The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-08-02
THE SETTLERS BABY.

THE SETTLERS BABY.
On distant Western prairie there's . lonely
little grave,
With a wildrose blooming by it nodding in
the suliry gale;
With a nameless wooden head-board, rudely
fashioned from stavs,
Almost hidden by the grasses, near long
neglected trail:
Where the sunshine falls in splendor from the
hazy heavens on high,
Through the white winged heecy cloud-fods, IN
The silence sailing by.
"who is sleeping therer' I questioned as /
paused in nd surprise,
'Some ones child, some mothers darling.
who from kardships here hath died."
STOPPING down, plscked a rosebud. turned
away with fearful eyes
And my weary steed remouating, soon re-
sumed MI lonesome ride:
And at nightfall after travelling twenty tiresome
miles or more.
1approached sun-browned settler, sitting in
his cabin door
"Evenin', stranger" was his greeting, ''goin
to stop with US while?
We h'ain't very much to give you, but you're
welcome 10 part:
Lucia, put the DO. bilin'-Folks like us can't
put on style:
We who live here in Dakota hev to hustle at
the start
Tommy, go an put his boss up, in the bsrrack
over thar;
Tired, wal you jus look like it-walk right in
an take a char
Sitting in his humble doorway as the darkness
round US fell
And n night bird sailed above US with mel
ancholly wall;
From my book took the rosebud and asked
him: Can you tell
Who lies buried IN that lonely little grave
beside the traiI,"
Then his broad breast heaveda moment and at
firs; he could not speak,
For great sob seemed to choke him and tear
ran down his cheek.
Lonely little grave bout 50 long, on the right
hand o the way.
Yes, made it nigh year ago fur our dear
baby Jim;
An you stop't an pick't this rosebud thar. ez
you come by to-day;
Thsnkee for 1t; keep thinkin'. dreamin
day an night o. him.
An this heart o. mine keeps beatin' with
sort o steady pain,
-Ez hear him callin'-csllin'- papa
come again.
1--WE war movin to this kentry, every thing
was strange an new;
Ridin in 4 kivered wagon campin' out as best
we could
.Lookin round TO hit a homestead-Likely
claims were far and few,
Fur twas hard to git good water an tim
Der tract fur wood:
Yet we hoped TO find some openin' nigh some
clear an runnin' creek:
Wife an KEEP up our courage till our leetle
boy took sick.
II remember that sad mornin when we stop
ped beside the trail
Fur the Ioltin' of the wagon seemed to take
away his breath,
An his blue eyes lost their brightness an his
face looked pinched and pale;
Iwuz sure from the beginnin that we had to
fight with death
But we did what seemed the best to, yit he
weakened all the day,
And there wuzn't any doctor less'n fiity miles
away.
$50 LEFT 'em in the wagon Lucia here an
Leetle Jim,
Layin' in her lap a moan:n' ez 1 rode Of in
For the doctor wuz hopin' could bring him
back TO him.
Up above the stars were shinin' with q kind
o CHASTITY light
An seemed to hear our baby calm cryin'
out in pain;
Mamma won't it soon be nornin'? When'u
papa come AGAIN."
But couldn't fetch the doctor-I jus told
him what knew,
AMI give me sunphin fur him tibet Itho't
I'd do him good,
Then / started back 1T sunrise when the grass
wuz wet with dew.
KEEP thinl,in- hopin, prayin'-an' hurried
all could.
Fur hcerd the baby calm, l could hear him
clear an plain;
'Mamma-m is papa-when'u
papa come againr'
'When got there it was sunset, red an gold
in all the skies;
Ez slept upon the wagon lis<le baby Jim
tosee,
He jess started up moment with strange
look in his eyes
Reachin' out his slender, withered, feeble
trenholm hands to me,
Ez the light shown n upon him-an he spoke
out clear and plain:
Is been waitin fur -ou papa an KNEW you'd
come again
'Then his bright blue eyes got DINNER, fur
Their came sudden change
An he lay Their white an qIiet, lookin' Jess
eZ if he smiled
When We sol there In the wagon with feelin'
new an strange,
Lonciy-+onely. o. how oneiyHev you ever
lost child:
Yes, we buried him out yonder, in among the
prairie flowers,
An we hope some lay to lay him near to this
new home OF ours.
-when the sun goes down at evenin' ez 1 set
here all alone
When the red an gold are glist'nin' brightly
IN the Western sky,
When acrost the lonely prairie l can hear the