Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-09-24
Daddy's Boy.

|
| Daddy was an old man, who, with q
child years old, lived in an attic, in
one of the poorest quarters of the city,
and earned his living at anything he
could get to do.
The child was not of the old mans
kin, but sometime before, with his
mother, who was broken down in health,
from suffering and poverty, had come
to live in the housas To Daddy, who
had been kind to hsf and the child, she
told something Of her past life, admit
ting she went by an assumed name,
that her husband was alive, and the
child would some day bear title,
but what it was he never learned, for
one day he found her paralyzed in body
and speech. She looked at him plead
ingly and then at the child. He UNDER
stood the mute appeal instantly, and,
taking the child's tiny hand in his own,
led him to the bedside, and, bowling his
old head reverently, said: with Gods
help I will"
She died soon after, and so Daddy
took the child, and so we'll had he kept
his promise to the dead mother that
the neighbors said: HE couldn't be
better to him were the child his own, :"
and they smiled as Daddy trotted up
and down the little alley with the baby
on his back and said: well, we'll, old
Daddy's gettin' younger ever day since
he took that boy, and what a store he
does set by him."
Yes, the stranger child grew dearer
every day aud the, old, wrinkled face
grew radiant with delight when some
one asked the child's name to hear the
little fellow lisp: "Daddith boy"
he bought a crib from woman whose
children had outgrown it and paid for
it in work. The neighbors said, allow
foolish" but the old man replied: Il
don't mind myself, for I can sleep in
the bed on the floor, but he shan't; it's
little I can do for him, and, indeed,
don't begrudge it to him."
At night the little fellow would not
go to sleep unless Daddy's head was on
the pillow beside him, and the baby
hand would pat the withered cheek un-
til overtaken by sleep, when Daddy,
placing it carefully beneath the clothes,
would steal off to his bed on the floor
by the crib, but the instant the boy
stirred, if only in his sleep, Daddy was
there to rock the crib
The summer came in hot and sultry
and Daddy's boy began to fail. The
old man could do but little work, and a
part of each day carried the child out
INTO the suburbs, thinking the change
would benefit him, and each time he
returned he would say to some of the
neighbors: Don't you think he looks
better?" and the old eyes craved for a
favorable reply.
There came day when Daddy's boy
lay dying. The old man could not be-
lieve it. "No, no." he said, pitifully,
what will poor Daddy do? Daddy's
boy don't want to go away and leave
poor old Daddy"
The child smiled wanly and lisped
Daddy tum, too"
would to God I could!" and the old
head dropped on the pillow, the silver
mingled with the gold, and I think
when the angel came he must have
grieved to have to separate them.
Poor Daddy went to the woman from
whom he bought the crib and said /:
"Please, ma'am, I'm goin' to ask favor.
My little boys dead, and come to bor-
rer the price of grave. I'll work for
it and pay you every cent, indeed will.
l don't mind his havin' q city coffin, nor
q city funeral, but would be 10th to
have him buried in the poor ground,
for I want to lay with him when it
pleases God to take me, and how can
be sure of that unless I have grave
of my OWL"
Daddy's boy was not buried in the
poor ground.
After the child's death the old man
seemed to grow more feeble every day.
The old face that had been so full OF
cheer for old and young was sad and
wistful, and they said: "He is griev.
ing himself to death for the boy"
Every night the people in the house
heard the rock-rock-rock of the crib,
and when they spoke to the old man
about it he replied: II sometimes
think he is in it, and it comforts me to
rock it"
But one night the woman down stairs
missed the steady rock and she said
"Poor old Daddy is tired out.
Yes. poor old Daddy, with his head
on the pillow of the crib, slept, at last,
tired out.
They found the deed of the boys
grave in the old vest pocket, close to
his heart, and tenderly they laid him
with the stranger child.
And the boy? Who was he? What
was his name? What does it matter
though he were of CAESARS line, or John
of Arragon, with all his numerous titles,
he rests as we'll under the name OF
"Daddy's Boy Free Press.
Dishes Of the Romans.
The Romans had almost all the veg.