New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-08-12
ONLY 4 RIHY.

y year ago THIS August one OF uioSc events
occu red which every man OF sense would pro-
nounce trivial and meaningless NO reporter,
however hungry for news would jot it down
as having any present bearing on the history
of the time, nor could any novelist bring into
his book q point so insignificant and common.
II was ONLY the birth of a baby, girl-baby;
the child of young Flaxman and his wife, who
are certainly as commonplace pair Of human
beings az can bC found in New-YOrk The
Flaxman family in fact have but one note
worthy pOnt-mOney The baby was born
into cllly nest. Anybody could see that
her coming was mistake of Nature. Her
father married q girl without fortune, and
brought her home just when the business Of
the firm (Flaxman a. SOM was at its lowest
cbb at the beginning of the panic 1t was
hard enough to fit out the young couple with
carriage, houses, servants, etc; to maintain,
in short. two establishments under one roof;
all of which was done, and Handsomely DONE
for the Flaxmaus know to the last 1.-THE what
Society demands, and overpay 1t.
But to bring a child ut such time, not only
as a source of present expense, but to cripple
all business projects for the future, was, to
say the least, incOnsiderate. Her grandfather,
when told of her birth, remarked that 1.-THE
"annuty paid to the widow of his son John
chad been q heavy lien upon the estate, but
"this was worse" The Flaxmans are little
troubled with those affections which daily
bring Joy or torture into households not so
well bred. The old people end the young
were courteous aud entertaining TO each other
when they met st table just as they would be
to any guest Old Flaxman's real affections
were given to his books; his wife and tho
baby's mother were probably fOnder OF kago
ware and old lacquer than anything else III
the world and Philip himself thought oitener
of his bay trOttcr than of his pretty BRIDE.
These people heard eloquent diyines preach of
humanity and love, and admired them, just as
they did Wechtel as Maurice, or ) iylni rs
Othello They were no more persuaded to be-
come faithful and loving human beings than
TO initiate the tenor or the Moor.
What sermon this little helpless bit of flesh,
in its rol! of flannel, pIeached-how con VIC
tel2 1t was preached. in some speeches.
fashion. Everybody has seen the Baby and its
inexpcable influence in a household. Some
thing of the divine healing power which from
the Manager in Bethlehem drew peasants and
kings to worship together still seems to lnger
in every cradle. The baby in the Flaxman
house was to outsiders like any other baby.
But within il was a miracle, wonder. The
trivial mother sobered into n quiet gentle
woman; the grandmother and she held LoGrly
councils over the blue baSsonette, and talked
of colo and Group, instead OF MInton ware
and old EtTuscan The old lady suddenly dis
covered "philps wife to be a most sensible,
"lovablo person." and Philips wife began TO
call her "mothcr," and so brought tears to
the sharp eyes behind the spcctacles. Philip
this Spring sold Lis trottcc for "a family
horse fit to take our little lady ont aiilng"
and as for his father, he was IN abicct slave
from The day she held out her chubby arms
to come to him. After that she tugSed at hf5
white mustache or spectacies as she pleased
old Flaxman and young Flaxman, who never
pullcd together since the latter was a boy,
sat by the nursery fire, good fellows together
many night, forgctiul of'cIub, of public DIM
ner. When the child was i'll, they waited
night after night till morning, silent and aDx-
ious, while the doctor and the women were
busy overhead. Last week the baby died.
The death rate cf July sets down thousands OF
such little lives as burned out in this city 10y
the savage heats. The political economist
of humanity, or secretly deem them mis-
takes--am0ng the myriad germs which Nature
shapes and skaters" II that is left TO tell
that this Baby was once in the world Is little
heap of earth in Greenwood with freshly
planted rose upon it, and silence that has fallen
upon one household. NO--sUmcthiug more;
q strange loyalty and kindncss which have
sprung up in certain hacIneyed worldly
hearts toward each other and toward that
Power which gave the baby to them
and took il home again; n store of tiny gar
meIits and toys of which they do not speak to
each other, but which bring back to each
thoughts beyond AL others tender and near to
Cod.
when men and women die, they always
leave behind them q certain amount OF evil
influence as we'll a. good at work in the
world But when We remember that each of
these thousands of little ones left in Us for
saken home only this sacred mGmory. forever
soitcuing aud holy, We find. not one OF
Natures mistakes, but gIft beyond al Others
direct from, the Divine hand, lying beneath
the little hill0cls IN Gods acre.
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The Democrats in th, House illustrated ihc pecu-
lar CONSTITUENCIES Of the party upon certain subjects
D