The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-11-14
THE BABY THAT CRIED.

Il
since she told me- two years before.
that she would be my wife. We had
been married year then. and all OF
that time was spent In the dreary back
woods section. not far from Olden,
down In Howell county. / was inter-
ested In small fruit ranch down there
IN southern Missouri, and on IL was
making living and growing thin fig
nring on the brilliancy OF the future.
All OF that year was spent dreary
enough. goodness knows. Mary cook
ed our three meals day, and came
home TO eat them. In the evenings
we sat about the fire together. when 1t
was cool. or In the summer named the
consultations while out on the bit OF a
cleared place just in front OF the small
log house / had built.
Our nearest neighbors were two
miles away across n creek that was
unbridged and whose current was
deep and strong all spring and sum
mer. There had been house across
the ridge about a stone's-throw dis
tant Tor some time-several years.
suppose-but since we had moved hero
IL had remained unoccupiel.
WHO are they MaryP" asked.
Il don't know. / only saw some
household stun going over there to-
day, and ! suppose somebody must be
going 10 live there
The next day tho neighbors came.
Thcre was n tall. mild-looking man
OF 80, a young woman, and baby.
The name was Bryant. That after
noon / came homo earlier than usual,
and when Mary was ready we went
over TO be neighborly with tho now
corners. i learned from Bryant that
he had rented the piece OF land that
joined mine half way between orr
houses. and that he intended 20 look
after tho orchard on IT, Byrant was
from the north somewhere up in
Minnesota ] ,think-and climate was
what he was after.
You'll find il mild enough here.
] said in our preliminary remarks
I'VE seldom have very severe frost
and snow is rarity"
Mrs. Bryant was n bright looking
young woman OF %. with large eyes
and brown hair. Her cheeks appeared
pinched triHe and Mary and /
wondered II she had not seen some
very serious trouble Their baby had
the big eyes OF its mother, and the
pinched cheeks. too wo thought but
IL was sweet-looking baby. Before
we left the little thing SET up a cry
that the mother could not quell with
trotting and baby talk. How the
youngster cried II was too much for
my nerves. so that when we had re-
peated our welcomes In high-pitched
voices Mary and went away.
After we got home the baby kept up
its doleful yells. which came 10 us
clearly on tho calm evening air. 1t
was two or three hours before quiet
came again. and then the light in the
window that VIC could see just across
the ridge went out
In few days Bryant told me that
his wife was not we'll and Mary went
over TO SEQ her. The baby was crying
when she got there and the young
mother had far-away look in her big
ewes. She could not look nj Mary as
the two women sat there. for every
time she tried TO rest those eyes on
ANYTHING in particular they would fill
with water. After few moments
Mrs. Bryant looked down at her fret
ful baby. The little thing was crying
itself hoarse and tired IL was ptiful.
but the mother said nothing. She only
murmured OH and the tears came
with sob after sob Mary comfortcd
her as she could and the woman spoke.
Ill am not used 20 this life, she
said; but Mr.. Bryants health Is so
bad we had 10 leave the cold of Mime
sofa: but since we've been down hero
whore it's so warm. the baby's got bad.
too. ind"
There she stopped in another food
OF tears. Mary. like the woman she
Is cried n little with her and whom
BRYANT came home In the evening he
found his wife and Mary and the baby
all crying together
Day after day we could hear the
vells OF the Byrant infant My mans
heart was not touched, for Mary had
not told mo the young mothers grief
/ only wished that the youngster
would be In Halifax-any whore bus
IN tho little house across the ridge
His wells came in through our open
windows and kept as awake and all
dav long as well. IL seemed TO me. his
cries kept up
Mary. ! said one morning several