The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1851-06-16
A Foundling.

A Mrs. Esther Stansbury, (residinp in =
court running from Race street, below SiYthS
was about to bring a bucket Of water from
the hydrant last night,-she found an M oid
basket suspended from the knob of her front
door. Putting her hand into the basket she
ielt something alive and kicking-but SO en-.
velooped in rags that no further discovery
could be made without unwrapping the Oh
lect::y A piece OF aper, folded like a letter
lay by the side of the animated bundle. Mrs
Stansbury imediately returned into the bonse
and, by the lamp, examined the billet Il
was addressed to her husband. She ,tremr.
lously broke the seal and read as follows:
10 Joe Stansbury:-Sir-I send Won The
osDy, which You will please take good care
OF and bring up right, SO that it NAV turn
Out 10 De better man than its daddy. on
Joseph what sly old rake You are who.
would think that such staid, sober old snin..
dle-shanks could be such taring down sin.
ner? The child is yours. You NAV swear
to that. Look at tit is Joe Stansburv all
over. You deceived me shamefullv. Jocsnh
Letting on to be a widower-but do . fath
ers part by the young one and mi fo,a;n.
you. Your heart broken NANCT'
r.s.-Dont let that sharp-nosed wife of
yours see this letter. Cannon her with
some KIND OF story about the baby.
~. s..,., NANCY,
Mr: Stansbury was in the basement k;tcb-
en- quietly eating his supper and little imse.
inlng what storm was brewing over b;.
mead. The door Of the kitchen staircase was vac
violently thrown open and Mrs. S's voice
yelled out, 'Stansbury-come nm here ron xon
vlllala-heres mess for your The aston
lshed Stansbury hastily wiped his month ana
obeyed the summons. Don't vo,, Want to ~
see Nancy, the hearth broken Nancy D % cr;aJ
hhs,s MIs. ,sslansbury, when her guilty husband had
M nooDlea into the room. Nancy what
Nancys thatY said the sly old rogue in we'll
lelgned perplexity. why Nancy, the mother thar
OF tllis baby that's been hung at yopr door
WI Stansbury. Oh you look mighty inno'
cent-but just read that letter and then IooL
INTO that basket. Don't be afraid 4 won,t. UUa
plte-lts got no teeth, poor thing i-von'li
l.I Know lt-tor, as your huzzy saws. Il "a met
like you all over. Please goodness ri 'eT' eT
pose you before everybody = "a
And in less. than FIVE minutes Mrs s,o,,
Lii S IooLn Iull OF spectatOrs2-
,l';. ,,ail ol .he inhabitants of the court-to
Mr.,ieSs nn;o% Tue process OF unwnpping the baby
ANXIOUS expectation sat on every counts.
nance, as the lady tore away rae after rae
from lhe body OF the foundling, with yigoEo
Gus movements which astonis6ed evervh,e-Jr
1T is full of the devil now,' said Mrs. s. 3
that shows it is his, you'll soon see that T. is
like him in everythinp ~ 10
AT last all the swaddling clothes being
removed, out jumped the baby and made des ;tss
escape through the open door. ''N i''.
ltwas big tom-cat. The Stansburies had
been vlctimized by practical Joke, the con. on /.
trivance of which was traced 10 q 6m.Io
nelghbor. Mrs. S., who has no TASTE for finn finn
OF that KIND, made her complaint against the
suspected party, but as the trick Appeared TO
% De without malice, no binding over took