Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1891-07-04
TAGGART'S LITTLE WOMAN.

She stood IN the doorway OF our CaD1n
| looking in upon as rough set of miners
as ever bunked in one lot an we all
stopped eatin' an held our forks in the
air to stare at her.
She was the peartest and prettiest thing
our eyes had seen in six months, and she
stood there barefoot and sunburned, with
tangle of gold hair hanging over her
shoulders an color in her little face
that shamed the wild roses.
please hev ye ennything to eat ye
could lend us? Pap lowed he'd like to
borry some bread an tea an he'd come
here to sleep S he wouldn't trubble we to
move the things an pap lowed eff ye
didn't wanter spare em we could sleep
in the haystack and drink water from the
spring"
She said it all in a breathless way like
a lesson she had learned and stood shame
facedly on one little foot waiten fur an
answer.
Cum in-fetch yer dad-of course
we're as welcome as roses in Janivery
But fust like-what's yer name, little
lady? What might we call yer?"
Pap calls me Taggart's little woman.
We had heard of Taggart. but not of
his child. SO he was her father, the on
eriest, LATEST loafer in the county, not
vicious, but of no earthly account to him
self nor anybody else.
An now we We're to have him saddled
on us. The little woman had gone off on
the run and we set out two extra tin
p,atcs kept for company and two shinin
new mu"s and dished up some more of
IN" squirrel stew and the last of the baked
potatoes for our visitors.
They came in together, hand in hand,
;nd we gave TagSart as cordial well
'me as we could, count of his child.
/ or we We're glad, every man of us, to in
sail Tag9art's little woman at our cabin
table, and to endure her father for her
sake
An we never repented of it either.
Why, that little mite, bless her, was like
a letter from home every day in the year.
She was the ligh5 of our eyes afore she
had been with us a month, and we cod
died her good for nothin' dad Jest cause
he was her dad, and she loved him with
all the power of her little heart. We all
lowed that she was too good for him, but
when we come to sift the evidence we
found that he had cared for her ever since
her mother died in prairie schooner and
she were a mite of a baby.
Now you wouldn't believe that any
man would be so shiftless, but it air
fact. He had been seven years tryin' to
earn enough money to take that young
un back East to her grandmother. And
here he was without cent to his name.
Liquor? No. He drank with the rest of
us, but not more than the law allowed
and the climate warranted.
He was just that unlucky that he could
on them like anybody else. We hired
him to wash our findings, and he lost the
dust and saved the refuse, and then he
stared stupid like, when we talked to
him, and acted queer.
One or twice he went to Miners Town.
and come home in that same way. There
was two Cinnamon come along one day,
and we run them off lively, an when we
did Taggart he lit out without word in
the way they had gone as if he were
crazy.
low voice.
II reckon I've got it,"
SIS it typhoid?" asked another of the
gang.
NO." says Green; it's opium"
"That's why he don't work."
"An' the reason he can't go East.
"Air ye talkin' about my pappy?"
1t was the child's little voice at our ell
bows, and we all jumped like we'd been
story of the "Three Bears" and the Cat
That was Princess, and when Taggart
came shufliing in, with his hang dog look,
she was laughin', and havin' the best
kind o time. But soon's she saw him she
was anxious and worried, but he just ran
his hand over her hair, and says he:
"How would Taggarts little woman
like to go East and live in fine house
and hev lots of money and good clothes
and edication!"
"Fust rate, pap, says the little woman,
"and all them could come along" mo-
tionin' to us.
Bless her little heart! She was gettin'
as fond Of us as we was of her.
Il wonder if Taggart's little woman
could make rabbit pie, says Green one
mornin'.
jest you try me-" came quick as a
flash. "Stop some rabbits fur me an see
me cook EN- in pork an seasonn'."
"Theres old gun i'll that loft that's
| got fine bird shot in it," said Green. "Ye
Kin hey that, Taggart, to hunt with. Ef
ye air no better at shootin' rabbits tINn
ye air at pannin' gold dust them rabbits
will live to be Methusalums.
l was tied to my chair with a lame
foot, 50 watched the little woman cittin'
the Cough ready for the rabbit pie She
WAS a picture, with her bright eyes and
| pretty ways, and she had fixed her up
Wi / SO m tin -, we bought at Miners
Town sp' ',a!y Tor iler. AS looked at
her In 'u,ht what a difference her be-
ING there made. | couldn't remember