The Somerset reporter., 1895-12-10

hdIy IdlStu NE iii W uZ uiR tlillIl W
make my own livin. Down here in the
southwest you see, most NV the girls Is
boys There AIN I none NV them siyilizin
influences folks talk uv-nothin but
flowers nd birds nd such things as
poetry tells about So | kind Nv growed
up with the curis notion that wimmin
folks wuz too good for our part NV the
country, md hevnt quite got that no.
ton ont II my head yet.
One time-waal, | reckon 'twuz
about four years ago-I got letter
frum ole Colonel Sibley to come up to
SAINT Louey nd consult with him bout
some stock int 'rsts we had together.
Railroad travelin wuz no new thing to
me. | he'd been prutty 'osperous-hed
got past hevin to ride in cabboose nd
git out at every stop to punch up the
steers. He'd money i'll the Hoost n bank
nd use to 60 to Tchicargo oncet IA year
He'd met Fill Armer nd shook hands
with him, nd oncet the city papers he'd
a colume article about my bein mil
lonaile Uy course t warn't t so, but a
fellcr kind NV likes that sort NV thing,
you know.
The mornin after | got that letter
from Colonel .1ibley | started for SAINT
Louey. ] took bunk in the Pullman
ear, like | he'd been doin for six years
past, nd | reckon the other folks must
hey thought | wuz heap NV ii man, Ton
every hatf hour | give the nigger haf il
dollar to bresh me eft. The car WY full
nv rcopIe-rlch people too, | reckon, for
they Wore good clio 'es nd criticised the
scenery. jest across frum me there Wuz
a lady with a big, fat baby-the prutti-
est woman | he'd seen in month nv
Sundays, nd the baby-why, daggone
my skin, when | want payin money to
the nieger, darnod if [ didn t set there
watchin the big, fat little cuss, like he
wuz the only baby | ever seen. | AIN t
much Of hand at babies, cause hahn t
seen many NY en-, nd when il comes
to bandlin 'onI-Why. that would break
me all up, md like s not 'twould
break the baby all up too. But it has
allus been NY notion that mex to the
wimmin folks babies wuz Jest about
the incest things on earth So the more
| looked at that big, fat little baby set
tin i'll its mothers lap cross the way,
the more wanted to look Seemed like
| wuz hoodoood by the little tike, nd the
first thing | knew there wuz water i'll
my eyes. Don't know why it is, but it
allus makes me kind NV slop over to set
md watch baby cooin nd playin in its
mother s lap.
"Look a hyar, Sam, says | TO the
niger, "come hyar nd bresh me off
agin Why amt you tendin to hizniss:a
But it didn't do no good t all. Per
tendin to be cross with the niger might
fool the other folks i'll the car, but il
didn't fool me. | wuz dead stuck on
that baby-gol durn his pietur. And
there the little tike set ON its mothers
swaller EN-, nd talkin like to its moth
er in lingo | couldn't t understan, but
which the mother could, for she talked
back to the baby in soothin lingo
which / couldn't understan, but which
| liked to hear nd she kissed the baby
nd stroked its hair nd petted it like
Wlmmln do.
1t made me mad to hear them, other
folks in the car criticism the scenery md
things. A man S in mighty poor bizness
anyhow to be lookin at scenery when
there's woman in sight-a woman
nd baby
Prutty soon-oh, maybe in "A hour or
two-the baby began to fret nd worrit
Seemed to me like the little critter wuz
hungry. Known that there wuzn't no
catin house this side NV Bonneville |
jest called the trainboy nd says | to
him, 90 Hev You got any vietuals that
will do for a bahyEo
How is oranges md bananasi" says
he.
"That ought to do, ;" sez l. Jest do
up IA dozen NV your best oranges nd
dozen ny your best bananas nd take em
over to that baby with my compl-
meuts.
But before he could do it the lady he'd
laid the baby on one NV her arms nd
led spread "A shawl over its head nd
over her shoulder, md all NV suddin
the baby quit worrin an seemed like he
he'd gone to sleep.
When we got to York CroSsin look
ed out'n the winder nd seen some men
carryin "a long pine box up toward the
baggage car. Seein their hats off, knew
there wuz dead body i'll the box, nd
couldn't help feelin sorry for the poor
creetur that he'd died in that lonely
place NY York Crossin, but | mought
hev felt heap sorrier for the creeters
That had to live there, for II allow that
York Crossin is leettle the durnedest
lonesomest place l ever seen.
Waal, jest afore the train started
agin, who should come into the car but
Bill Woudson, nd he wuz lookin pow
erful tough. Bill herded cattle for me
three winters, but he'd moved away
when he married one nv the waiter girls
at Spooner's hotel at Hoost'n.
"Hello, Bill" says |. 'What air you
totin so kind nv keerfullike IN your
arms there?'
"Why, I've got the baby" says he,
md as he said it the tears come up into
his eyes.