Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1863-04-03
The Bright Coal, and how the
Baby touched it.

There was once darling little baby,
who lived with his father and mother i'll
rough log cabin in Tennessee. He was
a beautiful boy, with dark blue eyes and
rosy checks. His skin was very fair, SO
that the neighbors, who were dark COM
plexioned Southerners, called him the
"white child :" and all around his head,
down on his fat shoulders, clustered rings
of shining, pale gold hair. He was a
very merry and atFcetionatc boy, and had
the most charming way in the world of
scrcwing his sweet little rosy mouth all
into pucker whenever he wished to his
mamma. which was many times day.
Oh how dearly his mother loved him .
How hard She worked to keep the room
clean and neat, that it mi ght be fit for
the baby to live in How much comfort
She took in the midst Of her toll and care
in watching her darling, in stopping for
a moment to give him good hug and
kiss, at least twenty times day. Above
all, what delight it was to undress him
at night, and rock him to Sleep while she
sang tender lullaby.
could write you a whole great book
ful about how this mother loved her baby,
and what comfort she took with him
aud yet when the book was written thro'
| would not have told you half.
\ ct this darling caused his mother
great anxiety ; viii tell ycu in what
way
The fire was made of large logs, in a
great pen Fireplace, and whenever it
was necessary to put more wood on, the
Goals would fall down on the stone hearth
making the room very bright for short
time. Baby seemed to think the red,
glowing Goals very pretty, and as soon as
he could creep, he would start for the
ire whenever it was stirred. His mother
would take him back to the other side of
the room many times a day she would
shake her head at him and say No, no,
baby must not touch-fre will burn -
Hurt the baby :" Bat the little fellow
persistel and grew SO troublesome about
going to the fire place that at last his
mother did not dare leave him one mo-
meut alone, lest, wnen she returned, she
should find that his clothes had taken fire.
She could not 90 outside the door to feed
the dog or eat, nor 30 a few steps to the
well for water, without carrying her baby
on one arm, and this added 50 much to
her other work that she was almost worn
out.
At last, one day when the mother wa,
placing some bright hickory Goals under
the bake pan to have some biscuits, one
coal fell to the far corner of the hearth
some distance from the fire; the baby
saw it, and started his mother resolved
to let him DO as he would, SO did not ap
pear to notice, while closely watching
him all the time. How sorry she felt fol
her dear baby; she knew his little tender
fingers would be badly burned, and she
felt almost wicked to allow it; but sh,
knew that it was the only way to teacl
him how the fire would burn, and she lei
him 90. The baby crept very fast unit
he had nearly reached the fire place, theI
stopped and looked at his mother, but sh,
did not appear to see him, SO he crept OIL
but very slowly, las if he knew that h
was doing wrong,) and at last reached GU
his little hand and took up the red no
coal
Oh, how be cried with pain and terro
as he instantly dropped it His mothe