Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-03-14

| hole in the drum head. and the little
| girls proceeded to set forth amOst boun-
| tiful feast, consisting of two cookies, an
| apple. and some lemon drops, of which
| the wedding guests, including Lady
! Glendora's relatives to the fifth degree,
| were invited to partake.
| The long summer morning had closed
| when Mrs. Holmes, having added her
| column of figures over and over again, to
/ be certain there was no mistake, and
| having arrived at a surprisingly large
/ sum total, pushed away pencil and pa
per, and walked down to relieve Biddy
| of the care of the baby.
| .sBiddy," she called from the top of
the kitchen stairs, bring up the baby
| I will take care of him now"
'Indade, mum, replied the girl, The
/ isn't here at all, at all. Hasn't yes got
| him already?"
| do YOU mean to tell me that the
child isn't here asked Mrs. Holmes,
/ her anxious face appearing half way
| down the stairs.
ssWhy. you see, mum, explained Bid
DIV. Il was busy, loike, with me mind on
me work, and took no notice till yer la
dyship called, when it sthruck me all of
/ suddint that I hadn't heard the child
{
/ crawled up stairs to yes"
Indeed he hasn't" said the mother,
looking anxiously about; but he may
have crept into the back yard
So with Biddy at her heels, she step
ped into the paved court, and closely
/ searched every corner but no baby was
there.
''Rub-a-dub. Rat-a-tat. tat" sounded
| Johnny's drum until his mother was
forced to catch the drum sticks out Of
his hands before she could make her
voice heard.
Johnny, have you seen your little
brother"
No. Johnny had not seen him, and the
alarmed mother rushed up to the play
room, hoping that one Of the girls had
taken him away.
Why, no, mamma, said Flora, the
wedding festivities are just over, and
the newly married couple are about to
start ON a trip to Europe, and We haven't
had time to think of baby
The now thoroughly alarmed mother
instantly commenced a most vigorous
search of the whole house, Biddy was
in despair and in tears. Her mistress
had called her a careless girl, and her
reputation was lost unless the baby were
found So she pecred into the most un-
heard IF places, evidently thinking to
find the child laid away on one OF the
pantry shelves, or playing bo-peep with
her from behind the sugar jar, 0r hidden
in the depths Of the coal scuttle.
Murther. bad luck TO me for a for
gitful gurrl y. whirra, whirra, NE
heart Is brok. Whatever shall de-, and
the poor darllnt lost and gone; Och
hone. Hear the poor mither calling the
sweet babe Biddy Murphy. yc deserve
10 dc peuauCc for week for bringing
sore trouble on them rs has been kind tn
Again and again Wa the bouse
searched from turret to foundation
stone. Or rather from garnet to cellar :
but no baby rev arded the search. Eyi-
IDENTIFY he Nas not on the premises, Ar
~7inG that a child who could not walk
must have been carried away, the moth
ct vas forced TO the conviction that
some one had entered the kitchen while
4he girls back vas turned and made off
/ nth fine unconscious babe. aud. being u
sniritpd little woman, after the first
natural cbullition Of maternal feeling,
she speedily rose to the occasion aud
sent Biddy off after the chief of police.
Biddv. In her zeal TO repair her neg
Hrenre ran half mile at her best rate
,F snead and had hardly sufficient
hr,.atb remaining to enable her to tell
her story. but she managed to make the
man understand what was wanted of
hin, and he immediately accompanied
her hask to her mistress. When the case
,[-as inv stated to him. he looked grave,
,,a1l,eI all abont the room. glanced
~ - tl,n nile of tin ware Biddy had
. a u. tha cbiId', disnosll raced
'T.',.I,. ab,5t the hack ward. and rave
Tob,,nv-'~ NEGLECTED. drum a kick. uues-
, t;onnd P;ddv rsternlv and looked ali the
,'}';11 - ,,tn oo,nn;ttal a. Won can i'm
s a. W. - nrI Mr. Holmes awaited
al liz ~ -;: ~