Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-07-04
sylpnlh's Column.
OUR BABY AGAIN.


me about babies. There's nothing more
spiteful and malicious than baby. Our
baby got me into scrape once, when [
BACKED 1t. But didn't blame it SO
much that time, because, after all, it
was partly my fault; but now it has
gone and done one of the meanest things
a baby ever did, and came near running
me. al w u III II
1t has been long time since mother
and Sue said they would never trust me
to take care of baby again. but the other
day they wanted to go to a funeral.
They were going to be gone about two
hours, and | was to take care of baby
till they got home. OF course | said |
would do my best, and so | did; only
when boy does try to do his best he is
sure to get himself into trouble.
They hadn't been gone ten minutes
when the baby woke up and cried, and
l knew it did it on purpose. Now |
once read in an old magazine that if you
put molasses on baby's fingers, and
give it feather to play with. it will
try to pick that feather off. and amuse
itself and keep quiet for ever so long. [
resolved to try it; so | went straight
down stairs and brought up the big mo-
lasses jug out of the cellar. Then l
made little hole in one Of mothers
pillows, and pulled out a good handful
of feathers.
Well, put little molasses on the
baby's hand, and put the feathers in its
lap, and told it to be good and play real
pretty. The baby began to play with
the feathers, just as the magazine said
it would, so l thought would let it en-
joy itself while went up to my room to
read little while.
The baby never made sound for ev-
er SO long, and | was thinking how
pleased mother and Sue would be to find
out new plan for keeping it quiet. !
just let it enjoy itself till about ten min
utes before the time when they were tc
get back from the funeral, and then ]
went down to mothers room to look af.
ter the "little innocent" as Sue calls it
Much innocence there is about thai
baby.
l never saw such a spectacle. The
baby had got hold of the molasses jug
which held more than gallon, and haG
upset it and rolled all over in it. The
feathers had stuck so close that yot
couldn't hardly see its face, and its heat
looked like chickens head. Yol
wouldn't believe how that molasses hao
spread over the carpet. 1t seemed as i
half the room was covered with it. Ant
there sat that wretched "little innocent,
laughing to think how I would catch i
when the folks came home.
Now wasn't it my duty to wash tina
baby, and get the feathers and molasse
off it? Any sensible person would sa,
that it was. tried to wash it in tn
wash-basin, but the feathers kept stick
ing on again as fast as l could get then
off. So | took it to the bath-tub an,
turned the water on, and held the bah
right under the stream. The feather
were gradually getting rinsed away, an
the molasses was coming off beautifully
when something happened. #
The water was making good deal o
noise, and was standing with my bac
to the bathroom door so that l did nc
hear anybody come in. The first thin
knew Sue snatched the baby away, an
gave me such box over the ear. The
she screamed out: ~ 49, "a
Mother. come here. this wicked bo
Is drowning the babyr'
Mother came running up stairs, an
they carried the baby into mothers roo
to dry it. un4ncnfF1ss ny,
You should have heard what they sai
when Sue slipped and sat down in ii
middle of the molasses, and cried Of
that her best dress was ruined, ar
mother saw the state the carpet was il
/ would not repeat their language f
worlds. 1t was personal, that's what
was, and I've been told fifty times new
tosmake personal remarks. l shouldr
have condescended to notice it if moth
hadn't begun to cry and of course
went and said that | was dreadfully Sc
ry, and that meant it all for the be-
and wouldn't have hurt it for anythin
and begged her to forgive me and I
cry any more.
When father came home they tc
him all about it, but he only said:
"My son, | have decided to try mi
er measures with you. think you &
punished enough when you reflect Il
you have made your mother cry
That was all, and l tell you I'd ra
err hundred times have had him 81
my son, come up stairs with m
And now if you don't admit that no
ing could be meaner than the way Il
baby acted, | shall really be surpris
and shOcked.-Jimmy BroaOn IN II
per's Young People.
Z A