The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-04-12

wagons, some IN cne1xo, some On noODy-
horses, some in swings, and some In the
maternal lap There were brown babies,
yellow babies, rosy babies, cream-col-
ored babies, and snow-white babies
blue-eyed, hazel-eyed, brown-eyed, gray
eyed, Dlack-eyed and green-eyed babies;
laughing, crying, pretty, ugly, bright,
stupid, cross, Jolly, serious and mis-
chievous babies; babies of all shapes,
all sorts, all sizes, and all ages-that is,
from month to years.
"Pshaw !" said Mr.. Trueax, with an
expression of disgust on his expressive
countenance, as he entered the room and
glanced hastily about. SRI go no fur
ther, Winnie, but wait for you here"
and he retreated into dark corner-by-
the-by, the only obscure corner in the
hall--while his sister tripped gayly away
on tour of inspection.
But as he impatiently waited, frown-
ing with all his might, and hoping that
Winnie would not exceed the ten min
utes he had so ungraciously accorded
her, suddenly it dawned on him that
somebody not entirely unconnected with
the show was in his immediate vicinity,
for a not-unmusical murmur, a sweet
voiced mothers Groom to her baby.
reached him, and, turning, he saw a
young and girlish creature in widows
weeds with tiny child on her lap.
AS Mr.. Trueax turned, this young
creature raised a pair OF the most won
derful blue eyes, fringed with the most
wonderful golden lashes, and cast half
shy, half-appealing glance at him.
Mr.. Trueax began to feel very uncom-
Portable He, the hater of women, the
despiser of babies, shut in, as it were,
with dangerous member of each spe-
cies For a moment he felt inclined to
flee, but the thought of his pretty sister
wandering discorsolately about in search
of him nipped the inclination in the
holding up the blue-eyed baby, and say
ing in low, timid voice, "She's very
pretty, sir"
And the child Das very pretty.
Steeled as he was against the innocence
and beauty of childhood, he could not
deny that. A little angel, lacking only
the wings, with bonnie blue eyes like its
mothers, faint golden hair, red rosebud
mouth, and chin and cheeks like the in
most petals of pink-white rose.
And Just then Winnie came back, with
two cards in hel hand, commencing,
eagerly, "Oh, John, we must vote.
You're to vote as tell you. Let me
see the handsomest mother, the pref
test baby ;" and, her eyes falling upon
the wee girl being held up for Johns
approval, she ponnced upon it at once.
"You loveliest of darlings Why,
Brother John, this is the prettiest baby
L ever saw, and Good gracious p
: dropping the baby back into it's mothers
} arms (from which she had taken it) with
a precipitancy that must have astonished
that loveliest of darlings-" Little Red
Riding hood"
Yes" said the girlish mother, "Lit-
tie Red Riding-hood. But, Winnie
Miss Trueax, L meant don't expect
! you to recognize me now. Times have
so changed for the worse with me Gas
you have guessed, no doubt, seeing me
here) since we went to school together,
! and wore the scarlet cloak which gained
me my pet name, and you made me your
own happy little friend"
, "Oh, indeed !" said Winnie, arching
her slender neck. And then, STOPPING
suddenly and kissing the quivering red
lips, "Allow me to decide that matter
for myself, Miss Daisy Bower But, OF
all places in the world, to meet you at q
, baby-show, and with baby Come,
J tell me all about it, dear. Brother John,
: you may go to the Academy and hear
| your great man, and I'll stay here and
, listen to my small woman, and you car
; stop for me on your way back"
} But Brother John never stirred. The
, baby had reached out her dimpled hand
and clutchea his watch seal, and was
, examining it with exceeding interest
telling him, meanwhile, in a gurglinp
language, apparently founded on the
one word "goo," how much she ad
mired it. aud he didn't want to rudely
wrest it from the little fingers, "ol
something" as Winnie would have re-
marked and 80, as 1 said before, ht
never stirred.
$50 on, DEAR" said Winnie, seating
t herself beside her new-fornd friend
, Don't mind John. He's a regular
wolf, I'll confess, but I'll take care h,
, don't hurt you"
With timid glance at the wolf, who
stepped few steps away-baby having
turned her attention to the bird in Win
MES hat-but not so far but that he
caught every word uttered, in soft
clear voice, Red Riding-hood began
"When you finished your education
three years ago, and was called home
to Maryland by the death of my mother
my father, you know, died three years
before-I was left with no relation in
the whole world but my dear old grand
mother. She had comfortable income
at the time, and for a year everything
went well and then the bank in which
all her money was deposited broke, and
|, we were penniless. Grandmother sank
beneath her misfortune and became al
most helpless, and always was spoiled
good-for-nothing-"
"You always were a darling" burst
in Winnie, impetuously.
And-and married grandmamma's
lawyer, and he was very, very kind to III
,, both, and we were very comfortable un.
til about three months ago-the day wee
Daisy was half ayear old-when he died
and oh Winnie, he left no will but one
dated long before he knew me, which