Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-06-05
That Unfortunate Baby.
A Business Mans Story.
By MARY KYLE DALLAS.

"'"N'. lhe JeWeiS oI tue lnilllouLtreS vile Hash
ihockng'y before the eyes OF the pauper's widow.
leave my wife aud my smiling iniant my little
cherub, OF whom l am remarkably fond, and | |
sluht1r pleasantly down broadway, SMOKING a |
hue cigar know shall make q large sun Of
money BY business arrangement to-day, aud |
intend to take Clara to the opera this evening
THIS Is my programme but what is his who Stops
lne ON the corner, aud, with skinny hand extend
ed, begs In tone that is almost ferocious for
to buy food with. He, poor wretch,
will shiver IN his rags till the sun goes down and
then stink away to hide IN some wrptched hole
unblessed by hope even in his dreams Probably
he has no wife or children. IL Is to be hoped he
has none, for they would only be helpless COM
panlons of his misery.
l feel as though were doing wrong toaaunt
my prosperity IN his eyes, and | blush as 1 give
HIM charity aud hurry on.
There arc so many of them-so very many of
them There goes thicf on his way 10 prison
TWO stout Policemen clutch his arms large
crowd follows them Guih aud misery to yetLer
this time.
Aud here woman hurres past with a child in
her aims What a woetul expression on her face
What terrible story must be hers, aud how she
could curdle the blood in our veins 1t she should
stop and tell 1t IN all its blank, unvarnished hor
ror now ftel thrll OF anguish as look at
her. All, how delightful II would be, if all the
world weIe happy aud prosperous.
was led III this Train of reflection by nv
morning walk to my place OF business | have
rather tender heart, believe aud scenes of sor-
row make great impression upon me On this
particular occasion L remembered the faces of the
beggar, the thief and the destitute woman SO
usidly that may say they haunted me. The
womans lace especially seemed to hover before
me IN the air
Where was she going" | asked myself.
hat was she about TO do.n The street into
which she turned led directly to the river. Per.
haps, driven to despair, she was going therc TO
n haF M Ial- lnrli II
task Ut sustaining 1t had become too hard for her
and and thousand other Christians who could
have helped her had let her pass by us nnques-
toned.
'tiod forgive US for our many sins OF omission"
said to myself; "for they very great"
These thoughts troubled me SIT tho morning,
and at noon-tme went out TO lunch rather In
the hope oil casting away my dismal reflections
than because | had an appetite
However. stayed longer than usual. met
afriend who butionholet mo on the corner
And it WAS half past one before | came blck to
my Office.
Even then ] was not myself. A presontlment
ofeyil was upon me. tet ~ though | were
about to SEQ SOME terrible sight, and the faco lot
nat woman iioated IN the air again. That hor-
rible face, with W.d black eyes, showing the
White beneath the pupil, the small, tightly shut
mouth. the hollow cheeks; tho pinched chin
and the floating tangle of black hair, franz
ing it all in.
As pnshod tho door open, half expect.
Ell To SEQ u IN my Office In aciua bodily
presence. 1t was not there, but instead my
eyes met sight equally surprising.
hal lett my boy Shadrac in charge, as
usual. Generally | found him at some dl-
a3olical mischief on my return. To-day,a ,as
east my glance toward the desk, | missed
his shock head, but lDokIng about Inc. |
sped II lower down, AMI SAW he was sill ting
In the corner with something In his arms,
and very uncomfortable oxpr, ssion oa his
face. In moment more | saw that what
he hell was q bdJV.
"liallO!" crie,i |. "What's thalf'
Young uu," said Shadrac.
Whose? Who're did it come FROM" l
cried
"Alost the minute yoa went out a woman
come along" said Shadrac. "and says she.
You MIR. Paddock's boy?' Says l, 'yaas.'
Says she, Catch a hold. and hold the child
till l come bark And she amt never oone
back.
dunno what she meant by it. She had
cheek anyway, whoever she is
What kind OF d woman Was sheon
ASKED.
.Shs had on shawl, ''aald Shalrac, She
was iurriner. What right have TO take
caro- OF nor young un, oh?'' sat down up :
| on chair, aud put my hand to my fore.
head, l know now why tins poor womau's :
face haunted mo so long. She had track ed
me to my office. Perhaps | had looked
Kindly at uer. Who knew? | felt pity.
might have exhibited it: aud before de-
stroying herself she had east the infant up
on my charity.
lt WAS romantic, but at tho same time IL
was inconv enient,
looked at the child. 1t was very pretty
and very clean. I fell attracted toward it.
1 began 10 wonder Waether it would be
right Tor me To adopt child With nv fami-
ly; whether Mrs. Paddock wouli DO will
ing that should do Sc. / t-lt doubtful OF
that. Her own babe was care snouga for
her. How often did she pace the floor near
y all night striving in vain TO lull it TO re-
pese As for the baby's maid, Nora, il WAS
not likely that she would be willing TO be
additionally bnrdened. Tue charitable inn
pulse faded almost before 1t was fully form
Cd.
| would send ior my friend. ProtsSso
Grin, who had an office in the same build
Ing. lie knew my wife well. lie was d
sage who read the human character thor
ongblv and could be look al 10 fox an opi
ion on any subject.
/ Shadrac was holding the baby. He could moi
take the message. caught boy on the stairs
and gave him II ten cent stamp. Tns result Wa:
the hasty arrival oi the professor with u lancet
under the impression that l had been taken will
| u III of some Kind. He WAS greatly relieved whei
/ he saw that nothing was the maIler-aI least l.,
| said he was; but he was particularly fond a
amateur Surgical experiments, and am no
sure that the professor listened TO my account o
/ anllrs.
Tho Old story, my dear fellow" he said "th'
old story. Shadrac, my son, never take an Ia
liant from the arms OF an unknown woman again
This thing is done every day, every day. As fo
your benevolent dream ot adopting the child, IL i
| excuse me-absurd. Your wife wouldn't hea
lofn. oh, no, no. no. mol Hal ha n-o-o.o
not Tor a moment Besides, how do you know
what this deserted child will grow up TO be2
saw your noble inirn: at your happy home yes
lteniay. The intailect Of lis father and the sweet
ness OF its mother are already stamped upon il
brow. 4 can see''--here the abandoned infan
began to shrek-"l can sea the wees ofits parent
already written on the features OF this poor wall