The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1873-05-29

mouth dropped open. and both your
hands twisted in your hair? And when
L said, Any thing wrong with either of
those two fine boys, Mrs. Drabble 2 you
caught me by the coat collar, and whis
pered In my right ear these words, Lord
save and help US, Mr.. Jolly, I've confus-
ed these babies in my mind, and I don't
know which is whichl''
And don't know now!'' cried Mrs
Drabble, Historically. "Oh my head my
head don't know now."
Captain Gillop and gentlemen, said
MIR. Jolly, wheeling roud and addressing
his audience with the composure of sheer
despair. that is the Scrape-and.i if you
eyer heard of worse one. I'll trouble
you to compose this miserable woman by
mentioning it Immediately"
Captain Gillop looked at Mr.. Purling
and MIR. Sims. Mr.. Purling and Mr.
Sims looked at Captain Gillop. They
were allsthree thunderstruck-and no
wonder
Can't you throw any light on it,
Jolly?" inquired the captain, who was
the first to recover himself.
If you knew what | have had to do
below, you wouldn't ask me such ques-
ton as that, replied the doctor. Re-
member that have had the lives Of two
women and two children to answer for
remember that | have been cramped up
in two small sleeping cabins, with hardly
room to turn round in, and just light
enough from two miserable little lamps
to see my hand before me remember
the professional difficulties of the situa-
ton, the ship rolling about under me
all the while. and the stewardess to COM
pose to the bargain bear all that in
mind, will you, and then tell me how
much spare time [ had on my hands for
comparing two boys together inch by
inch-two boys born at night, within half
an hour Of each other, on board ship
at sea. Ha! ha! l only wonder the
mothers and the boys and the doctor are
all five Of them alive to tell the story -
" No marks on one or other of them,
that happened to catch your eye ?" asked
Mr. Sims.
They must have been very strongish
marks to catch my eye in the light I had
to work by, and in the professional diff
iculties [ had to graple WITH" said the
doctor. [ saw they were both straight,
well formed children-and that's all
saw"
Are their infant features sufficiently
developed to indicate family likeness ?"
inquired Mr.. Pulling. "Should you say
hey took after their fathers or their
mothers ?"
both of them have light eyes, and
light hair-such as it is, replied Mr..
Jolly, doggedly. Judge for your
selt"
"Mr. Smallchild has light eyes and
light hair remarked Mr.. Sims.
"And Simon Heavysides has light
eyes and light hair" rejoined Mr. Pur-
ling.
81 should recommend waking Small
child and sending for Heavysides, and
letting the two fathers toss up for it, :"
suggested Mr. Sims.
The parental feeling is not to be
trifed with in that heartless manner, 4"
retorted Mr.. Purling. 81 should recon-
mend trying the voice of nature"
what may that be, Sir?' inquired
Captain Gillop, with great curiosity.
THE maternal INSTINCT" replied Mr..
Purling. The mother intuitive knowl-
edge Of her own child"
"Ay, ay - said the captain. "Well
thought of. What do you say Jolly,to the
Voice of Nature?''
The doctor held up his hand inpatient
ly. lie was engaged in resuming the
| effort to rouse Mrs Drabble's memory by
a system of amateur cross examination,
with the unsatisfactory result of confus-
ing her more hopelessly than ever.
Could she put the cradle back, in her
own mind, into its original position? No.
Could she remember whether she laid
the starboard baby otherwise Heavy
sides) on the side of the. cradle nearest
the stern of the ship, or nearest the
bows? No. Could she remember any
better about the starboard baby (othcr-
wise Smallchild)? No. Why did she
move the cradle on to the cabin table,
and so bewilder herself additionally, when
she was puzzled already? Because 1t
came over her on sudden, that she had
forgotten. in the dreadful confusion of
the time, which was which; and of
course she wanted to look closer at them
and see; and she couldn t see: and to
her dying day she should never forgive
herself; and let them throw her over
board for a miserable wretch, if they
liked-and so on, till the persevering
doctor was wearied out at last, and gave
up Mrs. Drabble, and gave I'D, with her,
the whole case.
Il see nothing for it but the Voice of
Nature, - said the captain, holding fast to
Mr.. Purling's idea. TRY it Jolly,-you
can but try it. -
Something must be DONE said the
doctor. 6 [ can't leave the women alone
any longer, and the moment l get below
they will both ask for their babies. Wait
here till you re fit to be seen, Mrs. Drab-
bic. and then follow me- Voice of Ma
ture!'' added Mr.. jolly contemporary,
as he decended the cabin stairs. "Oh
yes, I'll try it-much good the Voice of
Nature will do US, gentlemen. You shall
judge for yourselves
Favored by the night, Mr.. Jolly cum
ningly turned down the dim lamps in the
sleeping cabins to mere glimmer, on
the pretext that the light was bad for
his patients eyes. He then took up the
first of the two unlucky babies that came