The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1881-11-24

Isn't that ounning?" KISSES. "peeka-
boos," ETC., ETC., ad Hb.
Myself
by training and by temper he had
been open to other influences as we'll. Al
one time of his life he had experienced re-
igion, and not religion only, but"
Louise lat the door, soto vocel -"If you
please, did you want more than one package
Of the extract?" Long discussion between
Louise and Vanessa on ''extract."
Vanessa-"It's too bad to interrupt
you SO often. Go on now. It'll be good,
won't it, sweetness?"
Baby OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Mann
man, man,"
Kanessa [ecstatically]-"Oh, you darl-
Aiyseu-
Speculation also. Indeed, ever
since he was twenty four, he had been
troubled by painful sense that he ought to
have mission in life."
Here Vanessa takes the baby from the
floor, under pretense of keeping him still,
but really to indulge in maternal caresses
of varied character, and the pair do an in
fantile pantomime.]
Myself
"The only difficulty was that he could
not find out what would suit him. He had
considerable natural powers. and was in
many ways remarkable man; but, unhap-
PLY, one Of those who are remarkable be-
cause they do not become famous, not be-
canse they do"
Vanessa-What stupidity awkward SEN
tence is that last one. MIR. Mallock doesn't
NO, no. petite, you can't have mamma 8
earring. What does make you so fretful?
I'm afraid he isn't we'll. Don't you think
he looks a little pale, Karin?
1 fastened to assert my belief in Baby's
iron constitution and present robust health
to Vanessa's disappointment, who evident
ly yearns for sympathy rather than encour-
agement. take up my book again with
some reluctance, but Vanessa says, sweetly:
Now some more, Auntie Karin" as if we
were swallowing a beverage that would
choke us if we took it in anything but hon.
epathic sips.
He was one of those of whom it is said
till they are thirty, that they will do some-
thing; till they are thi1ty-five, that thew
might do something if they choose; and
after that, they might have done something
if they had cho-"
Vanessa-"What haze you got in your
mouth, Baoy? Oh, let mamma see! Oh
Kahrin, he's got something in his mouth
he'll choke to death. Oh, darling, my own
precious little one, let mamma see!"
The baby gagged and turned red in the
face. Vanessa grows hysterical. The
New Republic" tumbles headlong into a
basin of Baby's Cruel. Vanessa reverses
Baby and beats him on the back. A tiny
piece OF paper pops out his mouth. It
takes the mother fifteen minutes to be
convinced that her child is saved. Then
we begin to draw order out of chaos. I
lift MIR. Mallock gently from his grave
and put him in the CRATE. 1t seems as if
cremation is all that is left forlhim. That's
what you may call bustling eloquence, l
mutter, with feeble reaching after wit.
Here Venessa did not take heed. She is
fretting over the might-have beens Of b.
by's accident, and because Louise did not
come; and Baby is fretting because she
frets. I am ashamed to confess that after
offering all the advice and assistance in my
power, steal away and leave them.
I was not heartless, was only cowardly.
I was afraid of baby. 1t seemed to me aw-
full that such morsel of flesh and blood
could hold such potent sway. Vanessa,
who had always been the most modest of
women, now reveled in insatiate vanity
for baby. She exacted homage from every
! one who came near. The servants we re
required to PROSTATE themselves in the
royal presence. We were no longer free
citizens, we were slaves to sultan in short
clothes. She fished for compliments fo1
baby, and when they fell short she took up
the strain herself, and sang a lauI0mus in
solo.
Once Vanessa was sweetly generous; now
she seemed to have developed tropical
jealousy toward other children than baby.
She gloated over their faults, she was
blind to their beauty. Who were these
that they should stand before baby? Once
Vanessa was dainty to the verge Of prim-
ness in her personal adornment; now she
was so careless that she almost drifted in
to slovenliness. Once Vanessa liked clever
| society, but when I asked Professor Stir
ling and the Weirs to dinner-all such
bright peOple-she seemed bored to death,
and absolutely jumped up from the table,
and rushed out in the midst of the most
animated conversation, because she
thought she heard Baby. Once Vanessa
liked music, but when we went to the fare
well concert of the "Quintette. she only
murmured absentiy at the forte passages:
How Baby would enjoy this, he SO loves a
noise" Once Vanessa's sympathy and
charity reached everywhere, now they
were condensed so as to enfold only
Baby.
Louise came IN one morning with sick
headache. Blind and dizzy, she stumbled
over footstool and fell against the marble
mantle, bruising herself sadly. We oil
rushed to pick her up, and pity her. but
Vanessa looked fairly ecstatic. "Oh, what
a blessing she didn't have Baby in her
arms! I'm so glad she didn't have Baby. I"
All the woes of the world were naught to
her if Baby was safe. When Baby slept,
the house was wrapped in silence; when he
had his bath we were obliged to file in and
90 through certain round of performances
lest Baby should be disappointed; ditto at
the morning walk; ditto at bedtime.
Once or twice Vanessa spoke of renew
ing our readings, but managed to excuse
myself, and they were never resumed.
Ours was symposium. Wherever we
went q possession of nursery bottles fol-
lowed, and somehow it always fell to my lot
to carry them, SO that at least one member
of the household dubbed me the commits
sary department.. It was once suggested
that Louise wear belt with bottles hang
ing therefrom, filled ready to satisfy the
voracious appetite of the infant but Vanes-
SO did not like the picture. She did not
like to be laughed at when Baby was part
of the laugh. Baby WAS too solemn sub
ject to be touched with frivolous thought.
If you will credit the brutality, began to
hate the innocent little thing. Quail on
toast is delightful dish, but it is said
no man can eat that for thirty DAYS and
live. Vanessas baby was most incem-
parably interesting baby, and the best
baby ever saw. but
Vanessa stayed month. When she went
away, she said, compassionatelv:
Its too bad to take Baby from YOU:
! know you'll miss him so. But she can't
have him, can she, darling?" with oscu-
latory accompaniment. We've. enjoyed
our visit SO much, and you must come to
as soon, and stay long, long time" I
promised family.
The last bath Of Baby was made q kind
of high carnival, that we might hold in our
memories forever. We all danced about
the font like dervishes, while baby crowed,
and spluttered. and laughed. For the last
time we kissed his pink toes and play ed
this pig went to MARKET" In fact the
whole affair was asuccess.