Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-07-31
NO. ia.
Miseellaneous.
BABY SYLVESTER.
LCoNTINUED FROM YEsTERpAY,

LcoNTINUED FROM YESTERDAY.
Lying under his dead mother, five
miles from here," said Dick, lighting his
pipe. "Knocked her over at fifty yards
perfectly clean shot,-never moved after
wards! Baby crawled out, scared but un-
hurt. She must have been carrying him
in her mouth, and dropped him when she
faced me. for he was not more than three
days old, and not steady on his pins. He
takes the only milk that comes to the set
tlement-brought up by Adams Express
at . O'Clock every morning. They say he
looks like me. Do you think so ?" asked
Dick, with perfect gravity, stroking his
hay-colored moustachios, and evidently
assuming his best expression.
took leave of the baby early the next
morning in Sylvester's Cabin, and, out of
respect to Pomposo's feelings. rode by
without any postscript of expression. But
the night before had made Sylvester SOL
emnly swear that, in the event of any
separation between himself and baby, it
should revert to me.
''At the same time" he had added, Its
only fair to say that don't think of dying
just yet. old fellow, and don't know Of
any thing else that would part the cub and
me.
Two months after this conversation, as
was turning over the mornings mail at
my office in San Francisco, l noticed
letter bearing Sylvester's familiar hand.
But it was postmarked Stockton" and
opened it with some anxiety at once.
Its contents were as follows:
80 Frank, Don't you remember what
we agreed upon about the baby? Well,
consider me as dead for the next six
months, or gone where cubs cant follow
me,-East. know you love the baby
but do you think, dear boy,-now, really
do you think-you could be father to it
Consider this well. You are young,
thoughtless, well-meaning enough; but
dare you take upon yourself the functions
of guide, genius, or guardian, to one so
young and guileless? Could you be the
Mentor to this Telemachus !? Think OF
the temptations of a metropolis. Look
at the question well, and let me know
speedily, for I've got him as far as this
place, and he's kicking up an awful row
in the hotel yard, and rafting his chain
like maniac. Let me know by telegraph
at once. SYLVESTER
7. S.--Of course he's grown little, and
doesn't take things always as quietly as he
did. He dropped rather heavily on two
of Watson's "purps" last week, and
snatched old Watson himself bald-headed,
for interfering. You remember Watson:
for an intelligent man, he knows very lit
tie of California fauna. How are you
fixed for bears on Montgomery street,
mean in regard to corrals and things?
PIP. S.-IIe's got some new tricks.
The boys have been teaching him to put
up his hands with them. He slings an
ugly left. S.
am afraid that my desire to possess
myself of Baby oyercame all other consid.
erations, and | telegraphed an affirmative
al once to Sylvester. When l reached
my lodgings late that afternoon, my land
lady was awaiting me with q telegram. 1t
was two lines from Sylvester:
"All right. Baby goes down on night
boat. Be father to him. s."
1t was due, then, at o'clock that night.
For moment | was staggered at my own
precipitation. l had as yet made no prep
arations, had said nothing to my land
lady to her new guest. expected to ar
range everything in time; and now,
through Sylvester's indecent haste, that
time had been shortened twelve hours.
Something, however, must be done at
once. | turned to Mrs. Brown. l had
great reliance in her maternal instincts
had that still greater reliance, common
to our sex, in the general tender-hearted-
ness of pretty women. But l confess l
was alarmed Yet. with a feeble smile,
| tried to introduce the subject with class
ical ease and lightness. | even said, IF
Shakespeare's clown, Mrs. Brown, be-
lieved that lion among ladies was a
dreadful thing, what must" But here
| broke down, for Mrs. Brown with the
awful intuition OF her sex, saw at once
was more occupied with my manner than
my speech. SO | tried business brus-
querie, and, placing the telegram in her
hand, said hurredly, 1--WE must do some-
thing about this at once It's perfectly
absurd, but he will be here at l tonight.
Beg thousand pardons, but business pre-.
vented my speaking before" and
paused out of breath and courage.
Mrs. Brown read the Telegram gravely,
lifted her pretty eyebrows, turned the pa
per over and looked on the other side, and
then in remote and chilling voice, asked
me if she understood me to say that the
mother was coming also.
", ucdI, NO, SACltiHtu, Win con-
siderable relief; 1.-THE mother is dead, you
know. Sylvestor-that is my friend, vino
sent this-shot her when the baby was
only three days Old" But the ex-
preston of Mrs. Browns face at this mo-
ment was so alarming that l saw that
nothing but the fullest explanation would
save me. Hastily, and fear not very CO.
herently, | told her all.
She relaxed sweetly. She said had
frightened her with my talk about lions.
Indeed, l think my picture Of poor Baby
albeit trihe highly-colored-touched
her motherly heart She was even lit
tie veXed at what she called Sylvesters
"hard-heartness. Still, was not without
some apprehension, 1t was two months
since l had seen him, and Sylyester's
vague allusion to his "slinging an ugly
left panied me. looked at sympathetic
little Mrs Brown, and the thought of
Watson's pups covered me with guilty
confusion.
Mrs. Brown had agreed to sit up with
IN upt;l ha arrivod Ona s,p1@el v,o