The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-05-23

meath my coat-skirts, nanked by about quarter
Of . yard Of Swiss embroidery and taoka, wofully
crsmpled BY the fiery ordeal through which w
had both passed-the milk (confoInd It had
dripped a-dowa the full length Of my pearl-csl
ored pantaloone, and my hat, bent and bruised
was glsveless, flushed and dishevsllsd, and, take
me 'for all in all, must have appeared consider.
ably like piskpoekst or IN old-clothes-man out
for walk
| So Kate and her companion were laughing a,
me this was, indeed the unkindsst cut Of ali. ]
| resolved never to dance the German with Kate
Milton again -
The house was quiet and deserted Is return.
ed and inserted my night-key in the little cirou-
lar lock; What could have become of Bertha ?
The cold dew oozed out upon my brow AZ /, for
one instant contemplated the horrible possibili.
ty OF my Icing left sort Of modern Robinson
Crusoe, with the diabslical man little Friday ON
my hands.
Nonsense there was no probability of that I
sat down on Bertha's low rocking-chair and,
planting the baby firmly ON my knee, applied
the spout Of the pitcher 10 his mouth.
Would you believe it? He wouldn't drink q
drop He screwed his mouth as tightly shut as
il DO never intended to open it again, and doub-
led himself over backward with a strength of
will that would have been remarkable in v full
grown man, but was simply marvellous in ten.
months old baby. I persevered, and he perse-
vered. poured the milk over his neck, his en-
broidered dress-waist, and his coral amulets; he
would have been drowned sooner than to open
his mouth half a quarter Of an inch Probably,
of such stuff were our Revolutionary fathers
made; and this baby had, through some inscru-
table blunder of Dame Nature, come into the
world just century too late
put him back in the cradle, fiat on his spinal
-. L
in anger.
MY youngster " addressed him, "cry away,
cry your lungs outbreak blood vessel or two,
if agreeable to you-fracture your trachea
can't be held legally responsible for it, thank
Providence
took up book and sat down by the cradle,
rocking it recklessly backward and forward re-
gardless Of the screams which still rent the air.
wasn't going to waste any more time in trying
to quiet him. Let him cry This is free
country
"Why, Joe whatever Is the matter
1t was Bsrtha's voice. jumped up as if a
cannon ball had smitten me, and dashed my book
upon the floor
matter, ma'am, matter? The matter is, that
I'm going mad shall be fit subject for the
lunatio asylum in just about fifteen minutes
more!'
But might as we'll have wasted my despair
ing eloquence on blank wall She didn't hear
nor heed me She was loading that little wretch
with caresses, pity, and Establishments. And-I
shouldn't have credited the sudden turn of af-
fairs if l hadn't witnessed it with my own eyes
the baby absolutely laughed up in her face,
as II to say, "Ive given my uncle pretty time
of it,
Yes; laughed and crowed, and held up his
hands, and behaved exactly as if he had never
in his small life known what it was to shed a
tear! The hypocrites are not all grown up.
"Has he been good, uncle Joe ?"
looked volumes at my sister.
Bertha if ever you leave me again in charge
OF that-that little atrocity, I'll commit suicide
immediately
"You needn't speak 50 loud" said nv sister, in
An injured voice; 81 intended to have been home
before, but the train was delayed, and-bless its
little heart, did it want to come to its mammals
arms-and nas uncle Joseph crosser than an old
bear, and Udsnt it the sweetest little rosebud
that ever -"
L waited to hear no more, but rushed precip-
itately out OF the room. convinced that of all
fosls, young mother was the most hopeless
specimen.
That's tho last time l have had the heir of the
family confded to my guardianship think Ber-
tha'S little afraid to leave me alone in the room
with him. $50 mote it be ~
Some one sent me comic valentine this four
tenth OF February-a picture of hook-nosed
old bachslor-(my nose is ; fine Romanesque cur
ved) in blue coat and red trousers, dandling
the baby upside down; solemnly believe it was
Kate Milton
l detest comic valentines. I abhor babies
and l believe in life Of old bachelorhood
That's my platform do you wonder at it