New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1896-01-29

men. ca1ryia : long pine box up towards
the baggage car. seein' THAR hats 81, I
knew there wuz dead body in tho box,
md l couldn't help feelin' sorry for the
poor creetlr that he'd died il that lone
y place Nv York Crossin';; but I mought
hev felt heap sorrier for the creetus
that he'd to live there, fer I'll allow that
York Crossin' is leetle the durndest
lonesomest place ever seen.
Well, jest afore the train started agin,
who should come into the car but Bill
Woodson, and he wuz lookin' powerful
tough. Bill herded cattle for me three
winters, but he'd moved away when he
married one Nv the waiter girls at Spoon
er's hotel at Hoost'n.
'.Hello, Bill SEE I; "what air you tot
in so kind Nv keerful-like in your arms
there2" H., ..<
why I've got the baby" says he; md
as he said it, the tears come up into his
eyes.
Your own baby, sBill?" says I.
.'Yes," says he. "Nellie took sick u,
the janders fortnight ago, 'nd-'nd she
died, md I'm takin' her body up to Tex.
arkany to bury. She lived there, you
know, md Pm goin, to leave the baby
there with gran'ma." :- ...
Poor Bill! 1t was his wife that the
men were carryin' in that pine box to the
baggage Car.
Likely lookin', baby, Bill" says I
cheerful like. ''Perfect pictur' Nv it,
mother; kind Nv favors you round the
lower part NV the face, tho!''
I said this to make Bill feel happier
If I'd told the truth, I'd We said the ba,
by wuz a sickly, yeller-lookin' little
thing, for so it wuz; looked half-starved
too. Couldn't help comparin' it with
that big, fat baby, in Its mothers arms
over the way.
"Bill.'' says I, ''here's ten-dailar note
fer the baby, and God bless you.''
"Thank ye, Mr.. Goodhue,'' says he
md choked all up as he moved off with
that yaller little baby in his arms. Il
wasn't very fur up the road he wuz go.
in; md he found a seat in one Nv the
front cars. But along about an hour at.
ter that back como Bill, moseyin' through
the car like he wuz huntin' for somebo.
dy. Seemed like he wuz in trouble and
wuz hurting fer friend.
"AnythingI kin do for you, Bill?'
says I, but he didn't make no answer
All of sud'lint he sot his eyes on the
prutty lady that he'd the fat baby sleep.
in in her arms. md he made a break fol
her like he wuz crazy. He took off his
hat md bent down over her md said
somethin' none Nv the rest NV US could
hear. The lady kind NV started like she
wuz frightened, md then she looked up
at Bill md looked him right square in
the countenance. She saw tall, gang.
lin, awkward man, with long yaller hal,
md frowzy beard, md she saw that he
WIZ tremblin' md he'd tears in his eyes
She looked down at the fat baby in
her arms, md then she looked out'n the
window at the great stretch NV prairie
land, md seemed like she wuz lookin' of
| further'n the rest Nv us could see. Then
at last, she turnt around md said, :sYes,'
to Bill. md Bill went off in the front cal
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, md you never heerd baby squal]
md carry On like that baby wuz squat
Inn md carryin' on. Fact IS, the little
yaller baby WIZ hungry, hungrier'n a
wolf, md there wuz it's mother dead in
the Car up ahead md its gran'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 md
take Bill's little yaller baby md hold it
on one arm md cover up its head md her
shoulder with shawl, jist like she he'd
done with the fat baby not long afore.
Bill never looked at her; he took of his
hat and held it In his hand, nd turnt
around md stood guard guard over that
mother, md l reckon that eff any man
he'd darst to look that way jist then, Bill
would hev cut his heart out.
The little yaller baby didn't cry very
long. Seemed like it knowed there wuz
mother holdin' II, not it's own mother,
but woman whose life he'd been hal
lowed by Gods blessin' with the love
md the purity md the sanctity NV moth
erhood. .. 4
Whv T wouldn't hev swannad fho{