Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-02-07
THE CHlLD'S CRY
A Curious story Told 10y Resident on a
Western Prairie.

western Pralrle,
My name is Anthony Hunt. | am
drover, and live miles and miles away up.
on the Western prairies. There wasn't q
house in sight when I first moved they,
my wife and /, and now We have no many
ueighbOrs, though those We have are COOS
ones. One day about ten years ago
went away TO sell my fifty head of cattle
tne creatures as | ever saw. was TO buy
some groceries and dry goods before
came back aud above ell doll for my
youngest Dolly. She had never had a
store doll of her own-only rag babies
her mother had made her.
Dolly could talk of nothing else, and
went down to she very gate TO call after
me to geb a big one. Nobody but par
ent can understand how full my mini
was of that toy, and when the cattle were
sold the fest thing / hurried off TO buy
was Dolly's doll. 1 found large one
with eyes that would open and shut when
you pulled n wire, and had Ii wrapped up
in paper and tucked it under my ARM
while l lad the parcels of calico and de-
laine and sugar done up. Then, late as 1t
was, started for home. 1t might have
been more prudent TO stay until morning
but felt anxious to get back and eager
to hear DOliy's praises about her doll.
was mounted on a steady going old
horse and pretty well loaded. Night set
in before was mile from town, and
settled down as dark as pitch while / wa
in the middle of the darkest bit of road |
know of. could have felt my own way
though | remembered it SO well; and
when the storm that had been brewing
broke and pelted the rain in torrents 1
was five miles or may be six miles from
home.
rode as fast as I could, but all of a
sudden heard little cry like child's
voice, stopped short and listened-l
heard it again. / called and it answered
me. couldn't see a thing. All was dark
as pitch.
got down and felt around in the grass
called again, and again was answered.
Then | began to wonder. I'm not tmid,
but l was known to be drover, and TO
have money about me. IL might be a
trap to catch me unawares and rob and
murder me. l am not supers'itious-nOt
very; but how could a real child De GOT
on the prairie in such night, at such az
hour? The bit of a coward that hides
itself ia most men showed itself in me
them; but once more l heard the cry, and
said L;
"If any mans child is hereabouts An
thony Hunt ia not the man to let it die"
| searched again. Al last Ibethought
me of a hollow under the hill and CROPPED
that way. Sure enough / found little
dripping thing that moaned and sobbed
rs / took it il my arms. called my
horse aud the beast came to noe AID l
mounted and took the little soaked thing
under my coat as well as | could, promls
| ing to take it home to mamma. 1t was so
tired, and pretty soon cried iselt to
sleep on my bosom. 1t had slept there
! little over an hour when 1 saw my own
Windows. There wers lights in them and
/ supposed my wife had Lighted them for
my sake, but when | got TO the doorway
| saw something was the matter anG
| stood still with a dread fear of heart tive
minutes before ! could lift the latch. ~
! last | did, and | saw the room full OF
neighbors and my wife among them
Weeping.
When she saw me she hid her face.
ooh, don't tell him" she SAID, sit Will
kill him.
"What Is it, neighborsY" l cried.
/ "Nothipg new, / hope. What's that
you have 10 your arms?"
"a poor lost child" eGid ]; 81 found i
on the road. Take It, Will you? In
faint" And lifted the sleeping thing
and saw the face of my own child, my
Dolly.
It was my own darling, and none other
that had picked up on the drenche(
road. My little child had wandered on
TO meet papa and the doll while th'
mother was at work, and they wer'
/ lamenting her a. one dead. / thanked
heaven on my Bonded knees before them
Il is not much of a story, neighbors, bu
| think OF it often in the nights and won
der how could bear TO live now i'll had no
stopped whsn / heard the cry for hell
upon the road, hardly louder than
squirrels chirp. That's Dolly yonde
with her mother in the meadow, CIR
worth saving / think (but then I'm he
father, and partial, may be-, the pref
ties. ana sweetest thing this side of tn
! Mississippi.