The Shasta courier., 1863-03-21
SH ASIA COURIER.
HeLkins ON Bogus Babies,

We met jenkins this morning, in an ex.
citing mood and rubbing his hands in an ex-
cited manner. He was vainly endeavoring
toextract smoke from Try short specimen
of the inevitable cheap igar, which was as
innocent of fire as it was Of Spanish.
.'Sir,n said he, +" there are q great many
bogus babies in Chicago"
Bogus babies z"
g As sure as am alive and the father OF
several interesting specimens of the genus
genuine. There is nothing bogus about the
little Jenkinses, as you would say if you
could.see them, but that's more than can be
said about many heads OF families who sport
Juvenile carriages around the city on every
sunshiny day and on some days that are not
sunshiny. Yes SIR" he continued. gleeful-
ly, "pve made an important discovery, a
discovery. which. reveals the deception and
weakness of the human heart, and shows
inconsistently false pride battles with purses
that won't jingle-an encounter in which
the former generally succumbs after a. brief
season of uncertain and undecisive successes
on either side."
Stopping to wind the loose wrapper of his
cigar, we exclaimed" In Heavens name
what do you mean? ?,'
Society,"" he said, " is rotten from sur
face to core. We are taught to believe, ac-
cording TO the tenets of fashionable life that
labor is degrading that to be poor is to be
despised. What wonder, then, that in our
frantic struggles to conceal both our power
tE,aId the fact that we labor, we should do
many ridiculous things, and resort TO many
disreputable stratagems. Well, sir, coming
down Randolph street, the other day, ! saw
a well dressed woman drawing baby car
riage along the sidewalk. A large shawl
covered the head of the little occupant, while
a green veil, spread carefully over the back
of the carriage. concealed features, no doubt
possessing all the lovliness imag enable. At
erch rise and fall of the very up and dowr
stairs sidewalk, the afectionate matron,
young though she was, would tenderly ride
the carriage over the rough places, as though
she wished to avoid waking the sleeping
cherub. was so much pleased with this
display of tenderness that kept looking at
II: In fact, had seen that identical carriage
before. Latterlv | have wondered not IA lit
tie at the rapid increase of baby carriages in
the streets, for you know, sir. that curing
the present Autumn, hundreds were to be met
on any afternoons walk. Well, Just as |
was wrapped up in admiration OF the delicate
and tender care of the mother whom | bad
been observing, she arrived at a three-st
brick inthe sidewalk near Metropolitan Hail.
She turned the carriage around aud backed
1t slowly and carefully down the FIRST step,
when to my horror the pole slipped from her
hands, and the carriage with its blessed load,
fell over backwards, landing bottom upwards
on the stone pavement below. You may im
agine with what alacrity | spraug to the
woman's assistance. l raised the wrecked
carriage. and there upon the pavement lay
NOT Il bruised mass OF half breathing in
nocence, as had expected, but at least 20
pairs q army pants! Fact sir. and ND mis-
take. This womaa was too poor to live with
out work, and too proud to let anybody know
it. She found employment for making army
pants for the contractor, and to. hide the fac
was in the habit of carrying her work to and
from her house in baby carriage, so arran
ged with shawls, pillows, wells, etc., as to
make the illusion perfect. Upon inquiry
sir, have found that this thing is practiced
to a great extent. and fully convinced that
three fourths of these juvenile carriages that
one meets contain army pants or s"me sim
liar humbug. Aud that's what / mean by
bogus babies.
And Jenkins turned upon his heels aud
was of, with an expression of extreme dis
gust Hing his usually complacent coun-
tenance.- Chicago Journal.