Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1868-04-22
a, BIOOMSBURG Pa. WEDNESDAY, APRIL o. l868

." >4ib0l sti .tif..Ll d ----L-I --.-L d.
the little lammie, lumpy baby up on tn
rack 4" N. it.'e ~ '' %
The baby struck out menacingly with hi
fat fists in the direction Of Mr.. Corban, ant
gave utterancc to yell Of triumph. Mr.
Corban broke into cold prcspiration. HI
had never been so near baby before in hi
life. 1t was almost too much for him. FL
had strong mind to stand the remainder
Of the way, Or until somebody vacated o sea
but his knee gave an extra twinge, and de
cided him to try and endure tho terrible
state Of things. He took raper from hi
pocket and essayed to read; but the bab,
launched out into one Of those baby refrain!
which is like music In the ears Of oil moth
ers, and the cooling SO confused our bachelor
hero that he could take no sense of his pa
per, so he pocketed it with the savage deter.
mination to petition the next Congress fol
women with babies to be kept in car by
themselves.
At the first stopping place he was on the
lookout for q scat, and to his joy discovered
the gentleman in the next seat making
preparations to leave but before he was
fairly out of his scat an old lady in green
shawl and poke bonnet had edged into it,
and cut off Mr.. Corban's hopes. Ofcourse
she turned around and began at once to
talk to the baby.
"Dear little chicken! How old is ii
marm I" .----
"Almost eight months, said the proud
mother. s'..'s i. WI -.H.a -.C.
swell declare ! What large child of
his age! Why, there was my Enoch, when
he was year he warn't mite nor grain
bigger than that ere child! But then
Enoch; he had the whooping cough, and
the measles, and the ncttlc rash, and the
collarctta infanticidc before he was eleven
months And l expect the diseases had
some effect upon his constitution -
II should think So" replied the baby's
mother.
"You look tired, DEAR" went ON the old
lady; "thc baby must be dreadful heavy.
Why don't you let his pa take him?" with
rcproachful glance at the savage counte-
nance Of Mr.. Corban. a'
"Tm not his pa" grumbled Mr.. Corban,
pulling his bat little farther down over his
eyes. .s.-... ......
Oh! You amt. Wal, now, that's curis u
said the old lady. 81 should have thought
you war for sartin. The baby is the immage
Of you-jest the same kind Of nose; and its
eyes has got the same expression"
Expression indeed Mr.. Corban was
boiling over! He always peculiarly prided
himself on his expression; and here was
this old ogre comparing him to that dump
ling faced, hucklcberry-eyed baby!
"Wal," said the old lady, slowly, as
though she had reached the conclusion after
some thought, II spose as its likely this is
a post -mortcm child, which means one that
is born after the death of its father, and you
married its mother rather soon after her hus-
band departed this vale Of tears. Wal,
that's got to be dreadful common. But my
Elijah has been dead nigh onto nineteen
months, and I amt begun to think Of
second partner; though Squire Hudson, he
has been left so helpless and unfortunit with
them six children Of his, that I don't know.
l hope the Lord will show me my duty, and
give me strength to take the Squire for bet
ter or for worse, if it's right and best /
don't never want to shrink no duty, marin.
When did your first husband die, marm?"
'Parkersburg !" screamed the conductor.
"Stop five minutes orrefreshments! Change
cars for Wallingford, Amsterdam and Myr.
tie Ridge"
The woman with the baby rose quickly.
A thrill Of Joy went through Mr.. Corban.-
He thought she was at her journeys end.
He too, rose with alacrity. ...
'Can assist you in any way, madam?'
he asked. ,. ....- ....a.
'Thank you. I will just trouble you to
hold baby while I so and get cup Of coffee.
l breakfasted early and / need something
warm. BE careful and hold his head high,
he is subject to the Group" 'A---fat n.'
And, before Corban could utter one word
Of refusal, she had put the baby in his arms,
and was running of with the crowd. -a |
Our hero felt himself growing hot and
cold alternately. He had served two years
with creditin the war, and been in score
Of battles, but through it all, he had never
such asinking at the stomach
as came over him now. Most of the passeu- |
gers left the cars; and Corban would have
done likewise, but he feared he might lose
sight Of the babes mother, and tho train |
would start without him. So in anagony Of
terror, lest something dreadful should hap
pen, he stood there in the aisle, holding
tho baby at arms length, and fixing his fran.
tic gaze on tho door through which Shis de-
liverer would come. ~ . G i>G q ,os Z
:. - ''All aboard" cried stentorian voice Of
a new conductor the people rushed in.
But the passengers werc, most Of thcm,-
new ones, for there was junction at Park |