The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1921-06-17

swer, and so the days journey began,
Often. near its end. they came to
some lonely farmhouse. Always sam
to ask about the roads, followed by
little Joe and Betsey with secret hopes.
One of these hopes was related to
cookies and maple sugar and buttered
bread and had been cherished since
an hour of good fortune early In the
trip and encouraged by sundry good
hearted women along the road. An
other was the hope OF seeing a baby
mainly, it should be said, the hope
of Betsey. Joe's interest was merely
an echo of hers. He regarded babies
with an open mind, as 1t were, for
the opinions Of his sister stfn had
some weight with him. she being 4
year and a half older than he, but
babies invariably disappointed him,
their capabilities being so restricted
Still. not knowing what might happen,
he always took look at every baby.
The children were lifted out of the
wagon to stretch their legs at sloughs
and houses. They were sure to be
close behind the legs Of their father
when he stood at a strangers door,
Then, the night being near, they were
always invited to put their horses In.
the barn and tarry until next morn
Ing. This was due In part to the visit
full faces Of the little children-a fact
unsupported by their parents. What
motherly heart could resist the silent
appeal Of children's faces or fail to
understand it7 Those were memorable
nights for Sarah and Joe and Betsey. In
a letter to her brother the woman said :
you don't know how good 1t seems
to see a woman and talk to her, and
we talked and talked until midnight,
after all the rest were asleep. She
let me hold the baby in my lap until
II was put to bed. How good 1t felt |
to have little warm body In my |
arms again and feel 1t breathing In |
all my life 1 never saw a prettier
baby. 1t felt good to be In 4 real
house and sleep In a soft, warm bed
and to eat jelly and cookies and fresh
meat and potatoes and bread and but
ter. Samson played for them and
kept them laughing with his stories
until bedtime. They wouldn't take
a cent and gave us 4 dozen eggs In a
basket and a piece Of venison when
we went away"
On q warm, bright day In the sand
country they came to a crude, half
frame house at the edge of
, wide clearing. The sand lay In
irifts on one side Of the road. 1t
lad evidently moved In the last wind.
4 sickly vegetation covered the field.
1 ragged, barefooted man and three
Icrawny, fll-clad children stood in the
iooryard II was noontime. A mon
,rel dog, with a bit of the hound in
lin, came bounding and barking to-
ward the wagon and pitched upon
,ambo and quickly got the worst of
t. Sambo, after much experience
n seif-defense. had learned that the
'est way out Of such trouble was to
eize q leg and hang on. This he
Id The mongrel began to yelp. Sam
on lifted both dogs by the backs of
heir necks, broke the held Of Sambo
md tossed aside the mongrel, who
an away whining.
THAT reminded me Of bull that
ackled . man over In Vermont" he
aid. 1.-The man had club In his
and. He lodged and grabbed the
ull's tail and beat him all over the
Of. As the bull roared. the man hol-
cred: I'D like to know who began
his fuss anyway"
The stranger laughed.
as that your houseT Samson said
The man stepped nearer and an
wered In a low, confidential tone:
Say, mister. this is combination
oorhouse and idiot asylum. I am
he idiot. These are the poor
He pointed to the children.
4You don't talk like an idiot" said