Evening star., 1880-02-14
NANNEETE's LIVE BABY.


MARY waeer-Fisher i'll February Wide Awakel
A good many Years aga. III the city OF Pht.a-
Gelphfa, lived little girl. named Nannetfe
One summer afternoon her mother wen, to pay
q short visit to her aunt, who lived near ny. ant
gave her little girl permission to amuse herself
on the front door-steps until her return. SO
Nannette, In clean pink frock and white
apron, playing and chatting with her big wax
| :" D1dy," which was her dolls name formed
! pretty picture to the passers- by, some of whom
walked % M slowly, in order to hear the childs talk
"You,se big old g.rl,' she went on, smooth
| ing out Didy's petticoats, land I've had you for
| ever and ever, and Use mos six. But you grow
no bigger. You never, never cry, you don't
Youse stupid old thing. and I'm tired OF you,
| / am! b1eve you'se only a make b'leve baby.
and want real, live baby. do-a baby that
| Will cry! Now don't you see," and she gave the
dolls head Whack--"that you don't cry? II
ANYBODY should hut NJ ~, 50, Id sgueam n.-,s,,; ,;
| come, and there would be an awful time. There,
now sit up, can't you? Your back is like a
broken stick. oh. hum, Pm tired of you,
| Didy."
Leaving the doll leaning in a one-sided way
| against the door, Nannette posed her dimpled
| chin in her hands, and sat quietly looking into
| the street. Presently woman came along with
bundle in her arms, ana seeing NannetLe and
| ''Dldy" in the doorway. went UP the steps and
asked the little girl II she would not Ae to have
"Ore that viii cry?" eagerly asked Nannette.
eyes, one that win cry, and laugh, 200, after
a bit" answered the woman, all the time look.
| ing keenly about her; and then in a hushed
| voice she asked the Child If her mother was at
home.
herr" replied Nannette, jumping to her rect,
and clapplDg her hands. from a feeling as II, In
some way, She was to have her long-wished-for
live baby.
..No, don't call her; and If you want baby
that will cry, you must be very quiet and listen
to me. Mark me now-have you quarter Of a
dollar to pay for baby.
"I guess so," answered Nannette; "Pve a lot
of money upstairs" And running up to her
money box from shelf, and emptying all her
pennies and small silver coin into her apron, ran
down again.
isn't it?"
The woman saw at a glance that there was
more than that amount, and hastily taking poor
| little Nannette's carefully boarded pennies, she
"Now carry the baby upstairs and keep 1t in
your own little bed. Be careful to make no
noise, for it is sound asleep. Don't tell anybody
you have it until 1t cries Mind that. When
you hear it cry. you may know it is hungry"
Then the woman went hurriedly away, and
Nannette never saw her again.
Nannette'S little heart was nearly breaking
with delight at the thought OF having real
live baby; and holding the bundle fast in her
arms where the woman had placed it, she be-
gan trudging upstairs with it. Finally pulling
and painting, her checks all aglow, she reached
her little bed, and turning down the covers, she
she gave 1t some loving little pats saying softly,
'Ny baby, my real, little live baby that will
cry! And then she carefully tr1pped cut of the
room and downstairs again.
Very soon Nannette's mother came home,
bringing her fine large apple, which drove all
thoughts OF the baby from her mind, and It was
the supper table with her papa and mamma
that she remembered her baby; but at that
time, suddenly, from somewhere that surely
was in the house, came baby's cry; and clap
ping her hands, her eyes dancing with joy, Nan
nette began to slide down from her chair, say
ing with great emphasis, That's my baby"
"Yes, mamma, my baby; don't you hear 1t
cry? "T1s hungry" And she started to run up
stairs, but her mother called her back.
"Why, Nannette, what ails you? What do
you mean about your baby? ?" she asked in sur
"Why. MY BABY, mamma! 1 bought 1t for
mis'ble make b'leve baby, oh, how it does cry!
it must M be awful hungry" And away she darted
up the stairs
in perfect amazement. and followed their little
girl to her room, where, lying upon her bed,
was bundle from which came baby's cries.
pings. and, sure enough, there was wee little
girl not more than two or three weeks old look
Ing up at them with two great wet eyes.
related all she could remember of her talk with
the woman from whom she bought the baby
Her papa said perhaps the baby had been stolen,
and that something had been given TO 1t to
As aBut What What shall we do with ltgn asked both
the father . and mother. "Po with p, cried
paid all my money for it. 1t cries, it does! 1
Will keep it always"
So it was decided that the baby should stay
| IL nobody came to claim 1t, which nobody ever
did, although Nannette's papa put an advertise
ment in newspaper about 1t.
Itwould take larger book than ''W1de Awake
in which to tell all Of Nannette'S expert enceS
in taking care of '.Dey bdby," as she ca.lel the
little girl, whom she afterWaFd named Victoria
in honor OF the then young queen OF England
Victoria is now a woman. and she lives as does
Nannette in the city OF Philadelphia She has
little girl of her own "mos siX,' who Is nam d
Nannette for the good little ..sister mother,"
who, once upon time, bought her mamma OF
a strange woman fer aqlarter OF a dollar, as
she thought. And this other little Nannette
never tires of hearing the romlnt1c sto " OF the
indolent "Didy" and the real, little, live baby
that will cry"
w. s. Gilbert as a Stage Manager.