The Somerset reporter., 1895-12-10
Your own baby, Bill" says |.

the janders II fortnight ago, 'nd-'nd she
died, nd m takin her body up to Tex
arkany to bury. She lived there, you
know, md I'm goin to leave the baby
there with its grm ma.
Poor Bill II wuz his wife that the
men were earryin i'll that pine box TO
the baggage car.
"Likely lookin baby, Bill says l
cheerfulhke. Perfect piclur NV its
mother KIND uy fayors You round the
lower rart NV the fact, tho. .
said this to make Bill feel happier
If I'd told the truth, I'd We said the
baby wuz sickly, yeller lookin little
thing, fer so it WIZ Looked haff starry
ed too Couldn't help comparin it with
that big, fat baby il its mothers arms
over the way.
"Bill, says |, "here's ten dollar
note for the baby, nd God bless you :"
"Thank ye, Mr.. Goodhue, says he
md he ehOkcd all up as he moved off
with that yaller little baby IN his arms.
1t warn t very fur up the road he wuz
goin, md he found Il seat in one uY the
front ears.
But along about an hour after that
back come Bill, moseyin through the
car like he wuZ hnntin for somebody.
Seemed like he wuz in trubble nd wuz
huntin for friend
Anything | kin do for you, Bill?'
says |, bat he didn't make no answer.
All of suddint he sot his eyes on the
prutty lady that had the fat baby sleepin
in her arms, nd he made break for
her like he wuz crazy. He took off his
hat nd bent down over her nd SAID
somethin none uv the rest NV us could
hear. The lady kind NV started like she
at Bill nd looked him right square in
the countenance. She saw tall, gang
lin, awkward man, With long yeller
hair md frowzy beard, nd she saw
that he wuz tremblin nd he'd tears IN
his eyes. She looked down at the fat
baby in her arms, nd then she looked
out'n the winder at the great stretch nv
prairie land, md seemed like she wuz
lookin off further n the rest NV us could
see. Then, at last she turned around
nd said Yes, - to Bill, md Bill went
off into the front car agin.
None NV the rest nv us knew what all
this meant, but in a minnit Bill come
back with his little yaller baby in his
arms, nd you never beerd a baby squall
nd carry ON like that baby wuz squall,
in nd carryin on. Fact is, the little
yaller baby was hungry-hungrier than
a wolf, nd there wuz its mother dead III
the car up ahead nd its granma a good
piece up the road What did the lady
over the way do but lay her own sleepin
baby down on the seat beside her md
take Bills little yaller baby nd hold it
on the arm nd cover up its head md
her shoulder with shawl, jest like she
had done with the fat baby not long
afore. Bill never looked at her he took
off his hat md held it III his hand, nd
turned around nd stood guard over that
mother, md | reckon that eff any man
he'd darst to look that way jest then Bill
would we cut his heart out.
The little yaller baby didn't cry very
long. Seemed like it knowed there wu2
mother holdm it-not its own mother,
but a woman whose life he'd been hal
lowed by Gods bessin with the love
nd the purity nd the sanctity NV moth
erhood.
Why, | wouldn't hev snapped that
sight nv Bill nd them two babies nd
that sweet woman for all the cattle in
Texas 1t jest made me know that what
I'd allus thought NV wimmin was Ros-
pei truth. (iod bless that lady, | say,
wherever she is today, nd God bless all
wimmin folks, for they're all alike in
their unselfishness md gentleness md
love
Bill said, God bless yer' too. when
she handed him back his poor little yal-
Ter baby. The little crceter wuz fas'
asleep, nd Bill darsent speak very loud
for fear he'd wake it up. But his heart
wuz way up in his mouth when he says
God bless yer' to that dear lady,
nd then he added, like he wanted to let
her know that he meant to pay her back
when he could, I'll do the same for
you some time marm, if kin. Flu
gene Field in ST. Louis Republic