The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1878-04-09
Selfrt Story.
THE PRETTlEST BABY.

~ shSS Vt'cJ eAO &'yf AN>SSSS
God bless me! no, indeedm
Had the youngest sister OF Mr.. John
Trueax livery bright and pretty she was,
with short, curly, black as-the-raven's-
wing hair, and large, sparkling, dark-as-
the midnight-sky eyes) proposed that be
should enter cage Of the widest kind
of wild animals-lions, tigers, leopards,
and panthers, for instance-he could not
have shown more CONSERVATION and hor-
ror. -
Mr.. Trueax, albeit he only numbered
some six-and thirty, years, was myso.
gynist and mysogamist. He outbach-
elored all the bachelors Of his acquaint.
ance; and they we're not few, as he asso-
ciated with none but single men, never
attended . wedding, shuddered when he
heard of a birth, breaking off all COM
munication with friends who plunged in
to matrimony, and carefully avoided all
women, rich and poor, proud and lowly,
with the single exception of Winnifred,
his youngest sister, mentioned before,
who had been left to his care when she
was twelve years of age-being now
twenty-by a dearly loved dying moth
err.
The reason9 I'll tell you.
Once on time John Trueax, then
called Jack Trueax, a good.looking, jol.
ly, young fellow Of ave.and twenty was
about to be maj ried. The wedding day
had arrived; the groomsmen and brides
maids, the parents of Jack. and the pa
rents of Gas be fondly thought his Lily,
and large number of invited guests
were present.
A bell formed of lovely flowers hung
from the ceiling, prepared to shed its
sweets upon the heads of the happy low.
ers; the minister waited, book in hand /;
a hundred wax candles helped the gas
jets to lend brightness to the scene: the
wedding supper was laid-when the
brides own maid, who had been sent to
tell her all was ready (she had requested
to be left alone few moments before
the ceremony, and being an odd sort OF
girl, nothing strange was thought of this
request returned, pale and trembling,
to the room where the bridal party wait
ed, with a note which she had found, in.
stead of her mistress, and which read as
follows: ,s,s s ,es
| "DEAR FATHER AND DEAR MOTHER:
do not love him. The feeling ] mistook
for love is only that of friendship. Since
we we're engaged have met one whom
1 do love, and at the last moment fly to
meet him and become his wife, convinced
THAT, dishonorable as my conduct may
seem, it would be thousand times more
Idishonorable to stand before the altal
with a lie upon my iips,a lie which would
condemn me to live lie forever after
Tell Jack l wish him all prosperity and
happiness. LILY"
| The bell of flowers was taken down
the wax candles were extinguished, th'
minister departed, the guests were dis
missed, and John Truesx left the house
with a curse upon his lips--for he knew
lin spite of her romantic note, that tht
girl had been won by the wealth of hi
lrival--to become a hater Of women,a a 70,
Ito matrimony, Vice President Of th,
I"Staunch Old Bachelors Club" and {
perfect Herod in regard to children.
What wonder, then, that be shranl
back in alarm when Winnie preposet
(they we're on their way tothe Academ.
lot Music to hear some man make
speech that they should stop few mo
ments at the baby show, whose famin,
lposters suddenly confronted them as the,
reached the corner of Fifth Avenue?
aDo come, brother said Winnie, COAX
lingly-and you never In all your life sa,
any one who could be quite as coaxin
as Winnie.
II won'tr' said brother emphatically
"Justsa wee, little while. ss
| IT will not" with increased emphasis
i "John, If you don't III invite cousi
Mary and her twins, and sister Lucy an
her eldest boy, the one that is named o
tier you, to the house to stay week."
"If you do, I'll burn the house owe
, their heads, collect the insurance and q
to Europe" g. -. 20
"John, I love babies as much as yo
, dislike them"
"It's no use" gg, br
"John, dear John. Il never wanted I
go any where 80 much, never," two di'
mond tears in her black eyes. u
"Five minutes, you said ?" ts
"Did II meant temp '-4
"Well, ten; not an instant longer, n
member; and grumbling to himsel
aWhat a fool am" in they went.
| A large oblong room, around whic
ran raised platforms on which were
: be seen many mothers and more babe
Some Of the little ones we're in bah
wagons, some in chairs, some on hobb.
horses. some in swings, and some in th
maternal lap There we're brown babie
yellow babies, rosy babies, cream colo
led babies, and snow-white babies; blu,