New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-02
A CHILD'S CRY.
From The San Francisco Call.


My name IS Anthony Hunt am drovor, and
lives miles and miles away upon the western prairel
ibeyc mv wife and l. and now we have not many
rclghbors, though those We have are good ones one
sell my fifty head OF cattle-tlne creatures as over
saw. ! was TO buy some groceries and dry goods
before l came back and, above all; doll Tor my
youngcs,-Dolly she had never had store doll OF
her own-only rag babies her mother had made her
Dolly could talk nothing else, and went down TO the
very gate to call after mo 10 get big one Nobody
but parent can understand how full my mind was
of that toy and how, whom the catlo were sold the
first thing hurried of to buy Dolly's doll.
found large one with eyes that would open and shut
when you pulled a wire, and had IL wrapped up In
napcr and tucked It under my arm, while / had tho
plccs of calico and dcaine and and sugar put
Then, late as IT was. started for home. 1t might
felt ANXIOUS get back, and eager TO hear Dolly 5
= / was mounted on a steady going old horse and
pretty well loaded Night set in before l was mile
from town, and settled down "a dark as pitch while
Of / could have felt my way, though, remembered
Il so well and when the storm that had been brewing
broke and pcled The rain in torrents | was five miles
or NAV be .iX miles from home
| rode as fast as could. but all Of sudden heard
a little cry like child's voice ! stopped short and
me. / couldn't sec thing All was as dark as pitch
go, down and felt around In the grass-caed again.
I'm not tmld but / was known to be drover and to
have money about me-. II might be trap catch me
unawarcs and rob and murder me- | am not super
'firlous~no very but how could rial child be out
on the prairie In snch night at such an hour! 1t
thar hides Itself ia mosl showed Itself to me then
but once mora heard the cry, and said
fl any mans child T. heIeabouts, Anthony Hunt
Is not the man to let IL die"
I searched again. Al last / bethOught the
hollow under the hill and CROPPED that way. Sure
enough | found the little dripping thing that moanod
and sobbod as took IL 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
a. / could. promising 10 take II homo 10 mamma. II
seemed so Tired, and pretty soon cried Itself to sleep
on my bosom II had slept there over an hour when
| saw my own windows. 1h"rc were lights In them,
Nhcn GOT into the doOrTay saw something was tho
matter and stood s'ili With dread fear OF heart five
minutes before could no he latch. At last did
IT, and the room full Of ncIghbors and my wife
amid them weeping
When she saW me She hil her face.
Oh don't toll him. she said. 10 VIII Kill him. y
What g. u. neighbour. D" cried.
Nothing now. ! h0rc-whafs that you have In
your arms '
poor lost child sald /: I" found II the
road Take II. will Won! I've turned faint" And
lifted the sleeping thing and saw the face OF my own
chiid my Dolly
ii was my own darling, and other. that / had
picked up the drcnchcd Oad. My little child had
mother at work, and they vcTc llmenting her
a. one dead. | thanked heaven on my knees before
them II j. not much Of a story. nelghbOrs, but |
think of II often In tho nights, and wonder how could
bear 10 live now II had not stopped when heard
the cry for help upon the road. hardly louder than
squirrels chrp. Thars Dolly yonder with her
mother I'm the meadow. a girl worth say ng-I think
(jut then I'm her father, and partial, maybc the
prstes. and su~oies hng thIs sdo OF the Mississippi