Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-07-25
The Quaker Baby.

The Quaker Baby.
After had taken my seat, l looked
up and down the car to see If a certain
hat and overcoat and newspapers held
the same place that they held for many
mornings before. There they were, to
be sure and in minute or two their
owner arose deliberately and took an
other seat as near to mine as circum-
stances would admit.
The first time l had ever noticed
him, l had met dear old friend of my
mothers in the cars, and during long
ride detailed to her the thousand and
one little family matters which accumu.
late even in the dullest times. AS we
approached the city, l perceived that a
gentleman, who occupieda seat in front
of us, had been listening to my talk
and had found amusement in it. 1t
vexed me little, but l could not re-
member having said anything out of
the way, and should never have given
it a second thought but for what fol-
lowed. My listener, as l may we'll call
him, waited at the car steps, to help me
to the platform and then went OH his
way. Aud this was the beginning of
my observing him.
lived in an inland town, and went
wo or three times week to the "Most
Christian City, Il hope everyone rec
ognizes 1t by that rame), to take les
sons in drawing and water colors. On
this particular morning, after my lis
tener had changed his seat without so
much Us q glance in my direction, the
train stopped at the Junction, and a
young lady in Quaker cos ume, with q
baby III her arms came in.
There were but two empty seats, one
with my listener and the other with me.
She hesItated, and then sat down with
me.
She had the pale and pure serenity
which rests on 80 many Quaker faces,
as If the silence of their worship gave
quietness to their souls.
"Whitest thoughts in whitest dress,
Candid meanings best express
Mind Of quiet Quakeress.
The baby might have been eight or
nine months old, and absolutely looked
older than his mother it's paleness was
deepened by drab alpaca cloak of the
true Quaker color, unrelieved by the
bright blue with which mothers Of the
world, worldly, set Oft cloak of that
color.
1t, or rather she II guessed rightly
that it was girl, for boy babies are
going out of fashion,, regarded me
with fixed, solemn manner, as if the
bright feather in my hat were an insult
to the colorless existence she had been
born iuto.
/ think it is Charles Lamb who
doubts the very existence of Quaker
baby. "Who ever saw one ?" he asks
and if it really exists, is it fed on
draD'colored pap?" But here was a
living answer to his doubt, and I grew
positively restless under her innocent
gaze.
tried to disarm her with the wiles
that l had seen other people use with
babies; but whether l failed for want
OF practice in the art, or whether my
efforts were not SO unconscious and
hearty as they might have been, if 1
mad not seen smile haunting the face
OF my listener across the aisle-what-
ever the reason, the sphinx.like face
never altered.
~ shall be rid of you," I thought,
In lew minutes more ;" but had
counted without my host. When
left the Car, my listener helped me to
the platform as usual, without any
sense OF consciousness that he had ever
done it before. The Quakeress fol-
lowed close after me. ln spite of her
extreme carefulness she caught her
foot on the step and fell to the ground i:
but with the instinct of mother.love.
the same the world over, she managed
to lay the baby softly down beside ner
without injury.
took up the baby. awkwardly
enough. no doubt, while my listener
Lifted the mother, but with a moan she
sank down again and tainted away,
Ihe Quakeress had been the last to
leave the car. and the crowd, as we'll as
the conductor, had gone about their
business. My listener and l were left
almost alone to face this development
of affairs.
Tel me what to do, and I'll do IT."
SAID my listener, desperately, as he
chafed the poor woman's hanis.
DO you think you could carry her
to the waiting.room? We can do bet.
ter with her there"
he took her easily in his arms, and I
!ed the way with the travelling bags and
the baby to the ladies' room where she
was laid, still unconscious, on a settee.
Then he went in Search of water. and
made nest OF shawls Tor the baby to
lie IN, while l gave my strength to re
wing the mother; but even Quaker
oomposure must give way at last to total
depravity, and she went off into such a
passion of crying and holding her
breath that considered q fit imminent.
and took courage to say to my listener.
when he returned with the water: