Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-02-21

manner. 1her0 never was any non
sense about Munfordl No, sirl Mum
ford, sir, was my husband for 40 years
and there was no nonsense about him
But, she added in calmer tone
Mumford is not-he is no more. He
sleeps on the banks of Green river
We left him there. He sleeps there un
der the trees, where |, too, should
sleepl" Her hand dropped, and in &
sobbing voice she said: Yes, under
tho trees, thank God for thatl Under
the beautiful green trees! He was borr
among the tall green trees of Kentucky,
lived among trees all his life, died
among trees! When, far out in the des
ert, the doctor told him ho was dying,
that he had only few minutes to live,
he asked to be raised up that he might
look ort of tho wagon. No, said he,
cant die here, and, what is more,
won't! There is not a tree in sight
Drive on! When you've come to some
decent sort of place for a man to die in,
won't fight against going. He lived,
sir, while the wagon crawled over miles
and miles of desert-lived till we reach
ed Green river and was laid on his bed
under the trees. Then he took my hand
and said: All, the trees are green, and
| hear the birds singing. Sally, goodby
III die now. said Goodby, Mum
ford, and he was dead"
Thomas! Thomas!' called shrill
but weak voice. from the wagon.
Thomas is that mother a-talkin?'.
Thomas-the doubling Thomas -
who had all this time remained sitting
J Tod ,y, Va nd ell ol,
ed along to the wagon, hardly lifting
his feet above the dust.
The animated bundle followed Thorn
as with her eyes. Turning to me, she
then said: I'm his mother .in-law
He's a stick--a perfect stick!'' said she
decidedly. Yes, repeated she, "a
perfect stickl Oh. that by keeping
Mumford before him-that by calling
Mumford up in his mind could get
him to show a little of the spirit of
Mumford!'
In moment Thomas came back and
said to me: "Nancy-that>s my wife,
sir-wants to see you. She's a-lyin sick
| in the wagon.
Nodding to the young girl, who was
holding the sick child at the front of
the vehicle, and placing a hand ON the
| haxen locks of the little one by her side,
looked into tho interior of tho fam
| lily mansion" just as Il tall, thin, hol-
| low eyed woman was rising from some
| quilts.
Resting in sitting position by hold
ing on to the side Of the wagon, the wo-
man gazed wistfully at me.
- | am told that you are i'll, good
woman, said |.
oh, yes sir.--very, sir! I've noun
tain fever. -
Now that fully comprchended the
distressed condition of this poor, sick,
friendless, moncyless, shipwrecked fam
lily, was SO overcome that, as | stood
facing the wistful eyes of the sick wo
man, knew not how to speak in 4 way
to comfort her.
Nodding toward the young girl hold
ing the infant, the woman said: MARY
says she hcerl you tell daddy-my hus
band out thar-that some Of the teams
goin back to Californy might help us,
Oh, sir, if they only would! When pore
ole Betty stopped, fell down and died,
everything for us stopped right thar. In
mint every hope we had was gone. 1t
wur bad enough for daddy before, but
when he seed the ole mare drap dead he
iist let go all hollis. Pore man! He's
clean discouraged.
| assured the woman that all had
said Of the teams and teamstcrs was
| true.
Are there many teams on the road
now, sir asked Mary.
A great many-hundreds. The bust
ness houses and the big mining COM
panies Of the Comstock are now getting
in their winter goods and supplies
Hundreds of teams are coming and go
ing across the mountains. We should
see many of them were we u few miles
farther on-were we where this road
falls into the one that leads over the
mountains.
'Oh, if | could see them, sir!' cried
Mary. If they could see mother
see us all-see the awful place we are
in, they would help us. sir. Yes, they
would help us to get away from here!"
Indeed they would, " said l. They
may look rough-their work is rough
but the majority are noble hearted fell
lows, and there is not man among
them all so mean that he would pass
you by"
"Oh, thank you, sir! Thank you!
Oh, mother, do you hear?" And the kind
hearted girl began kissing the sick baby
to hide her tears.
Looking up presently, she said:
Mother has been sick SO long, and now
pore little Kitty is sick, and we haven't
any money and hardly anything left
that's fit even for us we'll ones to eat.
What can we do here in this desert but
die?"
mo, you will not die. You are all
safe now, and you will soon all be we'll
and happy"
"Oh, mother, do you hear that? The
stranger says we are all safe now" and
again the worn young creature began
kissing Kitty, tears streaming down
her cheeks.
Look about you, Mary-look about
at the desert and the dead beasts all
about us, and you'll see how safe we
air!" And thus speaking the sick and
Respondent mother groaned aloud.
BE of good cheer, child, and try to
put some heart into the Others" said l
to Mary. Il still say you are all SAFE
Our Comstock people have assisted hun
dreds of emigrants that have come in
here off the deserts in distress. You are
but few miles away from Virginia
City. The people there will most GER
tainly take care of you and find a way
for you to get to California.
God bless them!" said Mary.
will you please call Thomas, my
husband, sir, to get me some water?"
asked the sick woman, who had fallen
back on her couch and was trying to
moisten her parched lips with her equal
ly dry and fevered tongue.
at once went to the husband, and
giving him shake to rouse him out of
his state of dreamy detection told him
what his wife required.