The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-12-13

She drew back half frightened; the littl'
one opened its blue eyes wider, seeking
hers with wondering, wounded look
and burst int low, grieved cry
: Something in the look of those blu,
orbs thrilled her with a tender pain, sh,
knew not why; dead memory awokC
in her breast, and stabbed her like .
knife.
Joanna came back with her wrapping,
on. The little ones piteous cry wen
to her heart.
"Poor babyl" she murmured, stoop
ing and rocking the basket gently &c
and fro.
There was something motherly in the
very touch of her hand upon the basket,
and in the strangely softened tone OF
her voice, that awoke a fierce jealousy in
her companions breast. She almost
pushed her aside, as though she could
not bear the sight.
"What do you know of children,
Joanna?" she said "give it to me-"
Then she took up basket and all, and
marched into her own room. Joanna,
going back to the kitchen and to her
cooking, heard her telling Nicodemus
to put more wood on the fire. Present
" She came into the kitchen, got some
milk from the cupboard and warmed it
in cup on the stove, saying never a
word; and after a little, Nicodemus
brought the cup back from her room,
/ empty.
When Miss Grey was called to break
fast, she came out looking as serene as
could be. She left Nieodemus in the
room with the baby, during her absence.
During the morning, Joanna con-
trived an errand into the sitting-roon,
and found her mistress busily working
a small garment of delicate texture,
while the infant lay soundly sleeping
in his strange cradle-the basket.
joanna said Miss Grey, " have
named this child Emily Grey, after my
mother"
ITS a girl, then?" said Joanna.
Certainly. Did you suppose /
wanted to raise up a boy, to break my
heart in my old age?"
"No, ma'am."
bring ME the bible and pen and
ink"
Joanna lifted the heavy, richly bound
volume from its cushion on the table,
and carried il to her, then brought pen
and ink from a small writing-desk by
the window. Miss Grey turned to the
Family Record, and under the head of
" Births =" wrote on the clean page, in
a fair, clerkly hand:
"Emily Grey, December 25th, IS"
All that morning, while the bells call
Il Il. /, 20, Ia, ia L.,
white church under the hill, and the
choir sang the Christmas anthems, Miss
Theodore sat and wrought patiently on
a slip for little Emily. Peter Brook
came over to eat his Christmas dinner
as usual-the only Christmas hospital
ity she ever dispensed-andr received or
ders to bring up neat crib from the
village.
so she's going to keep the little
one," observed he to Joanna, over his
pudding GLORIOUS creatures these
women are"
It's blessed mercy there are wOm-
en- in the world, d" retorted Joanna. a
dare say Vou'd have sent it to the poor
house, or the 'Sylum."
THAT'S the place for EN-" returned
Peter.
"Get out, you hard-hearted brute. |
It's my opinion that baby came straight |
from heaven. l can't believe any hu-
man being brought it here, and me new
er to know it."
"Pshaw! that shows how much you
know"
In naming the child, Miss Theodore |
totally ignored the fact that certain arti-
Giles of its wardrobe-which was of the |
finest material-were marked with the
letters al. W. What these letters |
was no concern of hers, appar-
emily.
The little white draped crib stood al |
ways in Miss Grey's room, close by her
own bed There little Emily lived,
watched and tended by love that nev-
er grows weary But there was always
a rivalry between Joanna and her mis-
tress in the affections of the child. Miss
Grey could not conceive why the little
one should smile on Joanna. Joanna!
was she rot ugly? Was she not huge,
and ungainly, and deformed, and alto
gether uncomely to behold? But little
Emily shouted with delight at sight of
her. She would watch her across the
room, living in her crib before she could
sit alone, and her bonny blue eyes
would sparkle with joy if Joanna but
looked at her.
NicOdemus likewise shared the favor
of the little maid, and seemed to be
thing of beauty and a JOY forever in her
eyes.
And how the little one grew! 1t
seemed but a little while ere the old
house, 50 grim and austere in its former
state, grew musical with laughter and
patter of little feet, and sunny with a
winsome presence of white robes and
golden curls and rosy cheeks.
Christmas was kept as Emily's birth
day. On the first of these anniversa-
ries Peter Brook brought up from the
village pretty little baby
carriage. He and Joanna, at
daggers' points usually, had united
their funds and bought the thing at an
auction. Nicodemus was harnessed in,
and Miss Emily-the day being mild
took that day her first airing in it, max
ing the tour of the grounds around the
house, with Miss Theodore, Joanna, and
Peter following IN procession behind.
Afterward Nicodemus and the carriage
with its pretty occupant, often accom-
panied Joanna on her marketing eXpe-
ditioas to the village, where every one
soon knew "the little Grey" IL was
when returning from one Of these expe-
ditions, in the dusk of an autumn even
ing, when little Emily Vas nearly two
wears old, that they encountered a
just outside the village sun
burned, wayworn woman, dressed in
faded black, and on foot. She was hur-
rying by, as if wishing to escape obser-
vation, when glance at the occupant
of the little carriage seemed to root her
to the spot.
Good evening, ma 'am," said joan
ma, eivilly, seeing her stop, and suppos-
ing that She might wish to inquire for
some shelter for the night.
Her salutation was returned in
slightly broken accent, but the stranger
making no further speech, Joanna