The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-04-29
Fusslrg Children to Death.

no common creature, ana IL WOulu ne
difficult to eXaggorate her beauty. She
is as delicate and dainty as a fairy. At
first one only saw the lovely picture of
rosy cheeks, deep blue eyes, made quite
angelic by dark lashes-the enchanting
laughing mouth, absolutely illuminated
by the sweet baby teeth, and the finish
ing touch of loose yellow curl showing
below the white cap. Very soon, how
ever, any woman notices that the child
is not onl, becomingly, but very expen.
sively dressed, and when it becomes
manifest that the mother is probably
the wife of mechanic, it occurs to enc
to wonder what would be the emotions
of an European mother of this class on
seeing a child of hers arrayed in all this
lace, embroidery and the softest and
snowiest of woolen wraps.
At once all eyes were drawn to this
sweetest of sweet things beautiful
child The first person to notice her is
a pleasant-looking man, who sits with
his wife in the seat next to the baby.
Something about them makes one feel
that this is childless pair. The baby, at
this moment, is hAlf-sitting, half-lying,
on her mothers lap, kicking up one lit
tie redshod foot against the next seat.
She is almost the only unconscious crea-
ture in that car as she lies there per-
fectly happy and at ease. Friendly man
stretches ont his hands towards h :.
Up springs the MOTHER and with IA ner
vous hand, seizes the little foot, puts
baby in convenient attitude, saying,
''Why, Maud your foot does not look
very pretty up there"
"What is your name y 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 gentleman what
your name Is.
Baby is gazing happily now at bird
in cage hanging near, and visible
through a rent in the paper cover but
the mother cannot leave her at peace
and begins a vigorous pushing back of
the yellow hair under the cap. We all
can feel how it pulls. This done, she
stiffens up the angel in her lap into an
attitude of wax doll, and begins the
exhibition again. Cant you tell the
gentleman how old you areF
''Most two" the baby answered
promptly.
ooh, no not most two, the mother
says solemnly "two years old, Maud
say two years old" And then-Maud,
say this, and Maud, say that, is repeated
over and over, the little victim being
shown off and put through her PAGES,
without a moments peace or rest, for
so long that 1t makes ones ears and
head ache.
1t is relief when the friendly man
stretches out his arms to the baby in
a gentle way, and she raises her blue
eyes to his, and seeing yearning look
there which love of children often puts
into a mans eyes, and which even a very
young baby knows how to read, straight
way holds out her arms TO him, and he
lifts her over the back of the seat with
that expression, wholly pleased and half
surprised, becomes one who has received
the highest of compliments-the con-
fdence and preference Of little child.
How have many OF US ever deserved
that the kingdom of heaven should be
given right into our armsl
For few moments our dear baby was
allowed to rest in this quiet mans arms,
to play with his watch, % hunt through
his pockets, TO be let alone to do what
ever she pleased. 1t was not long, how
ever, before the mother began struggling
in an ominous way with her travelling
basket, and then, while baby was en-
tirely quiet and happy, watching tie
reflection of the lamp on the bright
watch, large piece of what looked like
pound cake was passed over to her by
her mother.
1t was hard to see her put her little
white teeth into it, and to Judge from
this what the ordinary diet was likely to
be; hard to glance from the beautiful
peach-like cheek of the child to the sal
low one of the young mo.her which, to-
gether with the fragile, broken Ameri-