Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-06-26

quiet a. you an
Now, there warn't nothing cross il
the col0nel's tone; the colonel wuz a
kind md eonsid'rit as could be ex
pected NV a man who had so mucl
responsibility a-restin' on him. Blu.
the young woman wuz kind Nv ner
yous, md after the colonel went bacl
nd got into his bunk the younl
woman SMILED and worried ant
seemed like she had lost her wits, M
the baby KEEP cryin' Just as hard a
ever.
Wall, there wuzn't much sleepin' d
be done in that car, for what with thu
baby cryin' md the young woman a
Sayin' 'sOh, dearla md ''oh, myln anG
the Niger a-prancin' round like thu
Midder bewitched-with all this goin
on, sleep wuz out Nv the question
Folks began to wake up md put theil
heads outern their hunks to see What
wuz the doggone matter. This made
things pleasanter for the young
woman. The colonel stood it as long
as he could, and then be got up 3
second time md come down the cal
nd looked at the young woman ovel
his specs.
"Now, as l was tellin' you ofore, >
SEE he, u hain't maxim no complaint
Nv myself, for I've raised a family Of
leven children ind / know all about
'em. But these other folks here in
the a lave paid for a good nights
sleep, nd it's my duty as a director
Of the Han bul nd st. Joe to see that
they get it. Seems TO me like YOU
ought to be able TO keep that child
quiet-you can't make me believe that
there's any use for a child to be car
Tyin' on so. Sumpin's hurtin' it'll
know sumpin's hurtin' It by the way
It cries. Now, you look nd see II there
Amt a pin stiekin' into II somewhere
I've raised 'leyen children, md that's
jist the way they used 10 cry wher
there wuz a pin stickin' Them
He reekoned he'd find things al.
right this time, md be went back L
his bunk feelin' toler'ble satisfied
with himself. But the young woman
couldn't find no pin stickin' the baby
nd no matter how much she steweC
and worried, the baby KEEP right OF
cTyin' jest the same, Holy smoke
but how that baby did CRY.
Now, / reckone d that the colone
would be gettin almighty mad II THU
thing KEEP up much longer. A mar
may raise 'leyen children as easy a
rollln 0f'n a log, nd yet the twelfth
one that isn't his at all, may brcal
him. THERE'S generally a last straw
even when 1t comes to the matter u
children.
So when the colonel rix feet fore
most for the third time onten his bunl
that night-or l should say, moInin-
now We locked for hail Columby.
Look a-here, my good woman, >
SEE be 70 the young woman with tn,
baby. ssas I said afore, you must d
sumpin' to keep the child quiet It'll
never do to keep all these folks awake
like this They've paid for a goot
nights sleep, and it's my duty as 1
director Nv the HANDFUL and St 10 t
pertest ag'in this disturbance. Nv,
3 family Of 'leyen children, md
I know, as well IS / know anything.
that that child is hungry. No child
ever cries like that when il isn't hun.
grg, 50 l insist on your nursIn' ii md
given US peace md quiet"
"Law me sir, . sez the young woman,
II amt the baby's mother-I'm only
Just tendin' IT,"
The colonel got pretty mad then:
his face got red nd his voice kind Nv
trembled-he wuz SO mad.
Where is its mother?'' says the
colonel "Why isn't she here takin'
care Nv this hungry and cryin' child
like she ought to hes1
''she's in the front car, sir, e the
young woman, a ehokin' up. She's In
the front car IN a box. dead. we're
takin' the body an the baby back
Now what would you OF me have
aone-what would any nan have done
then and theres Just what the colonel
done.
The colonel didn't wait for no sec
ond thought be jest reached out his
big, b0ny hands md sea, young
woman, 81, me that ~baby"-sez It is
quite like md 50 gentle that seemed
Ike 1t wuz the babys mother that
Fuz speakini.
The colonel took the baby, and.
low, maybe you won't belieY me--the
held that baby nd rocked IL
Ike it had been bis own child. And
he baby seemed to know that IL lay
lgsin q lOYin' heart, for, when il beerd
he old mans kind voice nd saw his
face nd felt the soothin'
Of his arms the baby stopped
Is grieyin' nd cryln' md cuddled up
lose 70 the oolonelis breast, md
to COO nd Ian.
The colonel called the Niger. Jim"
e. he, "you goahead I'd tell the con-
actor to stop the train at the FIRST
arm house. We've got 70 have some
nix for this ohild-s0me warm milk
18th sugar 10 H. ] hain't raised a
amily Nv 'leYen children for nothsni
The baby didn't CRY no more that
lght; ieastwise we didn't hear IL II II
Id cry. And what II We had heerd IT.
ilessed 4 ] don't think every last one
I US would have got up 10 help tend
hat lonesome little thing.
That wuz more'n twenty years ago,
Ut ! kin remember the last words III
eerd the colonel say; mo matter 81
does cry. SCI be. 1T don't make
o mere noise than . cricket nohow;
I'd / reckon being director NV the
ID / kin stop the train md let on any
ldy that Don't ike the way the
.ansbul and ST. Jo does business
Tseuty yean ago. Colonel Elijah
atos is sleepini 10 the Palmyu
ground; likely - not the baby
Is graWed up-ioastNise the Hanbul
d ST % has; everything Is different T,
iN-eseUthing has changed-every-
llngexeept humln natuf, nd that IS
le sane. u allUs has been, and Il