Wichita eagle., 1888-11-28
A CRYING CHILD.


up most Nv the cypress ties an used EN-
for kin6lin an stove wood, an the result
wuz that when the war wuz over there
wuzn't snythink left Nv the HANDFUL nd
St. 10 but the roliin' stock nd the two
streaks Nv rails from one end Nv the road
20 the other. In the spring w CT l he'd
70 go out into Kansas, and tekin the
Han bul nd ST. 10 at Pamyry junction
wHn't long il fndin' out that the Han
Oul nd ST. 10 railroad wuz iist about the
vuSt cast Of rollin prairer | ever struck
There WIZ one bunk left when boarded
the sleepin' car and he'd presence Nv mind
huff TO ketch on to It It wuz then Just
about dusk an the niger that sort Nv
run things IN the car SEE to ne: Boss, -
SEE he, III have TO get you to please not
TO snors tonight, but to be uncommon
quiet"
What for?' sez 1 ''Eain't l paid ny
60 an tain't entitled 10 all the Injuries
Nv the outfit
Then the niger leaned over an told ne
that Col Elijah Gates, one Nv the direc-
tors Nv the road an the richest man in
Marion county, wuz aboard, an il wuz one
OF the rules Nv the company not 70 do any
think 70 bother him or get him 20 sell his
stock.
The niger pointed out Col Gates, nd
took look at him as he sot readin' The
PaInyry Spectator. He wuz one of our
kind Nv people-long, raw boned nd
husky. he looked TO be about 60-may
be not quite On to 60. He wuzn't bothered
with much hair onto his head, nd his
beard was shaved, all except two rims or
fringes Nv it that ran down the sides Nv
his face nd net underneath his chin.
This fringe filed up his neck so that he
didn't hev to wear no collar, nd he hadn't
no jewelry about him excep' big carne-
lian bosom pin that had the picture Nv q
wcman's head on il in white. His specs
sOC well down on his nose nd I could see
his blue eyes over EN-, small eyes, but
kind II good natured. Between his read
in Nv his paper nd his eatia' plug ter
hacker he KEEP toler'bly busy till come bed
tine. The rest on Us KEEP as quiet as we
could, for we knew it wuE an honor TO
ride IN the same sleepin' car with tho
richest man IN Marion county nd 3 direc-
tor Nv the HANDFUL nd St. 10. TO boot
Along bout s o'clock the colonel reck-
oned he'd tumble into bed; when he'd
drawed his boots nd hung up his coat nd
laid il a fresh hunk Nv nat raj leaf he
crawled into the best bunk an presently
we heered him sIeeptn. There wuz nuth-
IN else for the rest Nv Us 70 do but to
foler suit, nd we did.
It must have been about an hour later
say along about Prairer City-that a
woman come aboard with baby. There
warn't no bunk for her, but the niger
allowed that she might set back near the
stove, for the baby peared 20 be kind of
sick like nd the woman looked Ike she had
-
Nv the car or whether the young one WIZ
hungry or he'd collie into II didn't
know, but anyhow the train hadn't pulled
out Nv Prairer City afore the baby began
to take on The niger run back as fast
as he could nd told the young woman
that she'd have 10 keep that baby quiet
because Col. Lily Gates, one Nv the direc-
tors Nv the road, wuz IN the car and wunt
be disturbed. The young woman caught
up the baby scarf like nd talked soothin'
70 it nd covered its little face with her
shawl Id done all them things tibet
women do 70 make babies 20 to sleep
But the baby would cry, and. in spite
Of all the young woman nd the niger
could do. Col. Elijah Gates heard the baby
cryln', nd 80 he walked up. First his two
blue yarn socks cone through the cur
tsins nd then his long legs nd long body
nd long face hove into sight He come
down the car 10 the young woman nd
looked at her over his specs. Didn't seem
10 De the least bit mad; Jest solemn nd
bizness ike.
Ny dear madam, SEE he to the young
woman, you must DO suupin' 10 keep
that child quiet. These people have all
paid for their hunks nd they are entitled
10 = good nights sleep. OF course know
how lis with young chudren-wiu cry
sonetimes-have raised leven Nv en- NY
self nd know all shout en- But as a
director Nv the Han hui nd ST. 10 I've got
10 perfect the rights Of these other folks.
So list keep the baby quiet as you kin"
Now, there varnt nothin' cross in the
coloners tone; the colonel WIZ as kind nd
consid rit as could be expected Nv 8 man
who had SO mich responsibility 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 shifted and worried and seemed
Ike she had lost her wits, nd the baby
KEEP cryin' iist as hard as ever. Wal,
there vuznt much sleepn' 10 be done IN
that car, for what with the baby erwin
Id the young woman a-sayin': "Ob.
dea-." nd ''Oh, nv" and the niger s.
prancin' round Like toe wilder bewitched
with al this goin' OF. sleep WIZ out Uv
the question. Folks began to wake up
nd put their heads ousern their banks 70
see what wur the doggone matter. This
made things pleasanter for the young
woman. The colonel stood it as long as
he could and then he got Up 8 second
time I'd come down the car nd looked sc
the young woman over his specs
Now. as WIZ telIin' you sfore, ser
he. i hainr maxim no complaint Nv my
self. for I've raised a family OF leveu
children nd / know all about en- But
these other folks here IN tte car have
paid for good nights sleep nd its nv
duty as director w the Han bull nd St.
10 80 see that they get It. Seems TO ne
Ike you ought 10 BE able TO keep that
child Qulet-you cant make ne believe
that there's any use for a child 10 be
carryn OF so SoCepin's hurtin' it
know suDpln's hUrtin' i BY the way it
cries. Now, you heck I'd see if there
amt pin stickir' into il Somewhere; I've
raised 1even children nd that's Just the
way they used TO cry when there WIZ S
pin stIckia' en-.
Ee reckoned he'd find things al right
this time nd lie went back 70 His bunk
fee-in' toler'bls satisfied with himself. but
the young woman COULDN'T ind 10 pin
stickiu' TIE baby. nd, 10 natter how
-,r.ch she stswed nd worried. tie baby
KEEP right On cryin'. Jest thu sane. holy
srnokeI but ho<v that baby did CIV
Now I reckoned that the colonel would
be gettin' almighty mad If this thing KEEP
up much longer. A man may raise 1evel
children as easy as rollin ofTn 4 log. nd
vet the twelfth one. that isn' : his AZ 81.