St. Landry democrat., 1880-11-13
A Strange Episode.
Two Women the actors in an Unusual
Transactions.

81. IoiiiS thTnniclc.l
The Health Commissioner Office iu
/ The City Hall was to-day the scene of
an episode of more than ordinary in
| terest, and one which almost challenges
! belief.
a neatly attllcd lady, with Il veil
drawn tightly across her face, called ut
/ the Office and inquired for Mr.. Francis.
! After being informed that he was
absent, by Mr.. j. J. FitzwiIliam, the
chief clerk, she said:
! "llaS the ambulance FROM the female
! hospital arrived yet ?"
"No, madame. it has net"
"WeIl, then, will wait Cor it if you
will permit me do so"
"Certainly, madame. Walk in this
| way and be seated. You will not have
| long to wait. Were you expecting any
friend p said Fitzwilianl, in the tone
and manner OF one fearful of being
thought inGuisitive, as the lady took the
protfered chair.
"Not exactly Il friend" she replied,
lifting her veil and exposing naturally
| handsome face, which was Just then an
| mated by Il handsome smile, "bnt am
to meet a woman here from the hospital
who is to give me her baby. It's only
three weeks old, and a pretty little girl
| it is, too
"Fitzwilliam is father, and to say
that he was astonislled is to put it mild
ly.
In time the ambulace arrived, as also
did the mother and her babe. When
the two women met, but Il slight nod of
recognition passed between them. The
silence was broken by the clerk, who
said:
iS fIn I,,I,y
Amt it a sweet pretty darling" ex-
ultinsly exclaimed the mother-t to-be.
The real mother held it up and look
ing at it sadly, mtrmurcd:
81 hate to part with it,"
Then kissing it, once only, she prof
fered it to the other, who pressed it to
| her lips in joy, rs the mother said:
| Take it and be good to it,
"That will, indeed you may depend
upon that"
The mother then gave her the nursing
| bottle, when she was asked:
How is the milk prepared ?"
"By boiling and then lettingit cool"
Don't you put water to it ?"
"No, just simply milk
Il have heard Of rice water being fed
to babies. Did you try it ~
Nothing has ever been given her but
boiled milk
A short pause of embarras assment here
ensued, when the real mother said,
Good by" and walked away. She
was pale looking, aud evidently not very
strong. Her features gave evidence of
youth and beauty, but her bearing was
| not Indicative OF refinement or educa-
ton.
The new mother retained her seat
aud fOndied the child with as much af-
fection as though it were her own She
remarked that she desired to allow the
mother sufficient time to get away from
the building, as she did not want to be
followed by her, or have her know
where the child's new home was. In
few minutes the bona fide mother re-
turned, approached Mr.. Fitzwilliam,
asked for and received two car tickets
and then walked away without casting
even one look Al the babe. Shortly af-
terWard the babe and its new mother
went away i'll a carriage.
These two women are totally un-
known to each other by name. Only
the proper officials know the mother bv
| adoption, and they are satisfied of her
rcspectability and competency to pro-
vide the child with good home Will
the mother and child ever meet again I?
When the city of Pekin left San Fran
cisco on October 10 she carried in her
steerage $50 returning Cinnamon, The
sailing hour was fixed at 2 o'clock in the
afternoon, and each one of tho $50 did
his best to be first at the gate of the
wharf. To accomplish this hundreds
| Of them spent the previous night on the
vacant lots i'll tho vicinity and on or
under the wagons loaded with their
baggage. At sunrise the gates of the
wharf were opened and the
crowd, encumbered with bundles of
every conceivable size and shape, tum-
bled in pell-mell, those in the rear fall
ing over those who had lost their bag
gage and their balance, until nearly the
whole mass was piled together on The
floor in bowling, struggling heaD. The
ofncers soon restored order and ranged
the Cinnamon along the side of the
! wharf, where they stood for eight hours
| patiently waiting to be allowed to board
the vessel. When the signal to board
was given the scenes of the morning
were repeated, and bundles, bedding,
trunks and no end Of hats went over
board as the crowd rushed I'D the mar
row gangplank. The canse of the I'M
precedented exodus is ascribed to lack
of work and the demand for skilled
Chinese labor at home. In accordance
| with custom the steamer has among he;
stores a supply of cotfins, made of
trunks of trees sawed in BALI, in which
those who die on the voyage are nre-
served until China is reached.
The Cincinnati Times-Star lamcnts
the cost of electing President every
four,years, which remark is seized upon
| by the Commercial to say: "No doubt
the expense is enormous, but it amounts
only to a redistribution of money. 1t
all remains in the family. Besides, a
presidential canvass is a means of edu-
eating the people in political questions
They study them with an interest they
would not otherwise feel. 1t aids in the
diffusion of intelligence. Men read and
listen and decide. And there is the ex-
citcment and fun, worth a good deal to
people who devote SO much time and
attention TO the increase OF the almighty
dollar. No doubt presidential elections
might be more economically managed,
but parties will have expensive machin-
cry, a flood OF documents, conventions,
| parades, professions, and whatever else
| is needed to give animation to can
vass, and as they put up their own
| money and pay the piper for the dance,
there is no occasion for profuse lachry-
| NAL effusion."
The average yield OF corn, says the
New York Times, is less than one-lalf
Of the possible yield. When one thinks
how little the second half OF 100 bushels
| of corn costs per acre, the profit of
growing such q crop becomes apparent !:
| and it is easy to produce such yield.
n,,<x L..