The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-01-02


Passing Children to Death.
Railroad Sketch In Boston Advertiser
Opposite is q young woman with littl'
child. An angelic child. Thisis no com
mon creature, and 1t would be difficult t.
exaggerate her beauty. She is as delicat'
and dainty as fairy. At first one say
the lovely pictures Of rosy cheeks, deel
blue eyes, made quite angelic by !darl
lashes, the enchanting, laughing mouth
absolutely illuminated by the sweet babl
teeth, and the finishing touch OF a loos'
yellow curl, showing below the white cap
Very soon, however, any woman notice.
that the child is not only becOmingly, bu
very extensively dressed, and when 1t be
comes manifest that the mother II
probably the wife OF q mechanic, II occur
to one to wonder what would be the emo
tions OF European mother OF this class on
seeing child Of hers arrayed in all THU
lace, embroidery and the soitest and snow
lest OF wooden wraps.
At once all eyes are drawn TO thlt
sweetest OF sweet things-a beautiful
child. The first person to notice her is Q
pleasantlooking man, who sits with hi:
wife in the seat next the baby. Some
thing about them makes one feel that this
Is a childless pair. The baby, at this
moment, is half sitting, half lying. on her
mothers lap, kicking up one little red.
shod loot against the back OF the next
seat. She is almost the only unconscious
creature In that car, as she lies there per-
fectly happy and at ease. Friendly man
stretches out his hand toward her. Up
springs the mother, and with nervous
band seizes the little foot, puts baby into
a conventional attitude, saying, with an
accent OF horror: "Why, Maud! Your
foot does not look very pretty up there"
"Whatis your name?" asks the man.
The baby, bless her heart! has now
worked herself down again into her pretty
attitude, and again kicks up the little red
foot, making no answer to the stranger.
Again the mother seizes the foot, glancing
anxiously around at US all, and repeating:
"Why, Maud! Tell the gentleman what
your name is; tell the gentleman what
your name is, Maud. Maud tell the gen.
tleman what your name Is"
Baby is gazing happily now at a bird in
cage hanging near, and visible through
a rent in the paper cover; but the mother
cannot leave her in peace, and begins q
vigorous pushing back OF the yellow hair
under the cap. We can all feel how it
pulls. That done, she stiltens up the angel
In her lap into the attitude OF wax dol,
and begins the exhibition again: "Can't
you tell the gentleman how old you are?"
"Most two," the baby answers prompt
'aOb no; not most two," the mother
says sol, smnly; "two years old, Maud ;
saw two ears DID," And then-Maud,
saw this and Maud, say that, is repeated
over and ovsr the little victim being
shown of and nut trough her PAGES, with.
ont n moments peace or rest, for SO long
that It makes ones ears nd heart ache.
It is a relief when the friendly man
reaches out his arms to the b. ny IN a gen +
tie way, and she raises her bic e eyes 70
his, and seeing that yearning Loo. mere
whicha love OF children often puts il. w q
mans eyes, and which even very youl.' Y
baby knows how to read, straightway
hold out her arms to him, and he lifts her
over the back OF the seat with that expires.
sion, wholly pleased and half surprised,
which becomes one who has received the
highest OF COMPREHENSIVE confidence
and preference Of little child. How have
any Of US ever deserved that the kingdom
OF heaven should be given right into our
arms?
For few minutes our dear baby was
allowed to rest in this quiet mans arms,
TO play with his watch, to hunt through
his pockets, to be let alone TO do whatever
she pleased. 1t was not long, however,
before the mother began struggling in an
ominous way with her travelling basket,
and then, while baby was entirely quiet
and happy, watching the reflection OF the
lamp on the bright watch, large piece OF
what looked like pound cake was passed
over to her by her mother.
TWAS hard to see her put herlittle white.
teeth into il, and 10 Judge from this what
the ordinary diet was likely to be; hard to
glance from the beautiful peach.like cheek
OF the child 10 the sallow one Of the young
mother, which, together with the fragile,
broken American teeth, told the story OF
chronic dyspepsia and general debility. Is
this what our blooming baby is coming to?
She throws half the cake on the floor,
thank heaven, but eats the rest carelessly
and without appetite there isno member
OF the s. P. @. q. present to prevent this
case OF cruelty to children). and then
standing for moment OH the mans knees
she glanced up, and through the narrow
window In the roof OF the car she catches
sight Of the moon.
"Moon!" she shouts with an enchant-
ing laugh. "Moon up high" Then up
90 her darling hands and she calls,
"Moonie! Moonie! Come, moonie!"
"Why, she never did that before" said
her mother. "Maud, sit down and tell
the gentleman where you went with par.
per. Where did you go with parper,
Maud? Maud, where did you go with
parper?" The dear cheeks are growing
too red now. "Water," she says, as she is
dragged down from the com anionship OF
the skies. "Water, water" 1t becomes q
moan, and we think OF the pound cake.
mo. There amt no wrtar. Mariner
can't get you any water. Water Is all
gone. Tell the gentleman where you are
going, Maud"
Water" means the baby, and turns
her flaming cheek toward her mother,
stretching out her hanels to her, water"
"Water is all gone; per haps there'll be a
boy round with water hime BY" says the
mother. "Tell the gentleman where you
went with parper, Maud. Tell tho gentle.
man where you are going. Maud"
My journey Is ended. Poor baby goes
farther, night though it be, and the
last words l hear as Ile..ve the car are
"Can't you tell the gentleman where you
are going, Maud2"
For tho InlsllIssneer.