Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-09-18
All the mother awoke in Dot.


suppose he will grow"
"Grow ~ cried Dot, sobbing and laugh
ing. Z" I should think he viii. It's only
question of time Give him time enough
and he will be us big as you are Oh,
you precious conceited fellow l didn't
know you thought you were born grown
up!"
Dots baby did grow 1t was in a re-
fined, suitable fashion, after my own
heart. | never could understand the
ecstacics people go into over their huge
baby, who only represents so much adj
pose tissue.
"Look at his arms! " they cried "Look
at his legs!"
"Dear friends, do look at them, and
don't like them. They remind me Of
pork It's dreadful thought [ know,
but [ can't help 1t. suppose it betrays
some horrible cannibal pedigree, but
never see one of these over-c orpulent
babies without thinking how nice he
would be cooked. AS. for soul [ should
despair of finding one such mass of
ayordupois
You may think it is only nepotism which
makes me declare that Dots baby, as a
baby, was absolutely perfect. His ex-
quisite limbs would have delighted a
sculptor. Indeed, they were modelled
more than once, and we might have had
quite museum of casts, only Dot declar-
ed she wouldn't have pieces Of her baby
lying round over the house
The little fellow has name of his own
e very pretty name too-but he was al
ways spoken of as Dots baby. When he
was three years old | went to spend the
winter with Dot.
I" 1t is really time you were married
Ruthy," said Dot. "I have foreboding
that you will be an old maid [ read the
other day that there were seventy thousand
more women than men in Massachusetts,
The paners didn't say that the most of 'em
lived in the country towns, but know
they do. You shall stay here this winter
Ruthy, and if you don't get lover by
spring Harry and | will pay your fare to
to Harry, OF seduce the baby,s young af-
fections0
"This was week before Christmas,
and our principle work just then was to
go shopping for presents. One day we
had been unusually busy, had lunched
down town, and didn't start for home till
the short winter afternoon was Just closing
IN.
"I am wild to see the baby,0 said Dot,
as we crowded into the car, already cram
med as cars are at the holidays. " I al
ways think when Pm going home, What
if anything has happened TO him?"
What should happen to him ?
Dot knit her two aristocratic eyebrows
into frown.
"Don't be a goose dear, and pretend.
You know thousand things might have
happened to him. But | can't tell the
man to drive faster because [ am worried
about my baby, can !"
[ smiled in nv maiden superiority. I
believe | said something about conceited
young women who fancy that their baby's
cradle is the axis of the planet. Poor
darling Dot! Why couldn;tI have fore
seen the awful trouble that was to come
upon her?
We got home at last, and Dot ran up
the steps before me and rang the bell.
Mary, the second girl, opened the door,
smiled at first, glanced past US inquiringly,
and then gave short scream.
What's the matter ?" demanded Dot,
turning upon her with white face.
"Sure, an it's baby ma'amln
"The baby" shrieked Dot. "What-
what"
The words died on her lips She was
quite past speech. But she seized Mary
by the shoulder, and her eyes were fierce
and wild in their demand.
"You said first you'd take him, ma'am,
and win [ went up stairs and found he
wasn't asleep on the sofa as ye said, [
thought you'd TUX him. Howly mother
it's lost he IS
One awful liked d,incomprehensible stare
and then, as the truth came home to her,
, Dot fell forward in a dead faint into nv
arms.
Oh, how my heart ached ,and yet [ dared
not stop to grieve. We carried Dot up
stairs. | sent the cook down to Harry's
office, and Mary to the nearest police
station. In half an hour the parlor was
full of neighbors and friends, whom the
news of our sudden trouble mad brought
to US. In among them all came Harry,
pale and wretched, and took Dot in his
arms.
"God won't be cruel to us, my darliDg,'
he said.
Her dry,hot eyes seemed to cling to and
devour him.
az don't know" she sobbed "Dread-
and He lets them"
What nj ght that was to live through
what night to remember! A dear
friend came to US and consulted with Har-
ry. Everything was done that could be
done. Harry stayed by and comforted us
Sleep was not thought Of We walked
~, ,-+lo,
room.
"Oh, if Dot could only cry" said Har-
ry, with streaming eyes. | looked at her;
Would her heart burst?
1t was dreadful risk, but worth the
chance. [ went into Dots bedroom, and
hunting about there, found a little worn
velvet cap, with its shred of gold and lace
and its delapidated tassel We had fanci-
ed that the baby looked particularly love.
ly in it, and had been 10th to throw it
aside.
"Dot, darling, you know you threw
!, down his coat and his new cap on the bed
J when you decided not to take him. lie
must have put them on himself. See
here is the old cap, dear"
: put 1t into her lap. She had been
) rocking back and forth, her face in her
hands now, gazing at the poor chapeau,and
great sobs began to choke her.
} "Oh, my baby, my baby!" she csied,
and rushing torrent Of tears swep5 away
) tne ICY despair that had controlled her
, 1t was better after this. Dot could talk,
and her sorrow was easier to bear when it
could be put into words.
'' think of him wandering into those
vile streets, and the poor outcast children
crowdlng around him-he must seem like
an angel to them, or a little king-and
perhaps one ruder than the rest tears off
| his cap, and another seizes his cloak, and
: he Is cold and the winter wind blows his
hair about, and he wants mamma, and he
gets hungry, and--oh, Ruthy, how can [
bear it?
NJ a; - A., ;+ ord d;rootl1v