The Placer herald., 1874-10-17
BASCOMB'S BABY.

She brought it over to our house, Mrs.
Bascomb did, 1t was their first--a wee
red-headed, pug-nosed, bowling infant
1t was one of the hottest days in July, but
she had it wrapped up in three thick shawls
and bedquilt, and was in agony every min
ute for fear it would sneeze.
'Do see his darling, darling little face!
she said to me, as she unwound him about
forty times, and looked to see which esasair
| feet were on.
| looked have been the father of eleven
just such bowling little wopsies, and didn't
see anything remarkable about Bascomb's
baby.
''See those eyes--,hat frmness of the
mouth, that temper in his look!" she went
on.
saw them.
The little son-of-a-gun begin to get red
in the face and beat the air, and his mother
shouted:
Hes being murdered by pinr'
She turned him wrong end up, laid him
on bis face, then on his back, loosened his
bands, rubbed the soles of his feet, and the
tears stood in her eyes as she solemnly re-
marked:
81 know he won't live; he's too smart. !"
The child recovered, and as he lay on his
back across her knees and surveyed the
ceiling, che went on: fH N
"Such headl Why every one that
sees him says he is going to make Greeley
or Beecher or a Bismark. DO you notice
that high forelead?" M
did. thought he was all forehead, as
bis hair didn't commence to grow until the
back of lis neck was reached, but she as
sured me that was mistaken. e@
| "Wouldn't l hcit him just once.
hefted him. ~tt-
/ told her | never saw child of his
weight weigh SC much; she smiled like an
angel; she said she had been afraid | didn't
appreciate children, bat now she knew
"Wouldn't l just look at his darling little
feet-hs little red feet and cunning toes?"
Yes, would. -
She rolled him over on his face and un-
wound his feet, and triumphantly held them
up to my gaze. contemplated the hun
dreds Of little wrinkles running lengthwise
and crosswise, the big toes and little toes,
and agreed with her that so far as | could
judge from feet aud toes and the wrinkles,
future of unexampled brillancy lay before
the pug-nosed imp. n h
He began to kick and howl, aud she
stood him on end, and laid him down and
trotted him until she bounced the wind
collie into the middle Of September.
"Who did he look like?"
/ bent over the scarlet-face rascal
pushed bis nose to one side, chucked him
under the chin, and didn't answer without
due deliberation. / told her that there was
a faint resemblance to George Washington
around the mouth, but the eyes reminded me
Of Daniel Webster, while the general fea-
lures had made me think of the poet Milton,
ever since she entered the house.
That was just her view exactly, only she
had not said anything about it before. 1
/ "Did ! think that he was too small to
live?" f~tFq r 11AE
felt of his ears, rubbed bis head. put
my finger down the back part of bis neck,
and told her that in my humble opinion be
wasn't, though be bad a narrow escape.
If his nose had been set little more 10 one
side, or his ears had appeared in the place
Of bis eyes. Bascomb could have purchased
weed for his hat without delay. No; the
child would live; there wasn't the least
doubt about it, and any man or woman who
said il wouldn't grow up to make the world
thunder with bis fame, would steal the wool
| of lost lamb in January.