St. Landry democrat., 1888-12-22

"PoPPY's sICK,n 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. He's
dead, friends" said the widow in choked
| voice.
| ''Deads Well, now, that's rough, ma'am.
Blest eff faint - and one of the bystanders
went into the house to carry the news.
''Sho, now, yer don't say?" and Wash
Jackson turned a griddle cake over onto
the floor instead of upon the griddle in his
surprise. 'an' his wilder am de little chill
| len am at de do wild de corpse. Sho, sho
| now, dat am awful 'scouraging.''
"Shet up, yer black yawp, am get 'em
something to eat,'' said one of the men,
roughly; they must be clean tuckered
out"
The rough, toil-worn hands of the
miners helped the widow from the wagon
as reverentially as if she had been prin-
cess, and the children were taken to warm
hearts and tenderly cared for, while the
fasher's cold form was prepared for burial
in another shanty-the one which Dan
voorhees, has so recently scrubbed, little
thinking for whose reception he was max
ing it clean.
Three DAYS after the funeral the widow
was waited on by deputation from the
camp. eve wanted to ask We, 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. SAIL have is here, and winter is
coming on.'
"Thet's what we was thnkin',
ma'am," said Dan Voorhees, eagerly, "an
hopin' you would consent to stay at the
camp. We're rouga set O. men, ma am,
but you can feel jest as safe weth US as eff
yer own mother was rockin' We. Eff
airy man says word O. sass to We We'll
run him out o. camp at the pint of shot
gum
But what can do for support fall
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 cut for ye,. re-
piled Sam Collins. Eye see, we'd all on !
US calkylated pile on hevin' Brad's |,
woman an kids among us, an we're all |
sort o. ratified like at benz disappointed, |
an we're willin' to do the square thing |
by ye.
"Brad's claim amt pannin' out great,
but it's enough to make ye comfortable, an
we'll all chip iii and do our share toward |
workin' it and pay over the proceeds to We
Jest as regular as if ne war here. Dan'll /
give up his shanty, an we want ter make
We jest ez happy an comfortable as we
can. for we sot a heap O. store by Brad"
The Widows lip quivered; the kindness
IT these strangers touched her deeply, and
,he replied in trembling voice: s'And
what am going to do to repay you gentle
nen for all this unexpected kindnessfo
She used the word advisably, for in her
estimation they were gentlemen Of the
ruest sort
That's all right. Don't you worrit
bout payin', ma'ani. We're a sorter rough
let an we need woman around to kinder
'are US down, an eff you'll sing US a song
net in awhile-Brad said you was a mas
er hand to sing-an' let us hev the kids ter
owe and cudile little. we'll call it squar
We've all on us had homes an it comes
ough on us, this kind % life year in an
ear out, an If you'll live among us an =
aake home fur US ter kinder look at, as
twere, we shell feel well paid.
one couldn't refuse such request, COM
ag as 1t did from those who had been
er husbands friends and companions for
ne two years past, and so it was settled
ND the lew things she had brought with
ee We're moved into Dan voorhees, shanty,
NO with her woman's skill she made
acn homelike place of it that Bradley
'ould have thought it an earthly paradise
ould he have livea to see it. $
Inc children took to the kindly miners q
onderfully, and VIII e and golden-haired c
atle Were as contented as kittens when ,
am Collins or Dick Gowdy entertained t
lsm with stories or yarns as they t
ilied them, of their earlier days, or whit t
90 out the curions wooden TOYS which 9
ey were experts in fashioning. /
Baby NelPs preference was for RIacl i
ash, and twas no uncommon sight 10
her little pink hood peeping up over Ia
. battered old hat, as she perched O. )
5 shoulder, her chubby arms ciinging T
ase around bis neck as he went to tue