Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1879-09-27

I the HURRICANE uasltu INTO the klIcnen,
overturning the cradle, and driving i,
bottom upward across the floor. Grace
ran to lift it up and see what had be.
become of the baby. The little crea.
ture was crying, and both her pretty,
straight ankles were twisted and her
feet turned inward. 1t was long before
she ceased to scream.
The storm subsidized as suddenly as il
had arisen, but the mysterious evil il
had brought the child did not end. She
became sickly and very fretful, and the
other children grew weary Of nursing
her. They had been very fond of Eliza,
but they now began to dislike her, and
the poor overworked mother could hard
ly ever lay her out of her arms.
Weeks, months, years went by. Eliza
was five years old, but looked like a
child of Is months, so small and shrun-
ken was she. She still fitted into the
cradle, and therein spent most Of the
day. She had been a very sorrowful
burden to her mother all these years,
and her cross, fretful temper had driven
joy and contentment far from the cabin
The healthy, rosy elder children were
sometimes so provoked with their wall
ing sister that they would have hurt her if
their mother had not watched them very
carefully. But though so sickly, Eliza
was much cleverer than any of her
strong brothers and sisters. She said
extraordinary things, that were repeated
from house to house in the neighbor-
hood.
Mrs. Rooney, happening to pay Grace
McDonagh visit one day, saw Mat, the
eldest brother, give Eliza a wicked pinch
rs he passed the cradle; and when the
unfortunate child's howl had little
subsidized, the wise neighb5r took upon
herself to speak word in season.
''Do you no mind what happened the
night lhon wean was born, Grace dar-
limp
"Do | mind it? RIGHTLY l mind it,
Mrs. Rooney
''An' the time her feet was turned
in?''
SAY, it's weel mind it,
"Weel, Grace, if you tax my bid
ding, you'll no let the childer offer to
touch thon wean to hurt her; Tor if you
do, knowin' what she is, some black
trouble II be coming to this house.
as it a wee elf, then, Mrs. Rooney
dear, that was put in the place o my
ain child, do you think?"
SIS it?'' cried the neighbor, scorn-
fully; "an' do you AK me SIGH an inno-
cent question, an you working wi the
crathur these five year? Sure enough
it's an elf, Grace McDonagh, an if
you hurt it, your ain child will
be hurried just as much; an if
it's kilt in this house, your ain child
II come 10 its end where it is, and that's
wi the gentry in their grand parlors
underground, as sure as I'm living
sinner this day" concluded she, drop
ping her voice to mysterious whisper
Poor Grace was deeply impressed.
She called her healthy children around
her, and threatened them with all man
ner of penalties if they ventured again
to ill-treat Eliza, promising to complain
to their father, of whose more energetic
they all stood in much terror.
But she had a tenderness for the wailing
child, SO hated by the rest of its little
world; and although she believed Mrs.
Rooney, she believed her most unwill-
ingly. '.Maybe the poorCrathur''ll no
be very long troublesome. She looks
but sickly; she'll die quietly, an you'll
get rid o. the trouble that way said the
wise Mrs. Rooney, in comforting ac-
cents, as she got up to take leave.
Grace sighed. She took Eliza out of
the cradle, and pressed her to her
bosom. Even though she were change
ing, she was dearer to the wom-
ans heart than her own child,
growing up somewhere or other
N fairy-land, and she did not wish to
see her die. For the true Eliza, stolen
1t Il few weeks old, was almost forgot
en-; while this unfortunate elfin Eliza
vas daily trial of love and patience,
md had been so for five years.
Vn-anh AIanaaonI NJ. Tall-e