The Osceola times., 1888-12-22

"PoPPY's SICK" SAID THE LITTLE BOY.
Cheer up, man, We'll soon have you well
again" and the miner walked around to
the rear of the wagon.
He'll never be well any more. Hos
dead, friends" said the widow in a choked
voice.
"Deadi Well, now, that's rough, ma'am
Blest Of 'taint" and one OF the hystanders
went into the house to carry the news.
''Sho, now, yer don't sayi" and Wash
jackson turned sriddle cake over onto
the floor instead Of upon the griddle in his
surprise, IAN his widdcr an de little chill
len am at de do wild de corpse. Sho, sho.
now. dat am awful 'scouraging."
'Shet up, yer black yawp an get 'cm
something TO eat,n said one Of the men,
roughly; 'They must be clean tuckered
outn
The rough, toil-worn hands Of the
miners helped the widow from the wagon
as reverentially as if she had been a prin-
cess, and tho children were taken TO warm
hearts and tenierly cared for, while the
fasher's cold form was prepared for burial
in another shauty-the one which Dan
voorhees, has so recently scrubbed. little
thinking for whose reception he was max
ing it clean.
was waited on by deputation from the
camp. 1--WE wanted to ask ye, ma'am
what We was goin' ter do" said the
spokesman, touching his bearskin cap re-
spectfully.
Indeed, sirs, do not know, replied
the widow. She had shed all her tears
and could speak Of her trouble with dry
eyes. "Al | have is here, and winter is
coming onn
"Thers what we was thinkin',
ma'am," said Dan Voorhees,, eagerly, "an
a hopin' you would consent to stay at the
camp. We're rougl set o. men, maam,
but you can feel jest as safe weth US as of
yer own mother was rockin' We. Ell
ary man says a word o. sass to ye we'll
run him out o. camp at tho pint Of shot
gun"
but what can l do for support" fal.
tered the widow She had been tenderly
brought up and the idea Of spending the
winter with these rough men was appall
ing, deprived of the protecting presence Of
her husband.
"We've wrastled it all out for ye," re-
piled sam Collins "Ye see, we'd all on
us c.llIylated pile on hevin' Brad's
woman an kids among us, an we're al
sort o. ratified like at benz disappointed,
an we're willin' TO do the square thing
by ye
"Brad's claim aint a pannin' out no great,
but it's enough to make ye comfortable, an
we'll all chip in and do our share toward
workin' il, and pay over the proceeds to ye
Jest as regular as If he war here Dan'll
give up his shanty, an we want ter make
ye jest cz happy an comfortable as we
can, for we sot heap o. store by Brad"
The Widows lip quivered; the kindness
of these strangers touched her deeply, and
she replied in trembling voice; "And
what am going TO do TO repay you gentle
men for all this unexpected kindnessln
She used the word alvlsably, for in her
estimation they were gentlemen of the
truest sort
That's all right Don't you worrit
about payin', ma'am. We're a sorter rough
set an we need a woman around TO kinder
pare US down, an ef you'll sing us song
onct in awhile-Brad said you was mas
ter hand TO sng-an' lot us hev the kids ter
love and cuddle little, we'll call it squar.
We've all on us had homes an IL comes
rough on us, this kind % life year in an
year out an II you'll live among US an
make home fur us ter kinder look at, as
'twere we shell feel well paid"
She couldn't refuse such a request COM |
ing as il did from those who had been |
her husbands friends and companions for |
the two years past, and so II was settled, |
and the lew things she had brought with |
her were led into Dan Voorhees, shanty, |
and with her woman's skill she made |
such homelike place OF 1t that Bradley |
would have thought it an earthly paradise |
could he have lived to see it.
The children took to the kindly miners
wonderfully, and vii eand golden-haired |
Katie were as contented at Aittens when |
Sam Collins or Dick Gowdy entertained
them with stories or "yarns," as they |
called them Of their earlier days, or whit
tied out tho curious wooden toys which |
they were experts in fashoning. I
Baby Nelrs preference was for Black
Wash, and II was no uncommon sight TO
see her little pink hood peeping up over |
his battered old hat, as she perchod on |
his shoulder, her chubby arms clinging |
close around his neck rs he went TO tbs