Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1889-03-14
4 Chiid's Org.

My name IS Anthony lIuht. a'i' ="
drovcr, and live miles away upon the
western prairie There wasnta house in
sight when | first moved there, my wife
and | and now we have not many neigh
bors though those we have are good ones
One day about ten years ago went away
from home to sell my fifty head of cattle
fine creatures as ever saw. | was TO
buy some groceries and dry goods before
| came back, and above all, q doll for my
youugeSt-Dolly. She had never had Il
store doll of her own-only rag babie'
her mother had made her.
Dolly could talk nothing else, and went
down 10 the very gate TO call alter me to
get Il big one. Nobody but Il parent can
understand how full my mind was of that
toy and how when the cattle were sold
the first thing | hurried off TO buy was
Dolly's doll. | found large one with
eyes that would open and shut when you
pulled wire, and had it wrapped up in
paper and tucked it under my arm while
i had The parcels of calico and delaine
and tea and sugar put up. Then, late as
il was, | started for home. Itmight have
been more prudent to stay until morning
but felt anxious to get back and eager
to hear Dolly's praises about her doll.
was mounted on stcady-going old
horse and pretty well loaded. Night set
in before was a mile from town, and
settled down as dark as pitch in the mid
die of the darkest pi &c Of road l know
of. could have felt my way, though, ]
remembered it 50 well; and when the
storm that had been brewing broke and
peltcd the rain in torrents, was five miles
or more from home.
rode as fast as could, but all Of n
.ud,en | heard little cry like child's
voice. | stopped short and lislencd-l
heard it again. | called and it answered
me- | couldn't see thing. All was
dark as pitch. | got down and felt in
the grass--called again, and again was
answered. Then began te wonder. I'm
not timid, but was known to lie dro-
yer and to have money about me. 1t
might be trap TO catch me uawarcs
and rob and murder me. ] am not SUI
pcrsiilious-not very but how could a
real child be out on the prairie in such a
right, at such an hour? 1t might be more
Than human The bit of coward that
hides itself in most men showed itself TO
me then hut once more heard the CRY.
and said
"If any mans child is hercabouis, An
thony Hunt j. not the man to let it die.
searched again. At last | betnought
me of the hollow under the hill and crop
ed that way. Sure enough found the
dripping little thing that moaned and
sobbcd rs | took it in my arms. ! called
my horse and the beast came to me, and
I mounted and tucked the little soaked
thing under my coat rs well rs | could,
promising To take it home to mamma. II
seemed 50 tired, and pretty soon cried IL
self to sleep on my bnsum. 1t had slept
there over an hour when | saw my own
windows. There were lights in them and
| supposed my wife had lit them for my
sake. But when got into the doorway
saw something was the matter, and stood
still with a dread fear Of heart five min
utes before could lift the iaich. AT
first did it and saw the room full Of
neighbors, and my wife amid them weep
ing.
When she saw me .hc hid her face.
"Oh, don't tell him." she said, ut will
kill him"
"What is it, neighbors ?" cried.
"Notbing now. | hope. What's that
you have in your arms 2
"A poor lost child" said I. / found
it on the road. Take il, will you I've
turned faint" And lifted the sleeping
thing and saw the face Of my own child,
my Dolly.
Itwas my own darling and none other,
that had picked up on the drenched
road. My little child had wandered out
to meet papa and the doll, while the
mother was at work. and they were Ia
m-nling her as one dead. Thanked hcav-
Ell on my knees before them. It is not
much Of a story, neighbors, but | think
of it often in the nights and wonder how
| could bear to live now it had not
stopped when | heard the cry for help
along the road, hardly louder than
squirrels clirrup. That's Dolly yonder
with her mother in the meadow-a girl
worth saviug-I think but then I'm her
father and partial maybe), the pr"licsl
and sweetest thing this side of the Missis-