The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-11-24
brooklyn Eagle.l
Spoopendyke.
Searching for the Pin.

whats the matter with that baby?" growl-
ed Mr.. Spoopendyks, as he sat up in bed and
rubbed his eyes. "Cant you stop this fuss?"
"Hush-h-h-h" cooed Mrs Spoopendyke,
dandling the infant "Don't ky. Dada
ANTS to s'eep. Baby sail be dood."
Mr.. Spoopendyke eyed the proceeding cyni-
cally for moment and then the baby burst out
again.
"Dry upi" shouted Mr.. Spoopendyks.
"There's nothing the matter with you. Why
don't you go to sleep like ChristiAn?"
''There, there, therei'' crooned Mrs. SpooD-
endyke. "She's dess too tweet for anysing.
Poor little drill Now, go to sleep ike little
dearl
Whereat the baby howled dismally.
Cant you give her something?" demanded
Mr.. Spoopendyke. "Can't you dose her. S'pose
I'm going to lay awake all night for the fun OF
appreciating that am the head of the family?
Here, let me take her, I'll fix her." and Mr..
Spoopendyke grabbed his offspring and began
to pace the floor with her.
''Be careful of her, aud I'll heat some water
aud try little peppermint and sugar." said
Mrs. Spo0pendyke, as she promptly raked out
a battered tin cup, we'll backed around the
bottom aud sides which she promptly converted
into b ,iler
"a baby never cries unless there's q pin
sticking in her, argued Mr.. Spoopendyke as
he held the infant across his arm and began to
undo her night dress. whats this thinx
you've got wrapped around her."
1T rats her belly band" don't touch it,'
squeaked Mrs Spoopendyke, waving the cup
foot from the gas jet in her trepidstlon.
"On! see," -etorted Mr.. Spoopendyke fish,
ing out the pins. Whats that other thing
here the 'britching? Hold on Cleopatrai" he
continued, as the bawling young one made
spring, don't make the mistake OF trying TO
fool with Spoopendyke," and the fond father
groped around for the cause of the disturbance.
s'Slnce you've got the rest of the harness on,
praps you'd better drive this baby with mar
tingales And I'll tell you one thing, Mrs.
Spoopendyke, this baby's clothes amt more'n
half aired. No wonder she howls Cutchee,
cutehee, cutcnee; dod gast the thingi Say,
what do you call this rifle barrel business?
What's this breastpin doing here under her
chest?''
Good gracious, that's safety pin! Let It
alone!' said Mrs. SpoopeDdyke.
ssWhaLs the combination of this racket any,
bow?" demanded Mr.. Spoopendyke, tuggIng
at the pin. "Who sodered this thing on?
What's it for? Give me the combinationl" and
he jerked it loose with results he had scarcely
contemplated, foo it left the baby stitchless.
The startled young one shiv-red and was Quiet
for a moment. sTold you so," said Mr..
Spoopendyke with an air of triumph. TT
only needs little common sense to take care
of "A baby"
But at that instant the infant tuned mp
again with redoubled vigor.
.'Let me take her." pleaded Mrs. Spoopen-
dyse, She'll freeze to deathl"
"Let her freeZel" roared Mr.. Spoopendyke.
"If this measly baby is going 10 have her way
about bowling, she's going 10 have it about
zing. Cutchee, cutchee, cutcheel Dry up,
will yon?" and Mr.. Syoopendyk ke set his teeth
and pranced around, all OF which extracted the
most frightful row from his infant.
''She wants medicine, aud I've got it ready
for her." said Mrs. Spoopendyke. "Come TO
mamma now, what a little dearl Come 70
mamma and be comforted," and as she took
the child the cries died away into sobs and
were buried in shifts.
II knew I could quiet her." said Mr.. Spoop-
endyke, as he watched the baby. "You don't
know anything about children, or you never
would have put that tin anchor in her clothes.
That was what allied her."
''It wasn't either" snapped Mrs. Spoopen-
dyke. "She's got the collie, little dearl and
you almost killed her,"
Anyway she stopped her bowling" retort-
ed Mr. Spoopendyke, ''and she howled because
you wanted her to stand in the shafts all night
Another time you'll know enough to unhitch
the young one bef, re you put her in the stall. "
Mrs Spoopendyk ke made no response, but lsdled
in pepperment, qualified with little warm
water aud sugar. Then she carefully dressed
the baby and turned IN.
"Going 10 put out the gasp" demanded Mr..
Spoopendyke from under the clothes, which he
had pulled up to his eyebrows
"N0 replied Mrs. SOoopendyke shortly
"Then it can burni' howled her husband
'If you think I'm going to roust out you'er
mistaken"
But ten minutes later he thought of the bill,
and thinking his wife fast asleep. ne got mp and
gave the screw Wind ctive wrench aud 'um-
bed back TO bed, unconscious of the ,hyslerlcal
giggle that followed his last exploit.