Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-11-01

llgnl anu JOY INTO every Granny OF the OLD
ratters. that softened mammals eyes and
smoothed away that ugly wrinkle over the
nose OF dear papa-my beautiful bright
little Malcolm, for of course | gave him
my family name. | thanked the good and
gracious God for him. i devoured him
with hungry love, / workedmyself almost
blind by the light of a taliow candle to
| fashion his dear little long clothes. | got
back my voice singing to him, and lost all
fear of everything. He was my knight,
my hero, my SOULS darling! One day
sat toasting his dear pink little feet by the
| fire, for the air was icy cold outside, and
the wind blew hurricane, when suddenly
| heard a light footstep the string was
pulled gently, the latch went up. and there
entered the most pitiable-looking bundle
of woe it was possible to conceive. Atfirst
| thought it was very dirty blanket en-
dowed with life, but presently 1 saw a
long struggling mass of black hair. and a
flat foot purple with cold, poorly protect
ed by Il ragged moccasin. When the dirty
blanket was thrown partly aside, found
it was a poor young Indian squaw with a
queer wee sick Indian baby.
Chickaminny, papOosey, shake" she
said, pointing to her child; and at that
minute it fell into convrllsion, the poor,
| sWarthy, queer little body.
/ put Malcolm on the bed near by, keep
ing a wary eye on the handsome little
Apollo, and snatching the water from the
| fire put it in tub {; then taking the little
Indian, soused him heada and ears and all.
The water became black instantly, for nev-
er was poor little creature so burdened
with dirt.
He gasped, and opened his eyes wildly.
L put little salt in his mouth, all the
while finding it impossible to believe was
doctoring baby with soul and body like
my own beautiful little prince yonder.
Presently the poor little red-skin grew
better, his long black eyes resumed their
glitter, and he crouched down in the pouch
of his mothers blanket, watching me with
a relentless persistency that seemed to say,
:" If ever get to be warrior, and able to
stand paint and feathers, I'll adorn my belt
with some of the foolish little locks around
that white woman's scalpi I'll teach her
to souse me with water, and rob me of my
native dirt, nip in the bud my convulsion,
and take all these liberties with the son of
my father J"
But think the iron really entered into
his soul when / found it necessary to give
him quinine. Every evening the gentle
young creature would come to my door,
and point to her baby, always with the
same plaintive cry. ''Chickaminny, pa
poOsey, shake!" and then watch me with
reverential awe while l fOrcibly admins
tered the bitter dose to her young brave.
| / do not know that she ever expressed
any violent gratitude for the evident i'm
provement of her terrible offspring. Her
face always wore a stoical. impassive look,
not mt all unbecoming to her style OF
beauty. 1t was of the archaeological type,
reminding me of one of those grand faces
| eXhumed from ancient ruins.
| q | grew to love the poor, sad, pretty
squaw. Quite a little throb of pleasure
would come to me when beard her soft,
familiar touch upon the latch. But / never
did, / must own, take to the baby. | was
in a manner afraid of him. If he had
screamed and kicked when / gave him the
bitter dose, it would have been natural
but the first slight grimace grew more and
more faint as he hardened himself to en-
durance, and always there remained that
impiacable glare in his fierce, glittering
eyes. L was glad when he was strong
enough to do without dOctoring, but
missed sadly the presence of his mother
! For she disappeared, and heard her gentle
touch upon the latch no more.
In the mean time my own little Malcolm
became the most perfect type of physical
beauty that a sculptor ever raved over
Where he got his transparent skin. hi:
magnificent eyes, his straight nose-fron
whence came those lines of beauty that
curved into dimples, and roseate bloom
and artistic shadows-Heaven only knows
but his papa and / looked upon him witt
absolute wonder, as day after day he grew
more and more beautiful. And oh, sc
good and so natural /. He had his fits O
passion, and went off to sleep with tha
dear little sob i'm his breast that make:
every mother long to wake her baby uI
and soothe it TO sleep again. Then he'c
lie kicking OH the bed, playing with fairies
and sunbeams. and goodness only knows
all the mysterious and charming shapes
that come whispering to babies.
We loved him too much, of course. II il
wrong to place every hope and yearnine
and delight i'm the frail body of one dim
pied baby, but let those help it who can
Charley and simply worshiped him.
4 1t certainly made us better in every way
II entered into our daily lives, and smooth
ed away all the little angles and wrinkles
Charley caused two snug and cozy room;
TO be substantially put together, talking
gayly of the palatial residence that would
stand there, or, as he prudently added
tneredDOuts. Wncu usiDy was oiu cilouS
to see and appreciate.
walked early and late ina patch of sol
he had spaded up for me, and which
dignified with the name of garden. ha,
the pleasure of eating my first radishes am
earliest peas. The latest of these and tn
rest of the vegetables rotted in dire desc
, lation. My garden became dense thicke
of noxious weeds, my home neglecte,
kennel, and Lob, poor, poor Kitty Nal
, colin . how did you ever live to see thi
day?
Ii makes me tremble to think of tina
bright balmy morning-tremble and grow
faint, though fifteen years have softene'
, the memory.
: Nature was in her best and tenderes
| mood. the blue sky all flecked with film.
clouds, the very grass trembling an
thrilling with happiness. | had grown 3
see beauty in the great glowing stretc
of color that widened out to the very horl
zon: and running ont to the wood-pile TO
few chips TO make baby's papa's Dime
boil. / stopped moment, shading m
ewes with ply hand, and looked about IN
r with decided touch of Western madnes