Ellsworth American., 1874-07-02
Bascomb's Babv.

AS. DoSSoiuo uiu. IL was tuelr mrs.
"a wee little red headed, pug noset
bowling infant. 1t was one of the hot.
test days in July, but she had it wrap
ped up in three shawls, and a bed
quit, and was IN agony every moment
for fear it would sneeze.
do see his darling, darling face p
she said TO me. as she unwound him
about forty times, and looked TO see
which end his feet were on.
l looked. l have been the father OF
eleven just such bowling little wopsies,
and didn't see anything remark 4 bic
about old Basconb's baby.
'See those eyes-that tirmness of
mouth, that temper in mis- look I" she
went on.
l saw them.
The little son of gun began to get
red IN the face and beat the air. and
his mother shouted:
Hes being murdered by pin p
She turned him wrong end up, laid
him on MS face, then on his back.
loosened his hands, rubbed the soles
oil his feet, and the tears stood in her
eyes as she solemnlv remarked.
Il know he won't live-he's too
smart
The Child recovered, and as he Law
Neyeu the celIlng, sue went on:
'Such head Why everyone who
sees him SAYS that he is going to be a
Beecher, Greely or Bismark; do
you notice that high forehead."
did thought he was all fore
head, as his hair didn't commence to
grow until the back of his neck was
reached, but she assured me that | was
mistaken.
Wouldn't just heft him once"
hefted him.
told her | never saw child of his
weight weigh so much, and she smiled
like an angel she said she was afraid
l Idiunt appreciate children, but now she
knew | did.
Wouldn't just look at his darling
little feet-his little red feet and cum
ming toes!'
"Yes, l would"
She rolled him over on his face and
unwound his feet, and triumphantly
held them up to my gaze. l contem-
plated the hundreds Of little wrinkles
running lenghtwise and crosswise, the
big toes ami the little toes, and |
agreed with her that so far as | could
judge from the feet and the toes and
the wrinkles, future of unexampled
brilliancy lay before that pug-nosed
imp.
He began to kick and howl, and she
stood him on end, set him up, laid him
down and trotted him until she bounc |
the wind-colic into the middle Of Sep
tember.
"Who did he look like!"
l bent over the scarlet-faced rascal,
pushed his nose on one side, chucked
him under the chm, and didn't answer
without due deliberation. | told her
there was faint resemblance to
George Washington around the mouth,
but the eyes reminded me of Daniel
Webster while the general features had
made me think Of the poet Milton ever
since she entered the house.
That was just her view exactly, only
she hadn't said anything about it be-
fore.
Ibid l think he was too smart to
live"
felt of his ears, rubbed his head,
put my finger down the back of his
neck, and told her that, in my humble
opinion, he wasn't though he had q
narrow escape. If his nose had beer
set little more to one side, or his
ears had appeared in the place Of his
eyes, Bascomb could have purchased q
weed for his hat without delay. No
the child would live, there wasn't the
least doubt about it, and any man ol
woman who said he wouldn't grow uT
to make the world thunder with his
fame would steal wool off a lost lamt
in January.
She felt SO happy that she rolled thu
imp up in his forty-nine bandages
shook him to straighten his legs anG
take the kinks out of his neck, and ther
carried him home under her arm, while
my wife made me 60 along with an um
brella, for fear the sun would peel hi
little nose.