Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1878-04-13

near heaven can get to earth sometimes,
and it now looks to him very much as
though a large slice of the kingdom of
bliss had cut loose from its moorings
and anchored in his own home.
Mr.. Giddings is a father-the father
OF boy, and it is his first offense.
There amt a word in the dictionary
big enough to tell how happy Mr.. Gid
dings is-not even if put in capitals as
long as a cane.
The morning after the little stranger
took up its residence under his roof
Mr.. Giddings was changed man. The
sky had brighter glow, the fire burned
better, and it took very little food to
satisfy hunger. His heart was so full
of joy that his wits were crowded out,
and it was several hours before he could
bring himself to believe that it was not
all tantalizing vision, too bright for
earth. He-Thomas Harrison Giddings
"a mere boy in the worlds battle,
blessed with the ownership of the little
cherry-colOred cherib who was at that
moment experimenting with its lungs
in the next apartment! No; it couldn't
be- He was asleep, and would soon
wake up and find it all dream. He
seemed determined, though, to get the
full benefit of the vision while it lasted,
and every five or ten minutes would go
into the chamber of honor, and insist
that the nurse should let him look again
upon the face of the babe, and then, after
chirruping to the youngster for mo-
ment or two without receiving any more
notice in return than if he had been the
least important person in the world, he
would go out into the fresh air, and
walk around more dazed than before.
But presently he was back in the room
again feasting his eyes and building
castles in the air. Looking up suddenly
after watching the child for several
minutes trying to swallow its chubby
fists, he said to the companion of his
ecstacy:
LINDA, amt it pretty one?"
"Yes, dear, and the very image of
you, too, think" said Mrs. G.
sit seems to me as though it looks a
good deal like Uncle Nate" suggested
Mr.. g., referring to the only wealthy
relative he could claim kin to.
"Perhaps it does across the forehead,
but its eyes and nose are yours exactly !;
and any one could see that its mouth
and ears are shaped like yours"
Mr.. Giddings felt that his mind was
in too much of q bewildering whirl to
attend to his business duties that day,
and so after breakfast he went down to
the store to get excused. No wonder
the people looked at him in the most in
teres.ed perplexity that morning as he
strobe along, lifting his feet as high as a
flour-barrel at every step. Mr.. Giddings
felt his importance and made it mani
fest to all who saw him.
On the way down town he stepped in
to barber-shop to get shaved, and or
dered the barber, in voice that we'll
nigh smote him to the earth, to set his
whiskers Victor Emanuel style Up to
this time Mr.. G's first mustache had
been too timid to withstand the buffet
ing jeers of cold and unsympathetic
world more than four or five weeks at a
stretch.
The bootblack was also aroused from
DOING in the corner and ordered to give
him such shine as eye had not seen
before. This was a new piece OF extrav-
agance to Mr.. Giddings, for his salary
was not fat, and his own muscle had
hitherto inspired whatever brilliarcy his
boots had known.
Mr.. Giddings went to the store and
shook hands with the other clerks until
his arm ached, and for the first time he
found himself able to stand in the pres
ence of the great proprietor without
feeling like a poor boy in his first new
coat. He seemed walking on air, and
smiled until his mouth got sore and his
ears felt crooked. But several of the
clerks who had been married so long
that their hearts had petrified, collected
in one corner Of the store and put on
long faces, and cast ominous looks of
mock sympathy upon the joyous parent,
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