Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-11-01

So jist keep the baby quiet as you
kim"
Now. there warn't nothin' cross in
the Colonies tone; the Colonel wuz as
kind md consid'rit as could be expect
ed Nv a man who he'd 30 much respon-
s:bility a-restin' onto him. But the
young woman was kind Nv nervous nd
after the Colonel went back nd got
into his bunk the young woman SMILED
and worried and seemed like she had
lost her wits, md the baby KEEP cryin'
jist as hard as ever. WAL. there
wuzn't much sleepin' to be done in
that car, for what with the baby cryin'
md the young woman a-sayin': ''Oh.
lar" nd ''Oh, N.Y." and the niger
a-prancin' round like the wilder be-
witched-with all this goin' on. sleep
wuz out Nv the question. Folks began
to wake up md put their heads outern
their hunks to see what wuz the dog
gone matter. This made things pleas
anter for the young woman. The
Colonel stood it as long as he could
and then he got up q second time nd
come down the car md looked at the
young woman over his specs.
"Now, as wuz tellin' you afore,"
SEE he, Il hain't maxim no complaint
Nv myself, for I've raised a family of
'leven children nd know all about
'em. But these other folks here in
the car have paid for a good nights
sleep nd it's my duty as director NV
the HANDFUL md st. Joe to see that
they get it. Seems to me like you
ought to be able to keep that child
quiet-you can't make me believe that
there's any use for child 20 be carry
in on so. Somepin's lrtin' i'll
know sumpin's hurtin' it by the way
it cries. Now, you look nd see If
there amt pin stickin' into it some
where; I've raised 'leven children nd
that's jist the way they used to cry
when there wuz pin stickin' EN-"
He reckoned he'd find things all
right this time md he went back to
his bunk feelin' toler'ble satisfied with
himself. But the young woman
couldn't find no pin stickin' the baby,
md, no matter how much she stewed
and Worried. the baby KEEP right on
cryin', jest the same. Holy smoke!
but how that baby did cry.
Now, 1 reckoned that the Colonel
would be gettin' almighty mad if this
thing KEEP up much longer. A man
may raise 'leven children as easy as
rollin' off'n log, nd yet the twelfth
one, that isn't his at all, may break
him. There is ginerally a last straw,
even when it comes to the matter Nv
children.
So when the Colonel riz feet fore
most for the third time outern his
bunk that night--or, should say,
mornin'. for it was mighty near
mornin' now-we looked for hail Co
lumby.
"Look a-here, my good woman"
SEE he to the young woman with the
baby. las wuz telliE' you afore. you
must do somepin to keep that child
quiet It'll never do to keep all these
folks awake like this. They've paid
for good nights sleep nd it's my
duty as director NV the HANDFUL md
St. 10 to pertest agin this disturbance.
I've raised a family Nv 'leven children
nd l know. as we'll as l know any
think, that that child is hungry. No
child ever cries like that when it isn't
hungry, so l insist on your nursin' it
nd givin' us peace md quiet"
Then the young woman began to
sniffle.
Law me, sir,' SEE the young
woman. Il amt the Daby's mother
I'm only just tendin' itr'
The Colonel got pretty mad then;
his face got red nd his voice kind ov
trembled-he wuz so mad.
Where is it's mother?" SCI the
Colonel. "Why isn't she here takin'
care of this hungry md cryin' child.
like she ought to be-"
"She's in the front car, SIR" sez
the young woman, chokin' up. 'She's
in the front car-in a box. dead; we're
takin' the body md the baby back
home"
Now what would you or me have
done-what would any man have done
then nd there? Jest what the Colonel
done.
The Colonel didn't wait for no Sec
ond thought; he jest reached out his
big bony hands md he SEE: Young
woman. gil me that baby "-sez it
so quiet nd SO gentle-like that seemed
like it wuz the baby's mother that wuz
a-speakin.
The Colonel took the baby and
now. may he you won't believe me
the Colonel held that baby md rocked
it in his arms nd talked to it like it
had been his own child. And the
baby seemed to know that it lay agin a
lovin' heart, for, when it heerd the
OIL mans kind voice md saw his smilin'
face nd felt the soothin' rockin' Nv his
arms. the baby stopped its grievin' nd
cryin' md cuddled up close to the
Colonel's breast nd begun to COO md