Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1889-12-27
here. and winter is coming on. y

ma am y said Dan Voorhees,. eagerly,
AN hopin' you would consent TO
stay at the camp. We're rough set
o. men, ma'am, but you can feel jest
as safe weth us as ef yer own mother
was rockin' We. Ef ary man says a
word o sass to We We'll run him out o.
camp at the pint of a shotgun"
But what can | do for support,
faltered the widow. She had been
tenderly brought up, and the idea OF
spending the winter with these rough
men was appalling, deprived of the
protecting presence of her hus-
band.
We've wrastied it all out for We"
replied Sam Collins. "Ye see, we'd
all on us calkylated a pile on havin'
Brad's 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.
"Brads claim aint pannin out no
great, but it's enough TO make We
comfortable, an we'll all chip in and
do our share toward workin' IL, and
pay over the proceeds TO We jest as
regular as il he war here. Danll
give up his shanty, an we want ter
make We jest ez happy an comfortable
as we can, for We sot heap o store
by Brad"
The widows lip quivered; the kind
ness of these strangers touched her
deeply, and she replied in a tremb-
ling voice. And what am l going to
do to repay you gentlemen for all
this unexpected kindness 7"
She used the word advisably, for in
her estimation they were gentlemen
of the truest sort.
That's all right. Don't you worrit
sbout payin', ma'am. We're sorter
rough set an we need woman
around to kinder pare us down, an
ef you'll sing us song once in awhile
Brad said you was master hand
to sing-an' let Us hev the kids ter
love and cuddle little, We'll call II
sauar. We've all on us had homes
an it comes rough on us, this kind o
life year in an year out, an II youli
live among us an make home FUR
us ter kinder look at, as 'twere, we
shall feel well paid.
She couldn't refuse such request,
coming as it did from those who had
been her husbands friends and COM
panions 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 it 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 content
ed as kittens when Sam Collins or
Dick Gowdy entertained them with
stories or yarns" as they call
ed them of their earlier days, or whit
tied out the curious wooden toys |
which they were experts in fashion
ing.
Baby Nelrs preference was for
Black Wash, and it was no uncom-
mon sight 10 see her little pink hood
peeping up over his shoulder, her
chubby arms clinging close around
his neck as he went to the spring Tor
water or out to the timber for faggots
for his culinary operations.
Burt Macomber bad an old violin
which had seen its best days, and he
often brought it over TO the widows
cabin, and as he was quite credit
able performer, many an evening
which would otherwise have been
spent in drinking and dice playing
was whiled away in listening to the
squeaky fiddle and the widows really
fine voice, as she sang church music
and the Gospel hymns which had
been sung in her Illinois home until
they were old and threadbare, but
which were entirely new In the
mountains.
II tell you, boys, that air tears me
ell ter pieces" said Dick Gowdy, as
Mrs. Newell sang The Ninety and
Nine TO her audience there haint
no shepherd goin' ter do very much
huntin' fer us ef we don't take better
keer of ourselves" and IL was notice
able that he left. of swearing for nearly !
a week and in many ways the presence
of the little family, 70 helpless In
their bereavement, was refining and
softening influence.
"Sho. now, fellahs, Christmas am
comm In about TO weeks, said WASH
Jackson, as he was lighting the even
ing lamps. I'D clean done fo'got till
dat ar little Katie war tellin' what
ter fine Christmas tree dey had las
yeah. Tell you it mus be mighty dull
TO- dem chiIlens up heah, wild nottin
but us grown foIkses ter muse EN-"
That's SO" aud Dick Gowdy drum
med on the table tboughtfully.
.'Taint one woman in thousand
that'd come up here an be as pleased
an chipper as that little widder is
with her trouble to bear, an move
that and the speakers voice was
lowered. and a consultation followed
which was strictly confidential.
There were none Of these who did
not have a memory Of innocent pleas
ures at Christmas time in their child
hood, yet the sweetest and best OF
II