Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-04-01
MY FORENOON WITH THE BABY.

fula, he always seizes man by the weakest
part of mis- constitution.
IN tell you, Aunt Fanny said under
ihe impulse, with the joyous smile Of one who
uncle and the boys. You must not lose this
hne day I'll take care Of the baby
Aunt Fanny looked at me with some little
doubt.
"Oh, yes said, with calm and confident
dignity, 81 of course can. Just as if man of
my size couldn't take care of baby for three
hours. Besides, know exactly what to do
L We seen you do ii more than hundred times
And children always like me-"
III my Aunt Fanny had but this only one
"aTing, she would have seen me in-IIac ken
sack before she would have done it.
Well,' said she, at last. ssbaby's a dood
yitty ting, (Warn't 90, baby p and I'll put him
to sleep before go, perhaps he won't wake up
until we get back. f'll try you for once y
30 my small cousin was nicely arranged in
some mysterious, but clean white garments, the
details OF whose arrangements did not see
and donated with (aS they say about gifts to
infant colleges; ergo. why not to infants, though
the phrase be insuffcrable bounteous renast
Ot-from-by. IN short. the maternal fount, /
thank yOu, Mr.. MicawberD and sootbed with
gentle oscillation and Oft-repeated chanting Of
that WOndrOus ancient rhyme of magic song
which commences with an allusion to our conn
try $ flag, to wit
''By-lO baby bunting" .-.
ana thus was the young immortal prosperOusly
dismissed within the peaceful realms of dream
land Then my Aunt Fanny adorned herself
with speed, and forthwith the old. lean. over
worked farm house horse shambIcd down the
snn-Shiny summer road towards the church
tW" miles and more away. As she stepped
over the threshold, she looked back for IN in
stan', and some shadows fitted indistinctIy
across her face Was il preSentment2
Human prosperity is deceitfuI thing. /
passed half nm hour in profound quiet reading
by the window. l had been perusipg a sermon
from that stately work, - Theology Explained
and Defended, IN series of Sermons by limo
thy Dwight, =. L. D.. LII. D."
L was IN a sort of paradise, with q little angel
for my companion; and rs gazed upon the
sleeping child. L felt '.no end of benignitv
universal friendship and pure delight, in hay-
ing attained to the honor Of SO lovely an Office
of suPerintendence.
YAH
Thus remarked by darling Sammy. suddenly
waking up and writhing about and digging in
a helpless, wavering manner, at his eyes with
his fists.
L mentioned that some fiend had, doubtless.
inspired Inc with benevOlence. As early as I
can calculate, it was now that the said fend
did, IN my opinion, leave me and enter into
that baby. As the above mentioned suypes-
ton about Sammy's exceptional disposition
arose IN my mind, an expression Of confusion
appeared upon my FACET remember it accu-
rately- This Sammy perceived rs arose and
with what faneIed an unexceptionable dem
UnstTatIon OF parental rupture, approached the
cradle Of my chubby and innocent companion
angel.
''Ah, 90, pooty yitty ting. Did he want TO
tum and see his tuzzen! So he should.''
L appeal to every mothers heart; is not that
frst-claSs blsndishment? [ can't print the
affecting drawI that put into it, the recita-
tive style and p0ftmente dI roce with which I
garnlshed secNHdeM arteRI. But as far a.
types Will show II, l contend that the very
mother OF Moses, if you like it, couldn't have
turned out more superior article of verbal
endearment
The baby listened with some complaccncy to
my dulcet tones; and encouraged by my sue
cess, thought il proper to communicate to
him the peculiar circumstances which render
ed Inc his guardian for the time Thus, there
fore, to him l said
All, pOoty, Was 90 muzzer an gone 90
church Is ee was! An lef 90 wiz 90 tuzzen
Feddy (my baptismal name is Frederick) all cs
morning Aa-a-a-a, ketcher. kelcher ketcb
er Hs-a-a-a PrrrIrrTi, jiggle, jiggle.'
Not being satisfied with the expression of
Master Sammys minute features during the
hrst half OF this address, began somewhat TO
doubt my ability to communicate with him in
language half baby and half English and
therefore repeated my statement as above in
pure baby as near rs can judge, pointing to
him in u free and jOyial manner during the
q
swOOp at him with Outspread fingers during the
remark, = Ha, prrr,' etc. smiling very sweet
ly, indeed. ut the word = ~jiggle.''
As said, in despite of the profound theory
and masterly execution of this maneuver / did
not perform it without a secret and embsrras-
sing apprehension The evil spirit in the child
for no human baby could have failed to re-
spond TO such afectionate reproaches-per-
ceived this hidden mystery of mine, and took
instant advantage thereof, namely: by return
ing. not demonstrations of reciprocal affection
bu. what / may truly call demonstrations of
anger, unmingled except with fear and aver
SION. While spoke and stuck out nv paws
at him, (for | will admit my gestures may have
been susceptible of that INTERPRETATION ! Master
Sammy preserved an ominOus silence a grave
and attentive expression, and entire quiet
only opening his eyes and likewise his mouth
But no sooner had 1 ended than he looked has
tily about after his mother. She not being
forthcoming. species of fearful contortion
passed over his visage-his mouth opened to an
extent unparalleled in my experience occupy
insas space that left no room for the rest of his
face, which was. therefore, shrivelled or heaped
up together in little pile of wrinkles in the
region of the nose-no eyes whatever being Wis
ible, and only two little pink holes indicating
the 4" smellatOry organs as Mrs Baggles hath
it-and from this preternatural Orifce he dis
charged such shrek really hit me on the
forehead and knocked me straight M again
think L stood, astOunded and incapable of
action, for minute. And really. now that
am retrospecting the thing, in what fix was
l. Well-meaning, but assuredly ignorant
young bachelor that was. how was | calcu-
lated either by nature or by art for assuaging
the dire alarms of unweaned child-mucb
more for dealing with such an instance of pre-
cOciOus demOniac possession as this COHfnrO
"a would not tell on baby, nor by-bo baby
bunting. on an imp.
All that. however, had no leisure 10 con-
slider; aDI Quintus Curtes did no: show more
nerve and hardihoOd in riding into that crack
in the ground Of the Roman Forum than
did in stoutly bending me 10 the task of quiet
iug Sammy. / may safely say, that in the
wild aud fearful struggle which followed, all
the resources of an active mind, vigorous and
healthy body, (msscuIine,) and excellent
disposition. were nobly devoted to the work.
and If faiied, il was an attempt beyond the
powers Of any mere man.
picked Sammy up, in the frs. place, and
carried him to the window, jumping him mp