The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1896-01-02

mout nev felt heap sOrrier for the
creeters that he'd to live there, for I'll
allow that York Crossin' is a leetle the
durndest lonesomest place ever seen
Well, just afore the train started agin
who should come into the car but
Bill Woodson, and 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 I; "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.
Your own baby, Bill" says 1.
"Yes," sez he. "Nellie took sick NV
the janders a fortnight ago, 'nd-'nd
she died, nd I'm takin' her body up to
Texarkany to bury. She lived there,
you know, md I'm goin! to leave the
baby there with it's gran'ma."
Poor Bill! it wuz his wife that the
men were carryin' in that pine box to
the baggage car.
''Likely lookin' baby, Bill" says 1,
cheerfullike. Perfect pictur' NV it's
mother; kind Nv favors you round the
lower part NV the face, tho"
said this to make Bill feel happier.
If I'd told the truth, I'd We said the
baby wuz siclly, yaller-lookin' little
thing, for SO it wuz, looked haff-
starved, too. Couldn't help comparin'
it with that big, fat baby in it's moth
er's arms over the way.
"Bill," says L, "here is n ten-dollar
note for the baby, md God bless you!"
''Thanl ye, Mr.. Goodhue." says he,
nd he choked 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', nd he found seat in one NV
the front cars.
But along about an hour after that
back came Bill, moseyin' through the
car like he wuz huntin' for somebody.
huntin' for friend.
Anything l kin do for you, Bill?"
says l, but 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 urms, nd he made d
break for her like he wuz crazy. He
took off his hat nd bent down over her
md said somethin' none Nv the rest NV
us could hear. The lady kind Nv start
ed like she wuz frightened, nd then
she looked up at Bill md looked him
right square in the countenance. She
saw tall, ganglin', awkward man,
with long yaller hair md frowzy beard,
nd she saw that he wuz tremblin' md
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 md said: EYES,"
to Bill, nd Bill went off into the front |
rar ag'in.
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 heerd baby |
squall md carry on like that baby wuz
squallin' md carryin' on. Fact is, the
little yaller baby was hungry, hungrier
n a wolf, md there wuz it's mother
dead in the car up ahead nd it's gram
ma 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 nd take Bills little yaller
baby md hold it on one arm md cover
Up it's head nd her shoulder with a
shawl, jist like she had done with the
at baby not long afore. Bill never
ooked at her; he took off his hat and
leld it in his hand, md turn around
nd stood guard over that mother, md
reckon that eff any man he'd darst to
ook that way jist then Bill would we
ut his heart out.
The little yaller baby didn't cry very
ong. Seemed like it knowed there wuz
mother holdin' it-not it's own moth
r, but woman whose life he'd been
lallowed by Gods blessin' with the
owe md the purity nd the sanctity
" motherhood.
Why, / wouldn't hev swapped that
light Nv Bill an them two babies md
hat sweet woman for all the cattle
n Texas! 1t jest made me know that
1hat I'd allus thought NV wimmin was
iospel truth. God bless that lady! T
ay, wherever she is to-day, md bless
II wimmin folks, for they're all alike
n their unselfishness md gentleness
nd love!
Bill said: "God bless vel" too, when
he handed him back his poor little
aller baby. The little creeter wuz fast
sleep, nd Bill darsent speak very loud
or fear he'd wake it up. But his heart
'uz way up in his mouth when he says:
God bless ye!" to that dear lady; nd
hen he added, like he wanted to let
er know that he meant to pay her
ack when he could: 'Tll do the same
or you some time, marin. if I kin."-
T. Iouis ReDublic