M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1860-06-21

night my baby walked, and walked fret
tul and hungry, | suppose. She be-
gan to cry; long despairing, entirely
'hncompromising cly. People began
ito look again, curious to see what
master nurse would do. Itried every
possible means to pacify the child; my
watch, my eagle buttons, held it up to
the window, | dapdled it, nearly
turned it upside down: no use =
Baby properly despised my humble
efforts to make it. forget its needed
and srightful consolation, and cried
louder and louders till at last | seem
ed to hold nothing in my arms but an
immense squall. A man could stand
it no longer, let alone cadet, and
rose desperately from my seat, deter
mined to appeal to some lady or wo,
man for assistance. AS | passed thro'
the car, some Of tho young ladies
broke into their senseless litter again,
the older ones looked out of the win
Iows, and the men eyed me with q
knowing sort of leer, that had not my
arms been occupied, they would have
had a hit straight ont from the shoul-
der. One motherly looking person
whom | approached, hopingIy, trans
fixed me with a stony, vtrtuous sort OF
glare, tha'made me shake in my shoes
as ii | had committed the unpardona
Bile ofiense. | gave up III despair,and
was about to return to my seat, when
a gentleman a. the ey trere end of the
car beckonedNme forward. 1t was a
little family party, the gentleman, his
wife and a colored girl with them,
who held their baby in her arms
The gentleman and wife were both
young, and evidently Southerners.
"We heard about this baby from the
conductor" said the gentleman, as
came near. "My wife has been fidg-
eting ever since it began to cry. Can
we do anything for youF"
The lady leaned past him. "WilI
You let me look at your baby, sir, "a
moment!" she asked in, it seemed to
me then, the sweetest tones had ever
heard. She held ont her arms, | laid
the baby in them.
"Such young child.-and so pret.
! ty, tool How it cries. What is the
matter with it!"
~ don't know, madam, unless it is
hungry. | answered. "lt has haC
nothing to eat since that woman 90
in this morning. Idou't know what
to do with It,"
Poor little love !" exclaimed th(
lady, what shame--no wonder i
cries !"
She hesitated, glanced at her owl
baby in her servants arms, at her hus
band. Then, bushing like rose, the
sweet mother laid my baby on her DO
som. bepcath her shawl, and husheC
its cries rs int had been her own-o
her very flesh and blood.
Her husband spilled, and leanin.
forward as if to protect her from tn
gaze of others, made room for me OF
the seat with their nurse. | Iexplain
ed the affair to him, told him m
name, and found that my family wa
not unknown to him. AS we talked
saw that his wife, listening, exam
ined the dress ofthe child on her lap
felt OF its texture, and finally unclasp
ed some chains that held up its sleeves
A little miniature was set in the clasl
of each. She looked at them; thei
she said:
81 am convinced that the woman
who abandoned this child to Your car,
is not its mother. In the first place
no mother could do such a thing; then
this babes clothing is of the most ex
qutSite make and quality, and i'll thes
sleeve chains are two miniatures. -
See, one gentleman with epaulets
the other a beautiful woman, evident
4 ly Il lady. Depend upon it, the chill
is stolon one, or came into her hand
by some unfair means. What can b
done9n
"Do not be troubled, madam, abou
the fate of this child. After the pos
sibility or probability you have sug
gested, shall not leave it in Boston
! will take it to my mother, and ad
vertise the case. If its parents ar
found, shall be glad; and if not,
think my mother will care for the rest
Only" | added, IL wish the meetin
were safely over"
The lady'S eyes sparkled throug
tears.
/ 81 can't tell you," she said, "ho,
what you have done, and are doin
seems to me; but | think you too nc
ble to dread anything. i will answe
for the mother that has such son.
Softly, softly, if you please" eZ
postuIated her laughing husband; :
"don't be quite oblivious OF the fac
that | exist"
She turned to him with a look tina
must have silenced the veriest grumt
Ter in the world.
| We reached Boston, took a carriag
II Al