as took il IN my arms. | called my
horse and the beast came to me, and |
mounted, and tackled the little soaked
thing under my coat as well as could,
promising to take it home to nanny.
1t seemed tired to death and 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 ! got into the door yard, | saw
something was the matter, and stood
still with a dread fear at heart five
minutes before | could lift the latch.
At last did it aud saw the room full
of neighbors and my wife amidst them
weeping.
When she saw me she hid her face.
'Oh, don't tell him, she said: sit
will kill him.
..What is it. neighbors?" | cried.
And one said: Nothing now, hope.
What's that in your arms?
"A poor. lost child. saidI. ''lfound
it on the road. Take it, will you-l' We
turned faintt' and lifted the sleep
ing thing. and saw the face Of my own
child my little Dolly
1t was my darling, and none other,
that | had picked up upon the
drenched road.
NV 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. l
thanked Heaven, on my knees, before
them ali. Ii is not much OF a story.
friends: 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 upon the road
the little baby cry. hardly louder
than squirrels chirp..
That's Dolly. yonder, with her
mother, in the meadow; a girl worth
saving, | think-but then m the
father. and partial, may be-the preti-
est and sweetest thing this side OF the
Mississippi.
Martin Luther says: Human lives
are often wrecked because they do not
employ all the means given them to be-