The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-09-07

"Who's with the child nowp" he in.
quired Of the frightened girl.
"The seamstress, sir. We've sent
for his grandmamma, but we're afraid
she's away from home too, cause Mrs.
Phillips scarcely ever goes shoppin'
without her."
"Well, u ahead; III be there in q
moment "-struggling into his o%vercoat,
"And, Payne, take care of the office. ]
won't be long. There's n new book on
surgery to muse yourself with until ]
come back. Capital article where the
leaf is turned down-a nan blown al.
most into pieces-but find it for your.
self"
"Thank you," said Payne; "but il
it's all the same to you, old fellow,
prefer something not quite so anus
ing"
When DIR. Stone arrived at the dwell
ing of the Phillipses, the nurse.maid in
formed him, rs she opened the door,
that "thc baby had taken a turn for
the better, dear lamb, and had been
sleepin' peacefully for the last ten min
utes.n
"lll take n look at the little fellow
said the Doctor, springing lightly up
the stairs and gently opening the door
of the nursery.
The baby lay in its crib fast asleep,
and by its side, holding n tiny hand,
sat a very pretty woman, who, at the
first glance, the Doctor decided to be
about 20-at the next, al least %. Her
golden hair was knottcd with artistic
carolessness ut the back of her small,
shapely head, q few pretty, tendril-likc
curls escaping to lie like little sunbeams
on her low, broad brow. Her eyes were
large, soft, bright, dark brown, and
shaded by long silky lashcs. Her nose,
slightly "top-tilted," as Tcnnyson has
it, lent an archness to her face, which
otherwise, with such eyes and SO per.
feet n mouth and chin, would have been
"faultily faultlcss." Her dress, Of
some lusterless gray stuff, with Il bright
blue ribbon at the throat and soft lace
rullles nj the wrists, chung close to II
beautiful form; and the hand that held
the baby's was small, snowy white, and
daintily shaped. All of which did the
doctor take in in three quick glanccs,
after the n of his kind.
"a seamstress "a princess!" was the
Judgment he pronounced mentally as
he drew of his gloves, and, with unusu-
al urbanity, proceeded to make some
professional inquiries about the child.
The scamstress answered in Il Won
derfully pleasant voice and in a re-
%markably well bred and self-possessed
manner "Baby seems to be all right
now," said she; ''but l think you had
better wait II little while, Doctor, for
fear the spasms might return"
The Doctor seated himself, not at all
unwillingly, it must be confessed, and
while the baby still slumbcred entered
into converse with this beautiful COM
p~anion. In a few moments he found
himself turning over the leaves of Il
Browning which he had taken from n
small table by her side, and then, in an
other few moments, giving her, to his
great surprise, his opinion of that writ
er and his works.
| say, to his great surprise, for the
Doctor was really Il shy, reserved man,
and not at all given to talking poetry
to pretty women; but this woman was
50 pretty.
AS he went on, waxing eloquent, it
suddenly struck him that Il needle
woman would not be familiar with
these poems, and he paused, to have
her, to his greater surprise, take up
the subject, and deliver Il criticism far
better and clevercr than his own.
From Browning and that more re-
s%plendent genius, his wife, to Tenny-
son, Dickens, Thackeray, and at last
George Eliot, of whom the seamstrcss
spoke with a deeper crimson on her
cheeks and a brighter light in her glori-
ous brown eyes. "Silas Marner," she
said, sis the loveliest-" But by this
time the Doctor had become so interest
ed in watching the play of the prettily
curved lips and the betwitching dimples
that came and went with every smile,
he ceased to hear what the enthusiastic
speaker was saying; and when she,
looking him straight in the face, asked,
"Don't you agree with me, Doctor?''
he was Obliged to stammer, 81 beg a
thousand pardons, but what WaS your
last remark"
alt is I who should beg pardon,"'
said the pretty seamstress, with a
charming little grimace. "IIow
thoughtless l have been! OF course
you have patients waiting for you. How
could | go on SOP" The Doctor wished
she'd go on forever. "But pray don't
stay another minute; only tell ne what
to do if baby is taken sick again, and il
find l can't manage him, I'll send fol
you Immediately. l hope, however, te
be able to get along without you"
The Doctor hoped she wouldn't-in'
ternally, Of course-and then he said
81 assure you, madam, l have still nj
hour at your service" Oh, wicked DR.
Stone! and old Mrs. Aspen grooming
with rheumatism and expecting you by
appointment this blessed moment! &C.
shall be only too happy to stay-Im mean
l think it necessary | should remain
These childish complaints are, as per
haps you are not aware, often very dan
gerous." And again, oh, wicked DIR
Stone! for you know you are quite SURF