Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-12-28

1 NLLLLD,N rRl.
Just One Of those Litnc stories which
go TO the Henri.

$50 10 the Henri.
/ My name is Anthony Hunt am u dro-
yer, and live miles and miles away upon
/ the Western prairie There wasn't a
| house in sight when ] first moved there
my wife and L. and now We have not many
neighbors, though those We have are good
/ ones. One day about ten years ago went
away from home to sell my fifty head Of
cattle, fine creatures as ! ever saw was
to buy some groceries and dry goods before
/ came back, and, above all, doll for my
| youngest-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 10 the very gate to call after me 10
get big one Nobody but 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 was
Dolly's doll. found large one with eyes
that would open and shut when YOU pulled
wire, and had it wrapped up in pnper
and tucked under my arm, while | had the
parcels Of calico and deaine and tea and
sugar put up Then late as it was. |
started for home 1t might have been
more prudent to stay until morning. but |
felt anxious to get back, and eager to hear
Dollys praises about her doll
l was mounted on a steady going old
horse and pretty well loaded Night set in
before ! was a mile from town. and settled
down as dark as pitch while | was in the
middle of the darkest bit Of road know
Of could have felt my way. though, |
remembered it so well, and when the storm
that had been brewing broke and pelted
the ram IN torrents ! was five miles or may
be SIX miles from home.
fag /
den heard little cry like a child's voice.
J stopped short aud listened heard it
again. called and it answered me. |
couldn't see thing All was as dark as
pitch got down and felt around in the
grass, called again, and again was answer
ed. Then | began to wonder | am not
timid, but | was known to be a drover and
nave money about me. 1t might be a trap
70 catch me unawares and rob and murder
me am not superstitious-not very but
now could real child be out on the prairie
IN such a night, at such an hour 1t might
he more than human. The bit of a COW
ard that hides itself in most men showed
itself to me then but once more | heard
the cry, and said
If any mans child is hereabouts Antho-
NY Hunt is not the man to let it die.
searched again. At last hethought
me nt the hollow under the hill, and groped
that way. Sure enough. | found the drip
ping little thing, that moaned and sobbed
as took 1t in my arms. | called my horse
and the beast came to me, and | mounted
and tucked the little soaked thing Inder
my coat as well as | could, promising to
take 1t home to mamma. 1t seemed so
tired, and pretty soon cried itself TO sleep
on 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 doorway | saw something was
the matter, and stood still with a dread
lear OF heart five minutes before | could
lift the latch. At last | did it aud saw the
room full OF neighbors, and my wife amid
them weeping
When she saw me she hid her face.
oh, don't tell him" she said 1T will
kill him"
What is it, neighbors Z" cried
Nothing now | hope-what's that you
have in your arms y
"A poor lost child said l. Il found it
on the road. Take it, will you: I've
turned faint" And l lifted the sleeping
thing and saw the face of my own child,
my Dolly
1t was my own darling, and none other,
.ii"u litu pitked up on the drenched road.
My little child had wandered out to meet
papa and the doll, while the mother was at
work, and they were lamenting her as one
dead. | thanked heaven on nv knees be
fore them 1t is not much of story.
nelghbors, 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 hardly louder
than squirrels clipper That's Dolly,
yonder with her mother in the meadow, a
girl worth saving-l think (but then I'm
her father and partial maybe) the pretti-
est and sweetest thing this side of the Miss
issippi.-Sdn Francisco CdH.