The Red Cloud chief., 1881-06-16

ass oot' ~ 49,
After this. don't say anything mor
TO me about babies. There nothing
more spiicInl and miiitiousthan a baby.
Our baby got me into an awful scrape
once-the time 7 blacked it. But I
didn't blame IL so much that time. be-
cause. after all. it va partly my fault;
but now il has gone aud done IA of
the meancst things a baby yer did. AMI
came very near running me.
1t has been a long time since mother
AID Sue said they would never trust
me TO take care Of the baby again. but
the other day they wanted Sawfully TO
90 TO a funeral. IL was \ funeral of
one of their best friends. and there was
TO be lots of flowers, and they expected
to see lots OF people. and they said they
would try me once more. They were
going To he gore about two hours. and
| was 10 take care of the baby till they
am home agaih- OF course 1 said
would do my best, and SO | did; only
when 4 boy tries 10 do his best he is
sure To get himself into trouble. How
many a time aud oft have / found this
10 be true! All, this is indeed 1 hard
and hollow world. The last thing Sue
said when she went out Of the door
WAS, Now, be a good boy; il you play
any Of your tricks Ill let You know" |
wish Mr.. Traycrs would marry her.
and take her to China. don't believe
in sister, anyway.
They hadn't been gone ten minutes
when the baby woke up and cried, and
| knew it did il on purpose. Now ]
had once read i'm an old magazine that
if you put molasses on a baby fingers,
and give it "A feather TO play with. IL
will try To- pick that feather of and
amusc itself, and keep quiet tor ever
so long. resolved To try il; so | went
straight down stairs and brought up
the big molasses jug out of the cellar.
Then | male a little hole in one of
mothers pillows and pulled out a good
handful of feathers. The baby stopped
CRYING as soon as it saw what | was at,
and so led me on just Oh purpose 10
get me into trouble.
Well, | put a little molasscS on the
baby's hands. and put the feathers in
its lap and told it To DC good and play
real pretty. The baby began TO play
with the feathers, just rs the magazine
said it would. so thought I would let
it enjoy itself while | went up to my
room to read a little while.
That baby neve made n sound for
eve so long, and | was thinking how
pleased mother and Sue would be to
find out a new plan for keeping it quiet.
| just let it enjoy itself till about ten
minutes before the time when they
were to get back from the funeral, and
then went down 20 mothers room to
look after the little innocent as Sue
calls it. Much innocence there is about
that baby!
never saw such a awful spectacle.
The baby had got hold of the molasscs
jug, which held m~ornagallon, and had
upset il and rolled all over in it. The
feathers had stuck to il so close that
you couldn't hardly see its face. and IFS
head looked Just like a chickens head.
You wouldn't believe how that IGolaSscs
had spread yer TIE carpet. IL seemed
as if about half the room was covered
with it. And there sat that wrctclIcd
'.littlc innocent" laughing To think
how I'd catch IL when the folks came
home.
Now, wasn't it my duty TO wash that
baby, and get the feathers ard molasSe>
off it? Any sensible person would say
that it was. tried 10 wash it in the
wash-basin, but the feathers kept stick
ing on again rs fast us | got them off.
SO | took it to the bath-tub and turned
the water on, and held the baby right
under the stream. The feathers wero
gradually getting rinscd away. and the
mOlasses was coming off beautifully,
when something happened.
The water made good deal of noise,
and | was standing with my back to the
bathroom door, so that | did not hear
anybody come in. The first thing !
knew she snatchcd the baby away. and
gave me such a box over the ear. Then
she screamed out, MA, come here this
wicked boy is drowning the baby o you
little wretch won'tyou catch it for this"
Mother came running up stairs, and
they carried the baby into mothers
room To dry it.
You should have heard what they
said when Sue slipped ard sat down in
the middle of the mOlasses, and cried
out that her best dress was ruined. and
mother saw what n state the carpet wa
in! | wouldn't repeat their language
for worlds. 1t vas personal, that's
what it was, and I've been told fifty
times never 10 make personal remarks.
| should not have condescended TO
notice it if mother hadn't begun 10 cry
and of course | went and said | was
awfully sorry. and that | meant it all
for the best, and wouldn't have hurt
the baby for ANYTHING, and begged her
to forgive np and not cry any more.
When father came home they told
him all about it. l knew very well they
would. and | just lined myself with
shingles 81 as to be good and ready.
But he only said. MY on, l have de.
cided to try milder measures with YOU.
l think You have been punished enough
when You reflect that you have made
your mother cry"
That was all. and | tell you I'd rather
a hundred times have had him say,
my son. come up stairs with me-"
And now if you don't admit that moth
ing could be meancr than the way that
baby acted. | shall really be surprised
and shocked.-.'Jinmy BroWH,' in
U-.s Io.,n DcoyIc