The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1881-12-24

shut the door behind them.
Matty could not see the chest plainly
as they carried it by-it was getting dark
in the hall. But she scratched a match,
and then climbed up and lighted one of
the wax candles in the little sconces
Just opposite the chest
"Weli, it is splendid thing she
said to herself. The great sides, almost
up to her shoulder, were all covered
with carving OF cherubs, and harps,
and crowns and birds, and snakes, and
leaves, and babies. in what seemed to
Matty the strangest confusion.
When she had sufficiently admired
the outside, Matty thought she would
like to see the inside. The lid was
enormously heavy; but she tugged and
tagged, and up it came a crack, and
then she stopped and got her shoulder
under, and rose little by little, and at
last succeeded in standing the great lid
upright--and what wonderful place it
was inside! Almost big enough for
playhouse.
There were great drawers and little
drawers, and boxes with covers, and
boxes inside these, and places like the
berths she saw in the steamer when she
was taken to bid Susy good-by, and an
open space among them all, with fur
robe, new fur robe for the sleigh,
folded and lying on the bottom.
Matty had not halt exhausted the de-
light of her dis ,overies when the baby,
who was getting sleepy, and was quite
tired of his rubber doll and rattle, be-
gan to fret. She ran to get him and
brought him out into the hall; and it
occurred TO her that seat on that fur
robe would be a capital thing for the
baby while she pursued her pleasure.
And no sooner said than done; she
climl.ed in herself, lifted the baby over
and set him down smoothing the fur
and saying Poor pussy to'it.
The baby did Just as she did, and
patted the fur and said PUSH" and
cuddled down his little sleepy head
upon it and let Matty go on opening
this tiny box, and pulling out that tiny
drawer, till all at once the grocer
boys quick ring at the area bell
startled her so that she jumped, and,
hurriedly scrambling out, she hit the
great lid and down it fell and shut fast.
Matty came very near screaming.
But she thought it wouldn't hurt the
baby for minute, if he would keep
still while she opened it again; and she
called out that sister was there, and
listened to hear him cry, but heal d
nothing the baby had gone fast
asleep on the soft fur, and even the
dropping Of the lid had not walked him.
So Matty stopped again to her task of
opening the chest, and tugged and
tugged, and pushed with her shoulders
and pulled with her hands, and wished
with all her heart she had let the chest
alone.
"Oh, he'll be smotheredr' she ex-
| claimed. Hell be smothered!" And
she burst out crying and ran to find her
mother, screaming: The baby! Oh,
the baby"
just outside the vestibule her foot
slipped ON the frozen dripping from an
icicle overhead, and she fell from top
to bottom of the steps and lay on the
sidewalk senseless.
Mrs. Watrous, who had been kept
much longer than she wished by Cousin
Kate, came running up, only to meet
| her husband at the door, hurrying for
| the doctor. For he had turned the cor
ner Just in season to see Matty fall and
| to pick her up, himself almost turned
to stone with terror. And then Mrs.
| Watrous flew into the house, to find one
! child UNCONSCIOUS and the other child
gone; and she tainted dead away her.
! self.
You can imagine what a moment it
was for. Mr. WatrOus when he came
back with the doctor-his wife coming
| out of her swoOn only to scream Tor her
] 10 Cti1 WITH ba
! fall. And this was the happy Christ
mas Eve he had promised himself!
There was nothing broken, the doe
tor said, at last; he only feared con
cussion of the brain now, but possibly
they might avoid that only Mrs.
! WatrOus must control herself and bend
all her strength to Matty's recovery
and then it was evident that Matty
knew what had happened to the baby
be said, and the sooner Mary could
speak, the sooner they should know
too. Nobody thought of the chest; no
body looked at it; nobody saw it,
But while the doctor and Cousin Kate
who had come running over to SEE
the reception OF the chest, and found i
all forgotten-were busy with Matty
Mr.. WatrOus had called a neighbor
and had searched the house from roo
to basement, every room, every closet
even the cellar; and then he had run t,
the nearest police-station with the ba
by's Photograph, to call out the force il
a public search.
His wife sat there like a statue whel
he came back. Cousin Kate was dOini
everything she could have done; 10
with this fearful calamity overtakin!
both her children at once, Mrs. Wat
rous was so overcome that she coul'
hardly move; she could only sit still
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