The Placer herald., 1861-03-23
The Bachelor and the Baby.

"What shall do?" and the old bachelor
stamped about the sitting room in perfect
rage of doubt looking first at the mapping
baby in the little willow cradle, and then al
| the busy French clock on the mantle shelf
LAS sure as my name il Joseph Phelps
that two.iisted, large-unged hewhew OF
whole hour of the time which its mother APP
pointed for her return. Whew! | actually
sweat to think Of it, What can do with
it-how can | treat it to sugar, or hold it,
or trot it, or do anything with it?"
At this junrture faint wall from the ba-
bv receptacle brought bachelor Joseph to
his traps. With an energy and alarcty that
would no. illv become husband and baby
tender, he commenced rocking the cradle;
Sc ding the indignant baby in a perfect
tremore OF kicks and squalls. Backward
and forward from one side of the pillow to
the other the round red face roed the in.
fan; fists were cinched with force that
pn1pled them, while, from the white, plump
throat came a cry that set the bachelor wild
with fear.
Again Joe looked at the clock
"Wha. in the duce can do?' he exrlaim-
ed viewing wofully the little inhamed face
before him.
He sat down in Il bio chair before the
baby-spread double cradle quilt over his
knees, and with n look of borrow upon his
face proceeded to take the baby from It's
resting place lie drew the young hopeful,
just as a very neat old lady would pick up
pockrt handkerchief. with his thumbs and
fingers. A fresh yell from the rosy mouth
of the baby was the only expression of
thanks, as he commenced the never to be
forgotten baby trot.
ut must he. that something is proking
him. Shoo." said Joe commencing search
for the aggravaling pin that WAS driving the
child into such rage. But no pin was to
be found, and he made an attempt to turn
the baby over; but oh! the clumsiness of his
tingeis-lhe little eel like form slid ont of
his lap to the floor, sending forth IA cry that
was louder, clearer, deallier than before.
"Save me. I've broken its neck!" was the
exclamation as he picked The baby up, and
in the agony Of despair tried to quiet him.
A thought struck Joe. lie saw n basque
hanging up against the wal of the adjoin,
inc room, and with smile of delight upon
his rountenpnce he went TO it. Sure enough,
there it w#s, siuiling and all. real monu-
ment of feminine inginuly. He was wild
with joy. lie pinned it over his coat, and
fastened the sleeves behind him. lie took
the baby and laid its head against the false
br a work.
shades of Southern plantations and cot
ton factorics' as the baby rooted its nose
into it about mile, then cnddled down for
a snooze. The bachelor commenced sing.
i"g:-
Women are all tlceting show
For mans delusion given:
When filled with bran and stuffed with tow
They look quite we'll
A tap on the door stopped Joe in the
midst of his Suggestive song, and before he
had time to disarrav himself, the door was
opened and rognish, laughing pair of eyes
peered in upon bin.
"Yonr sister is not at home, is she!" ask
ed the visitor.
mo, ma'am,' s'ammered Joe, growing
very red in she face, "and | have tulned
nurse"
Miss Hays laughed; offered TO relieve him
of his charge, which he willingly consented
to sitting near by all the while inten''y
watching her. She managed the baby to Il
charm, without the basque, and Joe was
captivaied.
Joseph Phelps married Fanny Hayes
upon my word he did.
DoGs.-lIomer in his Odessy, introduces
but one dog and that dog but on one ocra
sion. "Bul them" as DeQuincy has beau'l-
fully said, sis there in the whole range OF
real or fictitious history Ohe Scriptures Of
the Old and New Testament always exrep
ted, an incident 50 simply and snhlimely
pathetic! When t sea soul sick Wanderer
had reached home at last, with face and form
though both still majestic, so bedimmed 10y
winds and waves as to escape even faintest
recognition hy those human eyes and human
hearts that yet loved their Ulysses we'll
when the old household nurse who had ten.
deJ him as the bright boy bounded out of
the palace gates of old, and even she on
whose virgin bosom he had lain his head
on the bridal night, knew not that he who
stood there in beggar's weeds was in truth
the long lost and long louged for deIiverer
then the poor, old, worn out faithful, and
unforgottcn dumb creature remembered lis
glorious master, and in u passion Of JOY
crawed toward him, and died at his feet"
A GENERAL BANKRUPT LAw.-The New
York Times says:
"In view of the commercial disasters con
seoueut upon the late political panic, the
proposition is again agitated here for the
passage of general bankrupt act, in order
to save from destruction tens of thousands
of merchants throughout the country. 1t is
well known fact that, as a general rule,
only men of enterprise fail, for only such
nra ,uillinn 10 nnconnter the risks of trade.