The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-04-06
ONE DROP TOO MUCH OF THE MILK
OF HUMAN KINDNESS.

An old gentleman, with an old wife and no
children, who lived on Longworth street in this
city, were aroused from their bed one night four
weeks ago, by loud knocking at the street
door. The ancient pair had always manifested
a great fondness for children, and not being
terms imaginable with. those belonging to their
more fortunate neighbors, and whenever chub-
by little boy or girl CHANGED to be in their COM
pany it was stuffed with sweetmeats and over
whelmed with their unpracticed and conse-
quently awkward endearments. The neighbors
loved the old couple, because the couple loved
their children, and enabled them to save many
a Christmas penny that would otherwise have
been uselessly buried in the bowels of ginger
bread horses. And for many squares around
the peculiar propensilies Of the ancient pair fur
nished inexhaustble material for gossip. This
venerable couple had long since committed them
selves to the arms of Somnus, on December
night, from which they were disturbed by a
loud rap at the street door; the old gentleman
did not know what to make Of the knock, but
he knew that it made noise not usually heard
in his house at one o'clock in the morning-so
he pinched his wife's ear and asked what it was.
The old lady thought he had better get up and
see. He slipped out of bed into his slippers and
pants, and went down stairs to the door, which
he opened, and in it traced dark shadow on
die in her arms. The gentleman asked her
what she wanted, and the young lady (for she
seemed to be by her voice) said she was an I'M
fortunate woman, the modern meaning Of which
the old gentleman did not understand of course.
He said he felt sorry for her--read her brief
moral lecture, from memory, and said that hea-
ven would never desert the virtuous. The night
was cold--the old man was thinly clad-he
shiverede and his voice was tremulous, which
caused the unfortunate woman to sob, believing
that in the goodness of his tender and plying
heart, the old man was weeping too. She had
child-a lovely boy-just five months old
that she was poor-that her seducer, (the old
gentleman said oh y a drunken, heartless william,
on whose head the vengeance OF heaven would
one day fall, had returned with pistol and three
bowie knives, like Herod, to massacre the inno-
cent-that she escaped while he slept, knew
where to goa great way of-but was too lee.
BILE to carry the child any farther, and she said
she would bless the old gentleman if he would
take it. He was overjoyed said he would get
a light; and was about doing so, when the un-
fortunate girl family shrieked, and said, g hear
him coming take the poor babe bless you !"
Hurriedly placing the infant in the old mans
arms, she started swiftly off, and in few min
utes the last echo of her rapid footsteps had died
away.
The old man closed the door and hurried up
stairs pressing the tender blossom to his bosom.
" Wife," cried he, "we've got little son at
last" The old lady was astonished, and she
wanted 10 know what meant her ancient lord by
we,-as according to her limited ideas of things
in general the introduction Of young 'un y
into the family was matter of which she had
a right to know something, But this was no
time for argument The baby was put to bed,
and the old lady Rugged j, to her BOSOM "the
little dear expressing its gratitude by gentle
and comfortable grunt, which the old man swore.
as he rubbed match against the wall, sounded
more like pa than anything that ever came from
the lips Of a mortal baby. The candle was
lighted, and the happy couple proceeded to an
examination Of the innocent and long desired
sharer of their domestic comforts. 9e14 '
First blanket was remoyed-then an old