Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1856-01-19
The Baby the best. or Little Gertie.

come. w HE and Elite. come. Tnotha
days work Is done said little Gerte Rich.
ards, land the tea-tabe is away, and she is
in the corner at her knitting work--come
this is our tine, for she can talk with us
yes, come qnck and hei me bring close to
! her side the long crlck ket. There, it is placed
right, and lis my turn to sit in the middle
and YOU Willie and Elite must put you.
arms around Ine, and Join them together to
make a nice back for me to lean against
There, that is just right; You have made me
a nicer back than aunt Anna's cushions
| sofa has. How easy it is to sit in between. -
/ And you u1ay fave that easy sea- every
night. Gerte,'s said Willie. THE best to
| the babe you know: father used always TO
say" .m. m-*
: Yes thai IS what he used to say to YOU
/ and Ettie-hut to me lie would say the
+ baby the best Oh I shall never forget
! when YOU and Ettle sometimes would offer
me the largest piece ot cake Or candy. how
+ be would look into my face SO lovingly he
would look to: see what was going to do
! And then when | wouldn't do anything be-
cause waute5 the largest piece. and could
| not take it W hen his eyes We're on me- then
he would cone round and kiss NE and saw
Yes Willie aid Elite are right to give the
best to the baby But he would Aeep to K
ing oh SO PLEASANT into my face ami then
at my cake and couldn't we always .ei'
what father meant ii he did Mt speak and
used to say liconid read his face if i could
not read books. But this time about the
cake, he said. when he saw me still hold on
to the largest piece, ii the BABY is the best
| she Will never take more than her share.
So will not set in between only when my
turn comes. Now. mother We are here OF
/, 4,il~ :
What makes every body call me the baby!
You know am not baby, am SIX years
old"
Il will tell you, Gertie,'' said Willie, IT'S
because your bright, slIken nnelets are Just
like baby's, and you laugh like a baby
when we touch you under the chin; and
then your wee feet and hands are net much
larger than baby's, but more than all this
YOU love To 1T III mothers lap
Il know that, and used to love to ride
on father shoulders best OF all. But do
Tot think these things make baby, do they,
mother ~
Wait. neither said Elite, and let me
tell Gerte what makes her the baby" and
then throwing her arms tondiy around her
neck, and giving her warm KISS. she con-
tinued, we call YOU the baby because you
are the best: Let Willie and Ibe as good as |
We can, our Gertic is Away better, aud |
everybody loves her better, az sather SAID |
the gentle angels that watcrsa over her
cradle never ieit her.
And mag they never!1 SAT- her mother !
with raucll feeling. May or little Gertie |
always stFlTe 20 be good. SO that the tov ing |
angels OF :n!ancy may eve remain near !
her :;
Yes, mDther, I will always trY to be |
good, and then | shall some lay be one o.! |
the angels / remember uox. father used |
to talk about them when he rocked me in
his arms sn the great arm chair; he said |
they were: bright and beautiful beings, and
very hapry too and that all this beauty |
anh happiness came from a life pi love ana
wisdom. Then | asked bin how love and
wisdom could make them beautiful and hap
py, ana cannot remember all he said, but |
only thus, that his baby was never so beauti-
tui as when her heart was full of love, and
her tiny hands lifted forth to give. and then
he sang this little song, and got him to |
sing it "a great many times so that l. would |
learn It
Angels watcn our baby dear,
And fill hsr near; with love,
Keep all innoce,K and pure
This lovely, cooling dove.
On how much father did love me +! and | |
know he loves me now he is with the angels,
and some day | shall 20 to him anf hear
him talk and sing again, but | must wait
here until our heavenly Father calls me; and
try to be good all the time. viii never /
take more than my share. mother. and when
a poor little girl wants the whole, shall
give it all to her and not take any to myself.
that is the way the beautiful angels do, and
that is v hat makes them so happy, and am
50 happy too, sitting here between. But !
should want father with as, only he said he
was going to better home, and there shonid
wait ior as. But, mother, what ma kes every
body love TIE so, and like to give me the
best ?,' .., 4~.E @-.... ..-5~
"And does every body like to give you
the best, ,Geriie ~ ......
es, mother i think they do; Willie, and
Elite, and grandfather, and aunt Gertrude,
always do--alld then, there is Peter Martin,
he would give ne everything he had if
would take it. Yesterday when | passed
his garden gate, be was standing there with
.. .beautitu! White lilly in his hand, and he
said, 'Gertie, stop here nlinute'-so went
up close to the gate, and then he asked nie
who made my bright eyes. and d,npIea
cheeks, and glossy curis and when | tos"
him il was the same good Being tpat Made
his beautiful lilly he gave it to me, and then
he ran. and gathered 1o- ne all those pretty
roses and pinks that brought You. Was hr
not very kind, mother" s ..-a.. u
yes very kind indeed .s4 yr. s..... Il
Il told him SO. and said, How many flow {
ers yon do give me- Then be looked at me
Just as pleasant as he could. and SAID, II
shook nv ring lets at him again and showed I
my dimpled cheek he would give me HIM
self Is he not funny boy, mother = III
He may be funny said Willie, but he is
not a good boy. Eetakes Mr.. Allen sapp!es
and pears without leave. and uses very bad
words out OF school | would not go near