The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-06-20

II walk ate Milton' self. radiant Ii spripe
honnes, lilac silk MnIking- dresr, uioee- frineod
parasol. and the daintiest o. lilac kid gloves.
Kate Milton, with an ail Of astonishment
that served 70 make her one degree pFsttier
than evetl
Myfirst instinct vas to turn and Gee ignc-
minioualys nay second uas % drop ny me-
phew and his milk Into the enttsr and reese
luteiy deny all connection with them; my
third prompted me rosolutely 70 stand nv
ground.
ayes. il is J, Miss Milton--a-a Cue day 7"
Every fine.'
Kate eyed me d1biously, aud no wonder.
One sock, curling and twisting ~ II ser
rent were inside Of il instead Of y babyss
foot, appeared beneath my coat skirts. HADk-
ed BY aboUta quarter OF q yard Of Swiss EN-
broidery and tucks, wofully orumpled BY the
fiery ordeal through which We bad both pass,
ed the lmilk (cOnfound itAhat aipped
down the full length Of my pearl-colC-ed
pantalOOns and my bal, bent and bruised,
was thrust rakisbly on the side OF my bead.
| was gloveless, flushed and disheyelled, and
take me ''foF oil in all, must have appeared
considerably like q piclSpocket or an old
clothes man ont for walk
' passed on, followed by The sound Of faint,
subdued laughter sound that stung me To-
the quick.
So Kate and her companion were laughing
al me /; this was, indeed, the unkindest cut
Of all. resolved never TO dance the Ger
man with Kate Milton again
The house was quiet and deserted as re-
turned and inserted my night-key in the lit
tie circular lock. Wpst could have become
Jf Bertha? The cold dew oczed out upon
my brow as I, for one instant, contemplated
the horrible possibility Of my being left, q
sort Of modern Robinson Orusoe, with the
diabohcal man little Friday on my hands. Z
Nonsense there was no probability Of
that. sat down on Bertha's low rocking
chair and, planting the baby firmly on my
knee, applied the spout Of the pitcher to his
mouth.
Would you believe it.? He wouldp't
drink drop. He screwed his mouth as
tightly shut as il be never intended to open
| it again, and doubled himself over backward
with strcngt1 Of will that woald have been
remarkable in full-grown man, bui Was
simply marvellous in u ten-month's old baby.
perseyered, and be persevered. poured
the milk over bis neck, bis embroidered
dress-waist,. and his coral amulsts; be
would have been drowned sooner than to
open his mouth half quarter Of an inch.
Probably Of such stuff were our revolution
arY fathers made; and this baby had,
through some inseratable blauder Of Dame
nature, come into the world just . century
too late
! put him back IN the cradle, fat on his
spinal column, and looked at him more in
sorrow than in anger.
"My youngster % | addf sssed him, "cry
away, cry your lungs outbreak . blood
vessel or two, if agreeable to you--fracture
your tracbea! can't be held legally res
ponsible for it, thank Providence !"
took up book and sat down by the
cradle rocking it recklessly backward and
forward, regardless Of the screams which
still rent the air. wasn't going 70 waste
any more time in trying to quiet him Let
him crFl This is free country
"Wby, Joel What 10 the matter 2"
1t was Bertha's voice. jumped up as if
a cannon ball had smitten me, and dashed
my book upon the hoo..
s'Matter, 'am, matterf The matter 10
that Pr going mad shall be q ct subject
for the unatic asylum in just about fifteen
minutes more"
But | might as well have wasted my des-
pairing eloquepce on a blank wall. She
didn't hear nor heed me. She was loading
that little wretch with caresses, pity and
Establishments. And shouldn't have
credited the sudden turn of affairs If had
not witnessed it with my own eyes-the ba-
by absolutely laughed up in her face, as If
TO say, "i've given my uncle pretty time
Of it,
Yes laughed and crowed, and held NJ
his hands, and behaved exactly as il be had
uever 10 his small life known what il vas to
shed tear The hypo critics are not all
grown up.
''Has be been good, uncle Joe -
looked volumes at INV sister.
'Bertha, if ever you leave me again, in
charge Of that that little attrocity, I'll COM
init suicidep ~
"You needn't speak so loud" said my
sister, in an injured voice; 'sI 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
'ods uncle Joseph crosser than an old bear,
and rasH't it the sweetest little rosebud
that ever"
waited to hear no more, but rushed pre-
clpitately out OF the room, convinced that Of
all fools, young mother was the most hope
less specimen.
That's the last time have had the heir
OF the family confided to my guardianship.
think Bertha is a little afraid TO leave me
alone in the room with him. $50 mote il
be-"
Some one sent me comic valentine this
fourteenth Of February picture of
hooked-nosed old bachelor (my nose is q
fine Romanesque curved) in blue eUat and
red trousers, dandling the baby upside
down; solemnly believe it was Kate Mil
ton.
detest comic valentines. abhor babies
and believe in a life of old bachelorho ID.
That's my platform. Do you wonder at it