The Wahpeton times., 1891-10-22

Then he raised his head scrter
slow like, an in tone so sad an in
different from what his allus was,
that l didn't recognize it, he said:
Boys, I'm iis' completely upsot
by what heard over thar, an feel SO
blame sneakin' mean that I've great
notion to shoot myself. Inever know
ed before how onery am
Course we was all s'prised at that
sort o talk from Jim, cause he was so
blamed tough we didn't s'posenothing
'ud tech his heart, and we was anxious
to know what he'd heard over to the
wagon, an so we aXed him.
"Wal, he said, "I went over thar
to shoot that settler, an ! was
slippin' up to the wagon to git the
draw on him, when all at once heard
voice-the meekest, pitifulest little
voice ever heard in my life, an
knowed in minute it was the voice
of a leetle GAL
"Jim's voice choked up so he
couldn't say nothin' more, so he watt
ed moment, an then he went on:
"'Fellers,' he said, that voice jest
went through me like knife. an
never felt so cussed quaire since was
born. 1t was so weak, an so pitiful,
an so helpless like. heard it say:
"'Is' the land pretty, pa? Is it green
East?'
"'Yes, it is very beautiful, darling,
a man replied like he was cryin'. It's
very pretty, an you will find the
green prairie almost us nice as the big
meadow back at the old home. When
you get we'll you can romp over the
plain and gather flowers and be very
happy
more, pa, the little voice said, 'and 1
won't never gather no flowers nor
romp over the prairie; but Pm glad
it's pretty, cause when Pm in Heaven
where the angels are, an where every
| thing is so beautiful an bright, Iwant
to know that you an ma have nice
home like the old one we lost. won't
be ea with ys you very long now, pa cause
know they re comm to take me away.
Don't cry, dear pa an ma, cause
amt sorry to go-only I don't like to
leave you. Pm so glad you're goln'
to have beautiful home where the
grass an the flowers grow; an some.
times, maybe, I'll come back to see
you.'
"Wal, big Jim, he told over all what
the leetle gal said, an neversee any
body what talked SO gentle an kind
as he did.
Fellows he said in conclusion, 4
never felt so awful as / did while Twas
standin' there listenin' to them words
o. that child. 'Peared like every one
of 'em was a knlfe,, an that she
was stabbin' 'cm into my cussed,
wicked heart; an though they
deeper, cause knowed l deserved it.
Thar was sneakin' up thar like a
low-down onery thief, intendin' to
shoot that TELLER fer tryin to git a
home, while he was in ther nussin' his
dyin' child an her q talkin' bout the
grass an the flowers, an the old home
back East, an the angels an heaven.
Boys, I'd been glad if streak O.
lighnin' had struck me right then an
ther.'
oval, sir, we never heard nothin'
more bout keepin' settlers often the
valley, an we never tried tohold none
OF it 'cept what the law Titled us to
hold. Big Jim an all the rest OF us
helped the settlers ever'way, we could
and when the angels came fer his leetle
gal an took her spirit away, we made
a grave on the prairie an buried hel
whar the grass growed and whar Big
Jim planted tree an some flowers
l never see old Jim cry before, stranger,
but he shed tears over that grave like
the leetle gal was his own, and from
that day he was different man, an
as kind an gentle as WOMAN
Thomas p. Montfort in Detroit Free
Press.