The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1888-12-20
a PoppY's SICK" SAID THE LITTLE BOZ.

/ POPP1'S SICK, SAID THE LITTLE BOZ
Cheer up, man, we'll soon have you wei
again. and the miner walked around Il
the rear of the wagon.
He'll never be well any more He's
dead, friends" said the widow in chokeG
voice.
'peadl 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?n and Wash
jackson turned griddle cake over ontl
the floor instead of upon the griddle in his
surprise, 'san' his wilder an de little chill
len am at de do wild de corpse. Sho, sho
now, dat am awful 'scouraging."
i ''Shet up, yer black yawp, an get ZEN
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 reyerentially as IL she had been prin!
cess, and the children were taken to warm
hearts and tenderly cared for, while the
fathers 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 q deputation from the
camp. I'VE wanted to ask We, ma'am,
what We was goin' ter do,n 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. "Ali / have is here, and winter is
coming on"
"Thet's what we was thinkin',
ma am" said Dan Voorhees,, eagerly, San
hopin' you would consent 10 stay 1t the
camp We're a rough set o. men, ma'am,
but you can feel jestas safe weth US as ef
yer own mother was rockin' ye Ell
airy man says word o. sass to We we'll
run him out o. camp at the pint of shot
gun"
But what can l 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 out for ye," re-
piled Sam Collins. "Ye'see, we'd all on
US calkylated a pile on hevin' Brads
woman an kids among US, an we're all
sort o. ratified like at bein' disappointed,
an we're willin' to do the square thing
by We.
"Brad's claim amt pannin' outno great,
but it's enough to make We comfortable an
wen all chip in aud do our share toward
workin' it, and pay over the proceeds to We
Jest rs regular as II he war here Dan'll
give up his shanty, an we want ter make
We jest ez happy am comfortable as we
can, for we sot a heap o. store by Bradn
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 kindnessi'
She used the word advisably, 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 q woman around to kinder
pare us down, an eff you'll sing us song
onct in awhile-Brad said you was mas.
ter hand to sing-an' let US hev the kids ter
love and cuddle little, we'll call 1t squar
We've all on us had homes am il comes
rough on us, this kind % life year in an
year out an IL you'll live among us an
make home fur us ter kinder look at, as
'twere, we shell feel well paid.n
She couldn't refuse such request. com
ing as it did from those who had been
her husbands friends and companions for
the two years past, and so it was settled,
and the few things she had brought with
her were moved into Dan Voorhees, shanty,
and with her woman's skill she made
such a homelike place OF it that Bradley
would have thought 1t an earthly paradise
could he have lived to see it.
The children took TO the kindly miners
wonderfully, and Willie ana golden haired
Katie were as contented as kittens when
Sam Collins or Dick Gowdy entertained
them with stories or "yarns,m as they
called them, Of their earlier days. or whit
tied out the curious wooden toys which
they wereexperts in fashioning.
Baby Nells preference was for Black
Wash, and It was no uncommon sight TO
sue her little pink hood peeping up over
his battered old hat, as she perched on
his fioulder, her chubby arms clinging
close around his neck as he went TO the