The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-08-31
ONLY A BABY.

ONLY A BABY.
A Y ar ago, says the New York Tri-
bune, one of those events occurred
which every man of sense would pro-
nounce trivial and meaningless. No re-
porter, however hungry for news, would
jot it down as having any present bear
ing on the history of the time, nor could
any novelist bring into his book q point
so insignificant and common. It was
only the birth of baby, girl baby
the child of young Flaxman and his
wife, who are certainly as commonplace
n pair of human beings as can be found
in New York. The Flaxman family in
fact have but one noteworthy point
money. The baby was born into a
chilly nest. Anybody could see that her
coming was q mistake of nature. Her
father married girl without fortune,
and brought her home just when the
business of the firm (Flaxman & SOM
was at its lowest ebb at the beginning OF
the panic. It was hard enough to fit
out the young couple with carriage,
horses, servants, etc. to maintain, in
short, two establishments under one
roof; all of which was done, and hand
somely done, for the Flaxmans know to
the last 1.-THE what society demands, and
overpay it.
But to bring a child at such time,
not only as source of present expense,
but TO cripple all business projects for
the future, was, to say the least, incon-
sidorate, Her grandfather, when told
of her birth, remarked that :" the annuity
paid to the widow Of his son John had
been heavy lien upon The estate, but
| this was worse" The Flaxmans are lit
tie troubled with those affections which
daily bring Joy or torture into households
not so well bred. The old people and
| tho young were courteous and enter
tanning to each other when they met at
table, just as they would be to any guest.
Old Flaxman's real affections were given
to his books his wife and the baby 5
mother were probably fonder of kngo
ware and old lacquer than anything else
in the world, and Philip himself thought
oftener of his bay trotter than of bis
pretty bride. These people heard elo.
quent divines preac of humanity and
love, and admired them, just as they did
Watched MS Manrico, or Salvini as
Othello. They were no more per
suaded to become faithful and loving
human beings than to initiate the tenor
or the Moor.
What sermon this little helpless bit o.
flesh, in its roll of flannel. preached
how can we tell? It was preached il
some speechless fashion. Everybod,
has seen the baby and its inexplicab.,
influence in household. Something
of the divine healing power which iron
+ba ,,,a,oo,. -, Ratbloba,,, .lre,v ,,.,ocopf
and kings to worship together still seem
to linger in every cradle. The baby il
the Flaxman house was to outsider
like any other baby. But within it wa
miracle, Il wonder. The trivial mothe
sobered into quiet gentlewoman; th
grandmother and she held hourly coun
clls over the blue bassonette and talke
of collie aud Group, instead OF Mintol
: ware and old Etruscan. The old lad
! suddenly discovered "Philip's wife I
be a most sensible, lovable person" an
Philips wife begun to call her "motE
: er," and SO brought tears to the shar
! eyes behind the spectacles. Philip thi
spring sold his trotter for ga famil
horse fit to take our little lady ont ali
: ing = and as for his father, he was a
abject slave from the day she held OF
= her chubby arms to come 20 him. Afte
: that she tupGed at his white mustacl
or S ectacleS rs she pleased; old Fla!
> man and young Flaxman, who nevt
=, pulled together since tho latter was
q boy, sat by the nursery fire, good ie
y lows together, many a night, forgetf
= OF club, of public dinner. When Il
:, child was i'll, they waited night aftt
& night till morning, silent and anxiou
= while tho doctor and the women wei
busy overload.
>, The baby died. The political econ
= mist would take no note of these weigh
), less atoms Of humanity, or secretly dee
=, them mistahes-among " the myrii
l. germs which nature shapes and sba
, ters." All that is left to tell that th
:. baby was ouce in this world is a lit
, heap OF earth III Greenwood with
~ freshly planted rose upon it, and
if lence that has fallen upon one hous
- hold. No-something more; sLrani
loyalty and lindliness which ha
sprung up in certain hackneyed, world
hearts toward each other, and towa
that Power which gave the baby to the
8 and took it home again; store Of til
to garments and toys of which they
ry not speak to each other, but which bri
d back to each thoughts beyond all othe
IS tender and near to God.
&c When men and women die, they
Is ways leave behind them a corta
al amount OF evil influence as well as go
ke at work in the world. But when we
ed member that each of these thol
at sands of little ones left in its forsak
tn home only this sacred memory, foreN
ed softened and holy, we find, not one
he natures mistakes, but a gift beyond
al, others direct from the Divine han
Iss lying beneath the little hillock in Go
er acre.
he
til Origin of the Chinese Queue.