Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-11-03

his pilgrimage a h4oment to tell us of
another tooth that was shortly to make
| its appearance. 1t was q profound mys-
| terry to me in those days-is still, for
that maternity babies are not sent
into the world ready furnished in that
| particular. So many of this ones griev'
| ances seemed to be connected with the
getting them.
Mr.. Jay rested his arm on the win
dow. edge and looked down at Wills
cushion. "Theodora," he said, briefly.
"Theodora, echoed Will sit sounds
quite impressive. Is it after any one
| you knowp"
"N-o," he answered, slowly, and q
little unwiliingly, sit was because-it
means something, you know"
A little silence fell upon US, and he
went back to the neighborhood of the
pine boards.
81 rather think, !" observed Will, med
itatively, after long pause, s'that Jay
was originally intended for great man
it comes out in stray things OCCASION
ally; but, unfortunately, he has not the
slightest capacity for either looking or
expressing the character
Early the next morning Git was Satur-
day. Mr.. Jay came in. There was some
thing wrong with the baby, he thought
would come and look at her? She
was lying in her basket flushed and
heated, and when Mr.. Jay had reluct-
antly gone away to business, I put a
blanket over it, and carried the whole
concern back with me. The morning
wore on and brought no change. and at
noon we sent for Mr.. Ford. His face
grew serious as he listened to her
breathing.
keep her in one room, and have
plenty of steam and hot water about
there are symptoms of Group"
Our hearts failed within us at the word.
Group was fell destroyer that we had
heard of and read about in books, but
we had not counted upon finding it at
our own gates. Mr.. Ford gave us some
further directions and went, promising
to look in again in the course of an hour
or two.
"Will, what are we to say to Mr..
Jay?" I cried, as the door closed upon
hin..
cit will be case of doing, not say
ing, fancy" he returned ''though she
may be all right again by then-children
often are"
But she was not. Mr.. Jay came in
with the Doctor about five, and there
was no need to tell him; he saw it for
himself. Mr.. Ford stayed little while,
then he told us he could do nothing fur
ther-it depended on the child's strength
land he left us to our vigil. 1t was the
first time we had ever seen a baby suf-
fer. Hour after hour the old church
clock down the street tolled out the long
night, while we watched the fluttering
little life that had been so bright and
vigorousonly yesterday only yesterday,
and it seemed almost lifetime. The
fair spring morning was breaking across
the houses, when at last the hoarse
breathing grew soft, and the tired baby
limbs relaxed into quiet sleep. Wills
eyes were suspiciously bright, and my
tears fell like rain in the blessed relief
Only Mr.. Jay stood over her without
one word, and yet think we both felt
that his silence was deeper than our
tears.
Theodore seemed the right name for
her afterward; we never gave her any
other.
That summer was a very happy one
to him. The blossoming-time, we used
to say, of little MIR. jays life; his treas
ure f1ourished like rose in June. She
was beginning to recognize him now,
and creep across the floor after him, ba-
by fashion. Midsummer-day she had
her first pair of little blue shoes; Mr..
Jay brought them back with him that
evening, and proudly fitted them on.
Will laughed at their unserviceable ap-
pearance.
"She will cost you small fortune in
shoes alone, Jay, if you are going to
keep her in that sort of thing"
Mr.. Jay lifted his radiant face from
the contemplation of them. "Ah, if you
had had only your own to buy for as
long as have, you would understand
the difference of those"
All right; only there is such an in
stitution as the work-house. She ought
to be running to meet you in them in a
few more mOnths.''
Mr.. Jay looked down at the tiny feet
in his hand. 81 don't know; if / could,
I would keep her always as she is now
my little Theodora.''
Yet there were not many days that he
did not bring back some remarkable ar
ticle that would be of little use till she |
had reached far more advanced stage;
the extraordinary toys, and books, and
little garments that were laid up ready |
for her some distant day; the contrast |
between the worn middle-aged face and |
the bonnie golden head, always in such |
close juxtaposition-it is good many |
summers ago now, but it comes back as |
freshly as yesterday.
The first little cloud came with the |
shortening days. 1t was an advertise |
ment in one of the morning papers, that |
VIII suddenly read out one day at break |
fast:
Information IS earnestly requested |
of the whereabouts of Jane Dawson,
late of 81 Gambler Street, last seen on |
the evening of 10th October, having in
charge a young baby five months old"
A description Of her dress and appear
ance followe
He dropped the paper, and we looked
at each other in sore dismay.
"Oh, VIII. I hope Mr.. Jay has not seen
that" broke in.