Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-10-31

entered the most pitiable-looking bundle
of woe 1t was possible TO conceive. At first
thought 1t was very dirty blanket en-
dowed with life, but presently saw a long
Struggling mass of coarse black hair, and
fiat foot purple with cold, poorly protected
by ragged moccasin. When the dirty
blanket was thrown partly aside, found
1t was poor young Indian squaw, with
queer wee sick Indian baby.
"Chickaminny, papoosey, shake" she
said, pointing to her child and at that mo-
ment II fell into convulsion, the ! oor,
swarthy, queer little body.
put Malcolm on the bed near by, keep
ing wary eye on the handsome little Apol-
10, and snatching the water from the fire 1
put it in tub then taking the little Indi-
an, 1 soused him head ears and all. The
water became black Immediately, for new
er was poor liitlo creature 60 burueueu
with dirt.
He gazed, and opened his eyes wildly.
put little salt in his mouth, all the while
finding ii impossible to believe was doc
toring 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
wary glitter, and he crouched down in the
pouch of his mothers blanket, watching
me with relentless persistency that SEEM
ed to say, "If ever get 10 be warrior, and
able to stand the paint and feathers, I'll
adorn my belt with some of the foolish lit
tie locks around that white woman's scalp!
I'll teach her to souse me with water, and
rob me of my native dirt, nip in the bud
convulsion, and take all these liberties with
the son of my father!'
But think tho iron really entered into
his soul when / found IL necessary to give
him quinine. Every evening the gentle
young creature would come to my door,
and point to .:er baby, always with the same
plaintive cry, "Chckaminny, papoosey,
shake - and than watch me with reveren-
tial awe while I forcibly administered 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, impassve look,
not at all unbecoming TO her style of beau
ty. 1t was of the archaeological type, re-
minding me of one of those grand faces ex-
humed from ancient ruins.
grew to love the poor, sad, pretty squaw.
Quite throb of pleasure would come TO
me when l heard her soft, familiar touch
upon the latch. But 1 never did, I must
own, take to the baby. 1 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 hare ened himself 10 endurance. and
al ways there remained that implacabe
glare in his fierce, glittering eyes. I was
glad when he was strong enough to do with
out doctoring, but missed sadly the pres
ence of his mother. For she disappeared
and heard her gentle touch upon the latch
no more.
III me meantime my own little Malcolm
became the most perfect type of physical
beauty that a sculptorev imagined. Where
he got his transparent skin, his magnificent
eyes, his straight nose-from whence came
those lines of beauty that curved into dim
pies and roseate bloom, and artistic shadows
Heaven only knows, but his papa and
looked upon him with absolute wonder, as
day after day he grew more and more beau
tiful. And oh, 50 good and natural! He
had his fits of passion, and went off TO sleep
with that dear little sob in his breast that
makes every mother long to wake her ba-
| by up and soothe it 10 sleep again. Then
he'd lie kicking on 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 is
wrong TO place every hope and yearning
and delight in the frail body of one dim
pied baby, but let those help it who can.
Charley and simply worshipped him.
1t certainly made us better in every way.
1t entered into our daily lives, and smooth
ed away all the little angles and wrinkles.
Charley caused two snug and cozy rooms
to be substantially put together, talking
gayly of the palatal residence that would
stand there, or, as he prudently added,
thereabouts, when baby was old enough to
see and appreciate.
/ walked early and late in patch of soil
he had spaded up for me, and which dig
nified with the name of garden. / had the
pleasure of eating my first radishes and
earliest pease. The latest of these and the
rest of the vegetables rotted in dire desola-
ton. Ny gaiden became dense thickei
of noxious weeds, my home neglected
kennel, and I-oh, poor, poor Kitty Nal
colin how did you ever live to see thi:
day?
1t makes me tremble TO think of that
bright balmy morning-trembea and grow
faint, though fifteen years have softeneo
the memory.
Nature was in her best and tenderes
mood, the blue sky all flecked with filmy
clouds, the very grass trembling and thrill
ing with happiness. l had grown TO see
beauty in the great glowing stretch OF col
or that widened out to the very horizon
and running out to the wood-pile for few
chips TO make baby's papa's dinner boil,
stopped moment, shading my eyes will
my hand and looked about me with de
cidcd touch of Western madness and en-
thusiasm.
Suddenly big black shadow loomed NJ
in the doorway of my 'little dwelling.
dropped the sticks and ran, halling breath
less on the threshold, for there in front o
the fire was gigantic Indian-close in hi
: grasp my beautiful little Malcolm, my owl
baby boy!
l had seen many Indians since my so
journ in the West. | had ordered abou
and walked over many dirty, drunken
soulloss redskins, and had grown to holt
them more in contempt than fear. But thi
One-this with his gigantic frame, his grea
eagle nose and cleaning eyes, the malig
nant, fierce, glaring expression with whicl
he looked upon my innocent baby-noth