Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1901-07-18
LITTLE JIM'SFRIEND.
BoYS FATHER WOULD NOT
'es~ PART WITH MOLLY.
though only q Csw she HAD a Heart
4 Capable OF Feeling Grief for an A6.
sent Companioa and Frlsad-A Pa
Shet,c Frieuashlp.

eEht No8 8FaAtoa AAN A@NoN -
shet:c Frisuashlp.
A'Sc, sir, Molly Amt Just one o the
cows She's our friend, Is Molly. an
I've reason to say 1t, have.
s'ren you. sirl Why o course, IL ye
care to,hear, When Molly was a bit OF
calf, hardly year old. my little Jim
was 3, an afraid o nothing, big or lit
tie. y Toddlin' atter me all'day long. he'd
$50 about the hosise en- eur little BIT Of a
garden an the pastur' behind, an never
firing OF Il: an when moved or raked
the grass or hoed the garden he was
alwus a-helpln', But above all he loved
to be held up to see Molly or to pet
Molly
y '18uSed ITO hold her, soft nose down
for him when he kissed her good
night an the frs thing In the morn,
In. before he was downstairs, when I'D
let the cows out to the pastuE', Ais curly
head was half out O. the winder an he
a-callln'. Good mornin', Molly
HE was hardly years old-no, he
wasn't 5-when he used to try an milk
her; an the cretur'd stand as gentle an
still as II she knew the little feller'd be
easy hurt with her head turned half
sideways, a-seemin' to say. IAN right
young 'un, as long as II amuses you" |
had to finish the milkin'. the little
hands got so tired: yet he hated to give
in. You wouldn't "a believe It, sir. to
see the spunky way that little chap o.
years would stick to lt-a-milkin' that
COW.
"Daytimes, when sne was In the pas
tur', he was alwus a-rnnnin' down to
the gate to ask her how she was gettin'
on to-day. or did she think It was goin'
to rain? an things like that-makln'
reg'lar playmate out o. her; cause he
was our only child an s'pose some
times he was lonely like. An to see
him take out a drink O. water to Molly
in his little tin dipper! used to most
bust a-laughin' to see her big red
tongue a-lappin' out the few drops he'd
gently have left, as IL 1t was Just what
she wanted!
We'll, Jim was only year old when
he was took sick, suddent. Lord knows
what 1t was! We don't, an the doctor
never did, though alwus a-lookin' wise
an a-sayin' he'd be out 'roun' in few
days. But Jim, lynn there burnin' with
fever, would hear the low 'Moo-oov an
his eyes would open an look bright as
he'd smile an say, Goodnight, Molly!
I'll see you in the morning
But that Molly! The first night he
was sick she KEEP lookin' 'roun' when
was a-milkin' her, as If to see where he
was-yes. she did. sir-an' was that
oneasy could scarce milk her at all.
Then the mex night she was nervous
an shivery an gave hardly any milk;
an her lowin' was awful frequent
through the day, but at night. when
she was In the barn. 1t was terrible! an
SO sad II would make you creepy to
hear her; an the milk scarcer every
day till the .cretur' was right sick, too.
"Weil, there came one night-one
night when there was nothin' to do for
my little Jim but to stand beside him,
when we didn't need no doctor to tell
us our little lad would never be out
'roun' again; an in the quiet O. the mid
die O. the night the tickin' Of the clock
an his mothers sobbin' sounded fear
full loud, His little hand lay in mine.
so cold and still now. when 1t had been
so restless an hot for more'n a week.
Suddenly 1t moved little, as In the
stiffness outside we heard Molly's
'Moo-oov-just like call to the boy.
right under his winder.
I'D forgot to milk her or go for her,
an somehow or other she'd got out o.
the pastur' herself. 'Moo-oor she called
again, so pitiful an humanlike the tears
come into my eyes, though they had
been hot an dry all night. Then what
she called the third time II seemed to
reach even to little Jim. Too weak to
open his eyes, he said, just whisperln':
Goodnight, MOlly!-in the mOrn.n!
an smiled.
Hard as 1t was to leave him then,
laid his little hand down an went out
to Molly: s,
"'Die" Not bit of IT, sir!-That's
him, that little chap a-comin' thro' the
gate; an that's Molly a-fol.erin' him.
A meracle,' the doctor says. | don't
know; amt up on merac,es; but
Come here, Jim! That's right; take of
your cap to the gentleman an shake
hands. Now go long an put Molly in.
He's a dandy, sir, my Jim!
"What! Sell MollyY Sell her, sir?
No, sir! No, sir! Not for al her weight
in solid gold'd l sell my little Jim's