Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-06-26
BascOInbs Ba by.

she brought II over to our house, Mrs.
Bascomb did. II was their first--a wee lit
tie red beaded, pug-nosed, bowling infant
1t was one of the hottest days in July, but
she had it wrapped up in three shawls and
bedquilt, aud was in agony every mo-
mcnt for fear it would sneeze.
"Do see his darling, darling face r. she
said TO me, as she unwound him about for
ty times, aud looked to see which end his
feet were on.
/ looked. ! have been the father of elev-
en- just such howliue, little wopsies, and 1
didn't see anything remarkable about Bas-
combs baby.
''See those eyes-that hrmness Of mouth,
that temper in his look |" she went on.
saw them.
The little son Of gun began to get red
in the face aud beat the air and his mother
shouted:
"Ies being murdered by pin r.
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 AZ she solemnly re-
marked:
81 know he won't live-he's too SMART r.
Tho child recovered, and as he lay on his
back across her knees aud surveyed the
ceiling, she went on:
"Such a head Why, every one who sees
him says that lie is going to be a Beecher,
Greeley or Bismarck do you notice that
high forehead ?"
did. ! thought he was all forehead, as
his hair didn't commence to grow until the
back of the neck was reached, but she as
sured me that | was mistaken.
"wouldn't just hefl him once ?"
hefted him.
told her never saw child of his weigh
weigh 80 much, and she smiled like an an
gel; she said that she was afraid didn't
appreciate children, but now she knew l
did.
"Wouldn't just look at his darling lit
tie feet-his 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
hundreds of little wrinkles running length
wise and crosswise, the big toes and the
little toes, and agreed with her that so far
as could judge from the feet and the toes
aud the wrinkles, a future OF pied
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 bounced the
wind collie into the middle of September.
"Who did he look like7''
] bent over the scarlet-faced rascal, push
ed his nose one side, chucked him under
the chin. 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 ev-
er since she entered the house.
That was just her view exactly, only she
hadn't SAID anything about it before.
"Did think he was too smart to liver"
felt of his ears, rubbed his head, put
my finger down the back of his neck, and
1 told her that, in my humble opinion, he
wasn't though he had had narrow escape.
If his nose had been set little more to one
side, or his ears had appeared in the place
of his eyes, Bascomb could have purchas-
ed weed for his hat without delay. No;
the child would live; there wasn't the
least doubt about il, aud any man or wo-
man who said he wouldn't grow up to
make the world thunder with his fame
would steal the wool off lost laub in Jan
uary.
She ielt So happy that she rolled the imp
up in his forty-nine bandages, shook him
to straiGhlen his legs and take the kinks
out of his neck, and then carried him
home under her arm, while my wife made
me go along with an umbrella, for fear the
sun would peel his little nose.