New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-19
LORD BYRON'S BOY.

lord Byron and Jimmy Kerr were tOiling up
49, h,,l toward aomc The travelling was not
wv oood but they did not mind This muci.
,n,sI byron and Jimmy Kerr were not very
I'd either, IL may as well De acknowledged.
II they had been truly good. they would not
ave fingered at the Eagle Bird Saloon until
"ch an unsccmly hour, when Fred Parks tpIo-
s..,or of the corral where They had lett their
pira.I and all other reputable people in Chloride
HAS were asleep. lney had gone. after mature
rd potatlOus consideration TO secure their horses
sor the ride home; but. inasmuch as it WAS 80
: M. and the stables and corragatc were
cnrely locked they had decided 10 walk home
atler of them. they conlGod TO each other,
aver did like riding, anyhow.
e'eCold!" calculated Lord Byron. in response
IN a remark from his companion. who ploddcd
a rod or two behind. AS usual" cold? Say,
lin. thisd drive il cast-iron statue in of a green
avn jim! wherein hell ne ye.. anyhow? Oh,
Ia right we're, be yc? Didn't know but what
% was back about las Chris mas n summers.
Wa-al, belly up. an rrgate; this is this Christ
mas. an we don't want no sluegards i'll tn ccle-
irain' eNerciscs-so git move on"
.Wah-h" said Mr.. Kerr. as he accepted Lord
prron's invitation: "wah-h. that sho' hits tn
""1Yi'rc shoutn'. my cow-tcasin' young friend.
That is good, an here's how Ard Lord Byron
nfted the bottle to his own bearded lips. and
held it there for several seconds.
e Mother, Jim - inquired Lord Byron. Go
10 il. son; it may carry sc home-I won't. Wa-al
We better fade out O this. son. Come on"
They had struggled on few rods. when Lord
Byron. halted. "lIor on. jim; Did We hear
WHAT
IVY. didn't We hear some I'M a-hollern,
faint cry came down to them. borne by
the wild wind from q point on the trail ahead.
"Ccme ONT said Lord Byron "Souncs Ike
. woman erwin. Hurry. jim Hill .,o,
an. and, presently. coming TO where, the trail
turned Hi to go across the hills into the valley,
over to the B H. Ranch TO- they ro, came upon the
II was. as they could see by the light of Jim's
lantern. small boy about twelve wears oIh.
md he tSd then he yqT front to he na Flats
after the arrival of the evening train. and. IJsn4
his way. haG very scnsby stopped at the old
dug-out by the cutoff TO wait until some one
Lord Byron did not wait to ask questions
II was too cold. Grab a-holt. jim. an come
on he commanded. and the homeward march
was resumed-not very steadily. but sui Ill the
proper direction. generally speaking -
"Who be We. hoy ?" asked Lord Byron. when,
about halfpa B. he and Jim and the v ,hn
them out sat before the open fireplace in the big
lving-room. getting warm.
I'm Mark Dunton. and pa sent me ont here.
He said L come T. Byron 1iutchins am saw he
*" "yr re Marx Dnnton's boy asked Lord Byron.
sSG p d @p sov his M hi hand on the boys
Big tears came into the lads eyes and there
was a great sob in his throat: "H-he's dead,
aIIcl on. bov-hor on: les 60 SEQ ma And
Lord Byron picked up the now crying boy and
carried him in to Mrs. Hutchins, who. arrayed
in not very immaculate wrapper. was inst about
coming from her room to discuss tho latc-hour
question with her recreant spouse.
Mark stayed. The Hutchinses We're not blessed
with AIRY chick mr. kid as Lord Byron eN-
pressed it; and if they had been II would have
oil 81. No, oil
had been, according TO Lord Byrons statement,
"th' best man tht ever drawed breath and all
the love the old man and his kind-heartcd wife
could lavish they considered none too much for
Mark Dunton's son.
Mark proved to be good boy in the main.
True. he was biz hayward. and inclined to be
frank and open. and, when he had been guilty
of any small misdecd. was always so honestly
sorry and deeply repentant, that maybe his
,stcr parents loved him all the more for his
occasional lapscs from rectitude. Lord Byron
was a believer in tie truth of that venerable
and ss-grown adage Boys will be boys ; so
il was easy enough for him and his kind. moth
erly wife to find excuses for their boy who
soon became as son TO them.
=, Lord Byron and Boy" as he invariably called
Mark, were almost inseparabe. When Mark was
not at school lie was Invariably to be found with
Uncle By" 1t good thing for the boy,
rough but beneath it beat the kindcst' tru"s,
heart; and. in his talks with Mark. his uncouth
speech carried many good lesson of honesty.
tributes of his own that his few small faults
failed TO obscure.
Lord Byron often suffered. such men will;
from the results OF misplaced confidence and
whenever any one had abused his faith he would
say TO Mark: " Boy. We en- find honor an heaps
good p'ints bout road-agent r any other
blame thief but We can't find nary one in cussed
traitor. More'n all things on airth. Boy. don't
never be ongrateful r 90 back o. a friend. Thar
was Judast lscaryut. an Bruins an Ben'dic
Amold-thcy went back on Tn frien's. an whar
be they now, an what do folks think Of c'n p
When Mark was seventeen. and had finished
his course at the Chloride School. he was put
Ieege. and the next year saw him of for tho
East TO enter one of the leading New-England
Institutions Of learning.
Here, l AIN sorry TO say. he failed to conduct
him supplied with all the money he could possibly
fnd use for, and Mark, as boys of his nature will,
rapid" class of students, and was soon known
one of the liveest freshmen at college
Of course Lord Byron knew of all Marks dongs,
o e wssFy da r d t. od on and
all called-for relnittanccs came with uniailplS
regularity, and Mark went on his easy, happy-go-
his conscience and smote him. but it never
troubled him for long, and he went home at the end
OF his freshman wear with lot of fashionable cloth
ing. large stock of slang. an Unsuitable appetite
Tor cigarettes and class record of merit barely
sufficient to elevate him to the rank of sophomore
. II Lord Byron felt that the object of his lavish
DeneVoence had not made fair return In his
conduct and progress for all that the old gentle
man had done for him, he did not say SO. II is
more than likely that, while he was hardly salts
lied with Marks behavior. he attributed il to the
overtowing spirits of youth, upon which he was
wont 10 look with lenient eye, and trusted to time
to bring the lad through with flying colors
And so. during the few weeks Mark spent
at home, the only difference in the feeling OF the
old folks for him made itself manifest mainly in
the greater warmth of affection they bestowed.
In October Mrs. Hutchns died suddenly, and
Lord Byron took her body 70 Ohio TO bury il on
the old homestead where she had lived when he
inst knew her and which had always been home"
~ her Mark met his guardian Mt Chicago. and
together they went on 10 attend the last rites.
IL was all over, and Lord Byron was lost" he
eaid. Ever since meeting Mark at Chicago he
had CLING IN him and leaned on him Gu In sneak