Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1914-01-28
A WOMAN IN
CAMP
By M. QUAD
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1913, by Associated Lit
erary Press.

NV udu VI us WIN Was tucIc SdA
ever forget the afternoon a party of
hunters and Indian fighters rode up to
our mining camp with a lone woman
in their midst.
+ 1t had been twenty two months since
any of us had seen anything more re-
sembling woman than a pair of spec
tacles and red cotton handkerchief,
and to say that we were knocked down,
stepped on and crushed into the hard
soil with establishment is saying little
enough.
The woman was a widow, who had
been captured by the Indians from an
immigrant train and then recaptured
by the hunters. She was about forty
years OF age, had taken the situation
coolly, and instead Of making an effort
to restore herself to the train and to
her relatives with whom she was jour-
neying had asked to be set down in
our camp until she could make up her
mind what course to pursue. This was
the way the leader of the hunters turn.
ed her over to our care:
"Say, you diggers arter silver, here's
a woman who wants to stop here for
spell till she gets rested. She's eddi-
Gated, and she sings like south wind
blowing over prairie flowers"
And this was the way we received
her:
"Ahem-yes-ahem-j so-hats off,
boys-no swearing-glad to see ye-
hope yer well-ahem-exactlyv'
There were thirty of us standing
around there, mouths open, hats off,
knees wabbling and more coming up
from the diggings every minute, and
something in the situation made the
widow grin as she looked us over.
fled my claims as follows:
First.-I assisted her off the horse.
Second.-I said hoped she was well.
Third.-I remarked that it was a
melOdiOus afternoon.
Fourth.-She accepted my arm as
we walked to camp and then accepted
my shanty as her headquarters.
If a tidal wave six feet high had
come rolling up the valley it wouldn't
have produced half the futter occa-
stoned by the presence of the Widow
Fleming. There were eighty or ninety
Of us, rough, brawny and more or less
wicked, some married, some divorced
! and some old bachelors, and to have a
dumpy little black eyed widow with a
| pretty mouth and voice as sweet as
sixty cent molasses pop in upon us at
o'clock in the afternoon was excuse
enough to stop work.
| Several curious things happened
| right away. Colonel Taylor, who had
never been known to wash his face or
comb his hair, started out in search of
| a clean shirt and a pocket comb.
| Bill Goodhen, the ugliest looking man
In camp, offered SIS for piece Of look
| Ing glass two inches square, and. not
being able to find one, he went and
| washed his feet as the next best thing.
There was a general washing up and
combing and scrubbing and hunting
out clean shirts and neckties, and the
bed for a week, got up and began to
chew tobacco and call for his clothes.
and he observed:
"Gentlemen, who knows but what
this wilder heard had $50 saved up,
and she has come here to ask for my
hand in marriage?''
have further claims to file, as fol-
lows:
Fifth.-I was chosen guardian to the
widow by unanimous vote.
Sixth.-The widow seemed perfectly
satisfied with the choice.
SEVENTH had the only clean white
shirt in that whole camp. and only five
buttons were missing from the gar
ment.
Other claims were intrusted to me tc
be filed. as follows:
Seven different men had their hail
cut.
jackknives.
Over dozen of our band let up 6
notch or two on swearing.
Well, it was curious what q change
that widow wrought in our camp, il
our way of living, and upon the man
ners of the men. Each made an effor1
to clean and slick up, and in mos
cases with marked success Before bel
advent we could count on two or three
quarrels per day. After her comins
such a thing was never known. Indeed
one day, when Peter White so far for
got himself as to insult Charles O'Gay
Charles took him aside and whispered
peter, kin turn We wrong side ou
in six ticks of a clock. but I'm mo-
the sort of a gentleman to kick uI
a row and upset ladys nerves II
lay it I'D agin vn and artor che Ioovo,