The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-10-14
lie BABY IN THE STORM.

"That story about the baby IN the
storm? Oh yes, I'll tell you all about
it. See, there's the scar on his dear
little forehead yet-he'l carry it all his
life, they say-but | shall never get
over being thankful he came out OF it
so much better than l did, the dar-
ling"
And Janet glanced at her poor
crooked arm as she settled herself more
comfortably for long talk.
"This was the way it came about.
Mother said to me one Saturday after
noon, Janet, am going over to the
village; | will take the little girls with
me, and want you to take good care OF
Harry till ] come back
This arrangement did not suit me
at all. I had other plans for the after
noon. ard said, 'But, mother, | prom
ised Mary Hathaway would 90 down
there this afternoon. She is going to
show me new stitch for my embroid-
cry -i ff. ,5.--. ~.
g Il don't like to interfere with you,
dear, mother said, Hbut it seems to me
you have been running there quite often
this week, and | must have your help
now
Cant Bridget take care of him?' I
said. --... &c.,. ...-...
:. No, she has too much else to do
s. 4 hate being tied to babies all the
time | snarled. 4 think we might
keep a nurse as well as the Hathaways.
Mary never has to be bothered with the
Young ones Mother looked at me
with a look which begged for something
better from me, but kept the scowl on
nv face till l saw them drive from the
gate.
81 carried baby out into the grove at
the back of the house, and dumped him
into the hammock. feeling cross and
miserable enough. He sat there COO
ing and Growing and laughing in way
which would have put better temper
into anv one but me. | sat on the
ground beside him, fuss 1g away at my
embroidery, but could not get it right,
and [ got crOsser and crOsser. At last
Harry stretched over toward me, and
took rather a rough grasp Of one Of my
ears and n good handful of hair with it.
He did it to pull my face around for
kiss, but as his pretty zee came against
mine with a. little bump, jumped up
and spoke sharply to him. L laid him
down with 4 shake, say ing, Go to sleep
now, YOU little tease
"He put up a grieved lip, and sobbed
as / swung him. 1t was about the time
of his afternoon nap, and he was asleep
in few minutes.
Then [ tried my embroidery again,
but it was no use-I could not get the
right stitch without some help from
Mary. Then a thought came across my
mind-whv could | not Just run down
there? Baby would surely sleep for an
hour, and l could easily be back within
that time. So l tied him in very
carefuIy-he gave another little sob as
/ kissed him, and l was so. sorry l had
been cross to him. In ten minutes more
l was running in at Mrs. Hathaway's
gate. .l..-
Il had been going toward the north,
so / did not notice that black, curl
ously shaped cloud, which lay low in the
south rs left home, was rising very
fast. Mrs Hathaway told me Mary was
out in an arbor back of the house,
SO l ran out there, and for little while
we were so deep in the embroidery that
forgot to notice how dark it was
getting. Then there was a flash of
how white and terrible
that lightning was. 1t came all about
us; we seemed wrapped up in it; and
such a burst of thunder as l never
heard before or since.
"As soon as we could move we flew
into the house. was wild with fright
as L saw the awful blackness in the
sky. Great drops of rain began to fall,
and peal after peal of thunder came,
as | snatched my bonnet and rushed to
the door. Mary seized my arm and held
me back. She cried, You must not go;
indeed you shall not 60 out in such
storm
g think they almost meant to keep
me by force; but | screamed out, l
must 90! | Wilt l will and / broke ]
away from them, and rushed out into
that binding storm. | couldn't think
of anything except the poor baby had
left all alone. There was no one there
to take care of him, no one knew where
he was, and in the noise of the storm
could hear him scream. 4
1.-The rain poured down in sheets by
the time l reached Mrs. Hathaway's
gate. 1t seemed almost to beat me
down to the ground, and the water was
over my shoes in half a minute. Phe
seemed like one long flash,
and the thunder never stopped T.
staO0pred on and fioundered on and