The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1876-02-04
BOB'S BABY.
BY MRS. A. w. CURTIS.

BY MRS. A. w. CURTIS.
A boy sat on a trunk near the bag
gage-room of Wakesha Station, waiting
for the train to come in. Not that he
was expecting to 60 anywhere, he only
wished he could,-but he liked the bus
tie and excitement of the scene, and,
what was more to the purpose, he some
times picked up stray penny by giving
the porters lift, or standing guard over
some gentleman's traveling-bag, or car
rying some lady's supernumerary par
GELS. On this particular occasion there
was an unusual hustle, for it was Christ
mas morning, and the depot was throng
ed with those awaiting the arrival of
friends, or who were themselves bound
on holiday excursion. Presently the
engine with its long train of cars came
snorting and laundering up the track,
and the crowd surged forward to the
front of the platform. Bob-for that
was the boys name-was about to do
the same, when he was stopped by a
showily-dressed woman with child in
her arms.
s'Please take my baby for a mo-
ment," said she. I've forgotten some
thing"
"Yes, ma'am," said Bob, receiving
the child, and seating himself on the
trunk again, while the woman. drop
ping her traveling-bag at his feet, hur-
RED away and was lost in the crowd.
Bob waited patiently, not doubling but
that she would Immediately return to
claim her little charge; but the minutes
went by, the whistle sounded, the bell
rang, and the train began to move slow
ly out of the depot, and still she did not
appear. Then Bob started up in alarm,
andran towards the departing train, and,
as he did so, he distinctly saw the wom-
ans face at a window.
ssThe lady-she's left her baby-take
it, somebody" he cried, and held it up
to two or three gentlemen who were
rushing into the cars atthe last moment
as gentlemen will. But neither of them
seemed inclined to avail himself of the
offer. The train moved faster and fast
er, and finally whisked out of sight,
while Bob still stood gazing in the di-
rection in which it had vanished, an inn
age of surprise and dismay.
Jingo!" exclaimed he, then turning
his eyes from the line of blue smoke
which still floated above the tree-tops,
to the face of the child in his arms; and
in that single word he expressed vol
umes.
"Well, what's the meaning of this?''
asked the depOt-master, his attention
now for the first time attracted to the
scene.
"Why, you see, the lady asked me
to hold her baby while she went to get
out it,
''The lady? What lady?''
.Don't know. Never see her before y
"Where did she come from?''
"Don't know The fust I see, she
was standing right in front of me.''
"Where was she goingp"
''Don't know. Don't know nothing
about her, only she asked me to hold
thegbaby, cause she'd forgot somethin'
She left her bag, too; there 'tis''-point
ing with his foot because his hands were
otherwise engaged; "and / know SHE
went off in the cars, cause l see hel
looking out the winder.''
There was ightforward nes
upooe Dpp sui WIIICA CdlllOu COilNIC
ton with it, and none of the little circle
of which Bob was now the center
thought of doubling its truth. Will
the depot-master was celebrating wha
to say next, rough-looking boy abou
Bob's age, who had left off shoutin,
Wakesha Chronicle," to hear wha
was going on, cried out
so, ain you green! She didn't mea
to come back"
ssThat's so, guess said the depot
master.
Bobby, my boy, you're sold, an
have got baby on your hands," sal
sanother.
In short, it was apparent that tt
young newsboy had expressed the sent
ments of all the men present.
The next question was, how Be
should dispose of this very odd and u
expected Christmas present.
ssYou better go to the town author
ties and let them take the child,' sa
the depot-master.