The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1853-10-13
The first Cradle.

Going through the Park, this morning
contemplating those little, green, trian-
gular lobes in the lungs Of this great
Babel, and wondering whether those
most leafy leaves around the Fountain
will ever do anything more, and thinking
how frightened the City Fathers would
belt they should, We met young man,
neatly and plainly clad, carrying beneath
one arm a cradle-a wicker cradle just
such cradle as makes one think of
little chicken in basket, little jewel
in cottonwood, or Il little baby or some
thing else little and precious.
His quickeued step, and sort of
semi-elation, semi-sheepishness in his
looks, told story for him, he wouldn't
have whispered for twenty dollars a
month g and found" That brand-new
cradle for brand-new tenant he didn't
care who knew that and he was the
father of it-nor that either and his
wife was the mother of it better than
all. But then it was his first baby, her
first baby, "our" first baby. That he
didn't care so much about people's'know-
ing. He would a little rather they
should think he was used to it that the
old cradle was worn, or the other babies
tossed in a " baby-jumper," or anything
but the precise truth, no matter what.
Innocent soul He little dreamed
his secret was out ;"plan as a pike-statf'
legible as good old Saxon, to everybody
that met him and though about it.
On he went, and we followed him
home in thought, for the best reason in
life-we couldn't help it And there
was the baby, sure enough, done up in
dimiiy the whitest, trimmed with lace
lying the daintiest little bits of pink
shoes on its little bits Of pink feet; it,
eyes all aHoat with the unwonted light
"in fna phrenzy rolling IA dimple on
either check, double-chin, oh how
fat, and such IA head Of hair TO be sure
Its nose is the least curve in the worlc
pugglsh-tell it to them if you are tirec
Of life. TO be sure, its voice is by ne
means the softest-hint it if YOU ar,
shrived. But then it's a baby, in fact tn,
baby, and " llspring of pleasure ;
it is, indeed.
AMI there's it mother, Just pale enough
to look :" interesting" and that I-ask
no-more smile would beautify a face CO.
ored from the tents of Kedar but, ther
she isn't homcly; she's handsome
young mothers are always handsome
they can't help it.
And then it was TO be girl-of cour
it was, and they had fixed upon a nan
to hail it by, the moment it made
debut into breathdom. Many was Il
playful alteration they had a. out &
same name. She declared it should
called POLL, after its grandmother al
he, that no name was SO beautiful
Lucy-his wile's name, by the by-b
she conquered, Of course and one D;
OF lips, at least, was puckered to mt
Polly" when 10 Muscular Itt
hercules Of fellow came plunging in
being like a quartor-horse, and namel,
as a young buffalo. What was to
= done The nomens and cognomens
all the uncles, maternal, paternal q
doubtful, were catalogued and canvass
Forefathers, and more too, we're su
moned, but after all, just as anybC
could have told beforehand, she C,
cluded, mem. oon.-we should like to
the man with heart to refuse, as she
there, her hair flowing over the wh
pillow, and her soft eyes with a n