The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-03-13
Selected story.
A Boston Baby on a Lark.
RY MRS. EDWARD A. WALLER.

wouldn't have twitched him down so hard
when lhe climed on the bureau by the help
OF ner broad back as she stopped down to
pick up his nisht-gown, which he had got rid
oil with two kicks and jump. No, and his
mother never thought OF the thing, when he
was wriggling and twisting, and asking three
questions minute all through breakfast, or
she would have given him he biggest lump
in the sugar bowl, and held him tight in her
arms all day, instead of wanting to shake
him. And /, who saw him two or three
weeks after it had all happened. never should
have guessed he was hero; he was such
little fellow, and his chubby brown cheeks
and soft yellow curls, and neat little pett.-
coats, looked SO fresh and innocent, Just IKE
any other three-yeaT-old Daoy WHO 10 inaue
much of at home! feL
He was boiling over with life that morning,
and had SO much business on hand that must
be done, and the lazy people in the house
who hadn't thing to do but just amuse
themselves with sweeping and busting, and
rafting the sewing-machine, and other like
Jun, kept getting in his way and hinderine
him so there was trouble all around, and il
was great relief to all the ST. Jameses. bio
and little, when Tommy and his wee sister,
few months older than he, proposed to take
to the sidewalk, which already swarmed with
their playmates, and seek their fortune there.
So they were hated and booted and charged
not to 90 here, and not to sit there, and not
to climb this, and not to touch that, until
things got very much mixed in their little
noodles, and then they were let loose with a
hug and kiss q guess Tommy's mamma
was pretty glad she had kissed him before
many hours were over) and sigh OF relief,
and the house had peace. fs.fs
All the hand-organs, and street-harpists,
aud fiddlers, and b1gpipers in Boston knew
this street OF the "holy innocents" and made
it in their way to happen there very often.
So when the st. Jameses heard merry music
that afternoon under the drawing-room win
dows, and Tommy humping away on the
glass for pennies to pay the piper nobody
paid any attention or currency either, for
they were SO used to it. BY and by the mu-
sic died away, ard Mrs. st. James never
thought of looking out. If she had looked,
she would have seen her baby trudging down
Boylston street alter very shiny trombone,
and two or three other beautiful yellow
things, that coaxed him with their sweet
tones on from house to house, away from wee
sister and all the other innocents, and alas
far,away from his own home!
Five o'clock came, and Mrs. st. James be-
gan to think it was almost time for the chill
dren to burst in upon the delightful quiet
Six o'clock came and so did the wee sister.
"Where is Tommy" 81 don't know, but /
guess he's gone to Kitty Green's house,
Nurse Chrissy went for him, and felt little
cross as she went, and made up her mind to
tell Master Tommy he was 'sto come home
his own self another night, Or" ETC., etc.,
etc. But no Tommy had been seen at Mr..
Green's or at Mr.. Whites, moi in any OF the
pleasant houses on the street of the "hoy
innocentsr' Dear mel What fear and sor-
row there were in Tommy's home! Mr.. ST.
James forgot his dinner, and rushed off 10
the police station to tell his sad story;
and pretty soon it was known in
every district in Boston, that boy, three
in white Marseilles, and named Tommy st.
James, was losti What the babs's mother
felt and did, / don't want think, aud would
not tell you if l could.
Seven O'Clock came, eight O'Clock, nine
o'clock, no news of little Tommy! There
was his crib, with its smooth white cover and
pillow, but no little curly head to tumble
them; there was his little night-goWn which
he had frolcked out of that very morning, now
hanging so very still and empty that nurse
Chrissy almost hated it, and hid it away SO
that the poor mother could not see it.
There were all his toys, never, perhaps, to
be ratified, and spun, and dragged, and rolled
aud bounced by those restless hands Of his
again. o dear! dear and it might have been
your mammals darling or my Queenie, who
was lost!
papa and about ten o'clock the bell rang vio-
lently, and policeman handed in dispatch,
which had Just reached the station:
"RHoDE- ISLAND.
Tommy St James, of Boston, three years
old, came out on my train to night. alright
viii bring him back first train to. morrow.
Signed, CONDUCTOR
and r."
Now, what do you suppose his mother did
when she knew her baby was safe? Why.
she kept very still for some timR, and then
all of a sudden, she burst out crying and said
II know they'll let that child tumble out of
bed tonight just as well as want TOP
Mothers pre queer. -sHst&t
You will not be surprised to hear that Mr..
and Mr.. St. James, and all the children, and
nurse Chrissy, were down at the station the
next morning long before the Rhode Isl
and train was due, but it came laundering
in at last, with special bank and whistle for
such a great occasion, and Conductor,
with smile on his face, and Mr.. Tommy St.
James in his arms stepped off the car. Hugs,
kisses, questions, without number-all laugh
ing and talking at once. Tommy st. James
alonewas unmoved, to all appearance. Gen
eral Grant himself couldn't have been more
Aon-committal.
There was dignity for you, mems conscia
recti (which is something the Roman boys
used to wear under their jackets to save
themselves whipping, or from feeling it if
it camel but there was not word of explana-
ton from the small hero.
But this is how it happened-a bird told
me, and the conductor confirmed it, and
Tommy st. James nevee denied it.
The shiny music crept out of Tommy sight
at last, while he was watching dog frolic,
and when he remembered it again he went
wandering up and down, looking and listen
ing for the charming piper, till be came to a
railroad track, and there stood car, alone by
itself, in bright new coat of paint, Tommy
felt rather tired by this time now he thought
of it, and as he couldn't remember, among all
his mammals don'ts any "Don't go into a
railroad car" he just climbed up the steps
and walked in. And when he saw how gay
it was, and how still and empty, he thought
it was pity his wee sister and the other IN
nocents hadn't come too; and when he saw
how red and soft and broad the seats were.
he just cudded up his tired legs on one Of
them, and laid his warm, curly head down
just to see how it would seem, and-and be-
fore he had winked at half the gay pictures
on the walls, Tommy was fast asleep! si5
By and by the car began to move backward
and forward on the track, pushed by the men
who were "making up" the stsamboat-traip.
but Tommy never woke. Then one after an
other the passengers came in, and chose their
places. Ali wondered at the pretty curly
uedu lying there OH us crimson cushion. but
everybody thought somebody else knew all
about it,; SO no questions were asked. Then
the great engine came growing up and
clutched the pretty painted car with the lost
baby in it, and with shrek of savage ioy.
plunged along the track right behind Tom.
my's own home land even firted wreath of
smoke in nurse Chrissy's very face as she
stood at the nursery Window "oyer
the hills and far away" and Tommy never so
much as breathed the quicker!
Presently Conductor--came through the
car, looking. after. the tickets. He glanced
rather sharply at the sleeping boy, for ii was
very early in the journey to fall asleep TO be
sure; but his eyes softened when he saw that
the baby was quite below the ticket-aoe and
not playing possum." Two Or three times
during the trip the conductor passed bv the
sleeper, but at last duty being over. he was
free to indulge his kindness. "Now. madam1
said he to the lady who sat behind Tommy
with tender look at his flushed cheeks az
you will give me your shawl, / think con
make your your little boy more Comfortable y
MY little boyp Miss Prim fairly choked
with indignation. Il know nothing about
the child" And the woman who sat in fhe
seat before Tommy knew nothing of him. and
the fat gentleman opposite had never seen
him before, but thought "such little shaver
ought not to be travelling Alone" and nobody
in the car or in all the train had ANYTHING to
tell about Tommy; so the good conductor
saw plainly that be had one passenger too
many.
Tommy began to stir inst then. tn vawn