The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-04-28
your own baby, Billr' says /.

our own baby, Bill! says i.
eyes, says he. Nellie took sick NV
the janders fortnight ago, 'nd-'nd she
died, nd I'm takin her body up 10 Tex
arkany 10 bury She lived there, you
know, md I'm goin TO leave the baby
there with its gran ma. F"
Poor Bill 1t wuz his wife that the
men were carryin in that pine box TO
the baggage car.
"Likely lookin baby, Bill" says !
cheerfullike. Perfect pictur NV its
mother. Kind NV favors you round the
lower part NV the fact, tho"
said this to make Bill feel happier.
If I'd told the truth, I'd We said the
baby wuz a sickly, yeller lookin little
thing, for so il wuz Looked half starv-
ed too. Couldn't help comparin it with
that big, fat baby in its mothers arms
over the way.
"Bill," says i, "here's ten dollar
note for the baby, nd God bless youW
"Thank 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 come Bill, moseyin through the
car like he wuz huntin for somebody
| Seemed like he wuz in trubble nd wuz
huntin for friend.
Anything / kin do for you, Bill?'
says /, but no 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 a break for
her like he wuz crazy. He took off his
hat nd bent down over her nd said
somethin none NV the rest NV us could
hear. The lady kind NV started like she
wuz frightened. nd then she looked up
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 WIZ 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, nd seemed like she wuz
lookin off further n the rest nv us could
see Then. at last, she turned around
nd said Eyes" to Bill, md Bill went
off into the front car agin.
None NV the rest nv us knew what all
this meant, but in minnit Bill come
back with his little yaller baby in his
arms, nd you never heerd a baby squall
nd carry on like that baby wuz squall-
in nd carryip ON. Fact is, the little
yaller baby was hungry-hungrier than
wolf, nd there wuz its mother dead in
the car up ahead nd its granma good
piece up the road. What did the lady
over the way do but lag her own sleepin
| baby down on the seat beside her md
take Bills little yaller baby nd hold it
| on the arm md cover up its head nd
| her shoulder with shawl, jest like she
had done with the fat baby not long
afore. Bill never looked at her; he tool
off his hat nd held il in his hand, md
turned around md stood guard over thai
mother, nd l reckon that eff any man
he'd darst to look that way jest then Bill
would We cut his heart ont.
The little yaller baby didn't cry very
| long Seemed like il knowed there wuz
L IL ulOtutI ntlliH il-hot ltc wv IL iiotiti
| but woman whose life he'd been hal
| lowed by Gods blessin 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 md
| that sweet woman for all the cattle in
Texas! 1t jest made me know that what
| I'd allus thought NV wimmin was gos-
pei truth God bless that lady, i say,
wherever she is today, nd God bless all
wimmin folks, for they're all alike in
their unselfishness md gentleDess md
Lowell
Bill said, "God bless vel" too, wher
she handed him back his poor little yal
Ter baby. The little creeter wuz fas
asleep, nd Bill darsen't speak very loud
for fear he'd wake it up But his heart
wuz way up in his mouth when he says
"God bless yep' to that dear lady
md then he added, like he wanted TO LEI
her know that he meant to pay her bacl
when he could "I'll do the same ful
You some time, marin, if kin. "-Eu
gene Field in st. Louis Republic.