The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-05-26
TEMPERANCE READING.
DAlSY'S LETTER.
What She Wrote to tho Cowboy on the
Ranch.

''Would You, granny"
81 think l would, Daisy"
Then L will" and Daisy Brown
began to write as Granny Brown adj
vised. The writer soon brought her
pen to halt.
''Where is David?" she asked.
"Out in Montana. I'll tell YOU
where, and it is a hard life for him.
"He has been gone how longP"
ooh, your brother David has been
off now four years"
well, l will put it into my letter,
though don't know how to begin. -
Say this, what I tell you"
Il will"
write: Our folks are very much
Interested
'Wait till 1 get it down"
There was a space of silence.
"All ready, granny"
Interested in Temperance, and
how is 1t on the ranch?'"
More silence.
81 know you will stick'-got
thatP"
Most"
"'Stick to your pledge, won't you?
There, that will do. Now, when you
have got through your letter, l will
put in word"
Something else she put into the let
ter. Granny not only added word,
but in her thoughts she breathed a
prayer. The letter went to Montana.
"Hello! What's upP" said Long
legged Dave, for they did not call him
Mr.. David Brown out there. He was
on horseback, hating before little
campfire, where he had prepared his
lone dinner.
whats up?" asked Long-legged
Dave again.
Looking along the level of the great
plain that came like a sea out of the
mysterious east and rolled away to the
west till the Rocky Mountains stopped
it, Long-legged Dave saw man on
/ horseback.
Riding on horseback he NUT
tered.
1t was pleasant sight to see that
foreman on the wide, solitary plain.
"It's one of our boys" said Long
legged Dave. Makes things seem
more homelike."
Nearer, nearer came the horseman,
and at last Long-legged Dave saluted
him as "Smiling Jimmy, how are
you?"
1.-The same to you. Just from the
ranch, and brought you a letter"
A letter! What was it? Who wrote
/ it?
"Ho, hop said the owner of the
long legs. Its Daisy! Bless the
chidr'
He read all that letter contained,
smiled when he read the Temperance
section, and then thrust it into a
| pocket in the breast of his red shirt.
1t was deep pocket. 1t made one
think that what went down so far
would have a hard time getting up.
The letter did get up. though. Again
and again it was read by little camp
/ fires when the sun was gone down,
I and sometimes as the sun was coming
up, and then when that furnace Of gold
was burning overhead at noon. And
every time he read the Temperance
section he smiled. and every time he
/ smiled he also said:
son, sis is little girl; she don't
know about these things. And granny,
she is getting old"
If he only could have heard Daisy
pray about somebody away out on the
far plains, and granny pray, too, about
sour folks out on the ranches, " he
would not have belittled them as little
sis and old granny.
"Say, Long-legged Dave, let's 90 in
town, some day." remarked Smiling
Jimmy, one night, when lying on
their backs near their campfire and
watching the bright twinkling stars.
81 am the man for ye the next time
we have chance" replied his COM
panion.
The chance came finally. Dave took
his long legs and Jimmy his smile in
to a so-called cow-toWn," a busy
bustling frontier settlement, where II
big meeting Of the ranchmen was COM
ing off. Jimmy was sunny, laughing
companion. as his nickname implied.
"Well," said Dave, as he and his
friend Jimmy rode into town in cow
boy style, wearing their broad
brimmed hats, flannel shirts and leath-
er overalls, Il revolver tucked away in
the belt. 1--WE had better stop at that
saloon yonder."
He had forgotten about letter writ
ten by one Daisy. However, granny
had prayed for " our folks out on the
ranches" that very morning.
"Well-e-er' said Smiling Jimmy.
He, too, had forgotten something, II
certain promise made to those at home
to let drink alone.
1t was a rough and dirty saloon, and
vile like al saloons even when they
are neat and elegant. 1t was crowded