Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1891-09-11
MRS. HERRICK'S BABY.

II 10 NV, uusty sulIiutr uAy, anu
along the whole Struggling length of
the one street of the little mining
camp but two living creatures are
visible. From the open windows of
the Mermaid and White Elephant sa-
looms comes a hum of lazy voices
whose ownors are doubtless playing
frecze-out for the drinks; aside from
this, the motley cluster of log houses
and "A' tents partakes largely of the
silence popularity attributed to a
cemetery.
OF the two animate objects on tto
street. one is Gawgc," the hugo
Ethiopian who oflici1tes as presiding
genius of the culinary department at
Peter IIoskin's boarding house, near
By. lie, after the fashion of his race,
is lying on bench face downward,
taking an audible sicsta, withtlc dense
rays of The scorching sun beating nm
needed upon his broad back. The
other creature is the saddle horse be-
longing to Doc Starr. tho physician
from the ncighboring camp of Ana
conda; this animal. tied in front Of
the one-story and two-room residence
of lIomcly IIerrick, is busily engaged
in brushing off the torturing armies of
iles which besct him.
Homely Herrick is leading citizen
and very impoIt tant parsonage, in
deed, III Cartcrville and all the camps
around Not that he possesses any
unusual charms of mind, manner or
person-not in the least, for nc is
lazy, ugly, drunken and shiftless TO a
degree seldom known. But, fellow
citizent, is the fact that he is the proud
husband of the only woman within a
hundred miles or more-hcnce he is a
person TO be looked up to, and his
opinion, even a: his drunkcst, is ac-
ceptcd as Il u.terance of an oracle.
Mrs. Herrick Is not u goddess, al
though any man in Cartervlle or any
where else who says anything calcu-
lated to cast a shadow of doubt upon
the divinity shc is supposed to possess
might as we'll select his last resting
pace a5ou; :he time he uiter' the sac
rileg ious words. In fart, this fair
creature is . c'arse, dcnsrly ignorant
Co,-ish woman. who is as unprcpos-
soss.ng psr 'onally as her spouse per
h,ps more so.
But she is woman, and, rs tho sole
representative of her sex in this wild
lilile camp. is gazcd npon by the 400
mon OF CartcrviIlc with feelings akin
10 worship, and the lucky man who
is so fortunate as to receive the lady's
gracious permission TO carry her bun
dies homo from the store is for days
thereafter the object of yividly green
jealousy on ;he part of his companions.
a figure omerQes from the front
door of the lIcrIick mansion. 1t is
Doc Starr, who hastily mounts his
horse and gallops wildly up tho street,
followed by swirling cloud of white
dust.
"Gawge." snoozing on the bench,
awakcns from his slumber and gazes
AT the coming horscman in blinking
sarprisc, for Doc Starr is usually mcr-
ciful unto his beast, and this nm
wouted haste on his part, on such a
hot day, astonishcd the colorcd gem
tleman.
The physic an draws rein at the
Mermaid, throws his rcins over a
post and rushcs into the barroom,
where he brings all the miners TO their
feet by yelling, in a manner entirely
at varianco with professional ethics;
''Boys! Baby a Herrick' 81"
There is wild rush, and the bar
and the card tables are deserted. the
bartender coming with the rest, and
they almost crush tie bea CT of the
wonderful news in their eagerncss to
get near him.
"Show "DO telll' s.Grcat Scott
"By sosl',' "Why in Texas don't
you give Doc a chaGcc?' "Boy or
girly' CT lis las: hesitatingly.l