Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-02-13
A TOUCH OF NATURE:
NTL.
How Tom Wentworth Kept House.
BY ELIZA n. SHERMAN.

Tom Wentworth was angry anu III
dignant. He had arisen one morning,
q cold. wet, disagreeahle morning, with
an indistinct recollection of something
unpleasant which had occurred the
evening before. Little by little 1t
grew clear. Norah. the housekeeper.
had abscOnded. Tom remembered
that she had given warning a week
ago. but he had forgotten it until she
left.
.Confound these women !" he eX-
claimed. as he hurried out OF bed.
s:Confound the whole tribe OF Ewes
daughters! Pretty fix [ am in, with
my own breakfast to get! Much l
know about cookery! But no matter;
[ will not be dependent on woman
Woman-bah / can get as good
breakfast as the best of them y
Saving this Tom Wentworth tied
his necktie. combed his hair, and de-
scended to the lower regions to decide
on his breakfast.
Il will have coffee and toast, OF
course; easily made. l know; anyone
can make cup of coffee. must make
a fire first, though. y
This was soon accomplished. and
then he hunted up the coffee.
Lets see" he meditated. Il
shall need a quarter of q cupful, and
we settle it. don't we. with Goldfish !
Yes. know we do | remember that
much. Heard N0rah say so one morn
ing" And he turned the coffee and a
generous share of Goldfish into the pot,
and then cut his bread. Opening the
stove to find a place to toast his bread,
he found the fire out. or rather discov-
cred that he had forgotten to light it.
This done, he proceeded to set the
table, when ding -a-ling-a-ling went
the door-bell.
PLAGUE take it. he, mnttered.
Why can't they wait till fellow is
through breakfast q And he went
slowly up stairs to the door. A snowy
hand-bill lay there, brilliant in gold
and crimson. announcing the advent Of
q grand circus.
Tom Wentworth kicked it into the
street, and was sorry he could not
serve the boy the same way.
Down again to the basement, to find
his coffee just burning, and the nose off
the tea-kettle. Tom toasted his bread
in no very enviable frame of mind.
and, after burning one side, concluded
that side was done enough for both,
nd then sat down to enjoy it.
Ding-a-ling -hng-ling!'' went the
ell once more, with a very decided
nd emphatic syllable on the end, as if
say. Come quick
Tom Wentworth sprang to his feet,
with frown on his handsome face
running his hand quickly through his
curly hair he exclaimed
by Jovei They may ring until
the day of doom before 1 60 - And
then he went.
When Tom Wentworth opened
the door he was indignant to find no
one there. and was about closing it
with a bang. when a basket at his feet
arrested his attention. He was about
to shove it off when cry sounded from
its depths. 1t was 4 faint, wailing
cry, but it fairly froZe Toms blood
with terror.
Shades OF Venice! Con- But
the rest of his exclamation was cut
short by utter inability to finish. He
took the basket up us if it were
bubble which he was afraid of break
ing, and then set it down and gazed at
it as if suddenly bereft of his senses
though in reality he was looking about
for that dreadful Obiect-a woman
None appearing. he again lifted the
basket up and carried it into the house,
and locked the door.
A blue-eyed. golden haired baby face
appeared as he.opened the dainty wrap
pings, and pair of chubby, dimpled
hands were stretched up to him, while
smile rippled over her face.
A cold sweat broke out all over Tom.
He leaned heavily against the wall
for support; but the dimpled hands
were stretched out again, and the smile
gave way to such Il grieved look that it
took the citadel at once, and Toms
kind heart surrendered without fur
Their protest. Taking the smiling
child in his arms he looked into it's
blue eyes with an interest he had
manifested in no other baby, and as,
the dimpled hands pulled at the brown,
Wavy beard they twined themselves
about the heart-strings on the strong
man until he was willing to swear
eternal allegiance to it.
A note peculiarly dainty hand was
tied on baby's sleeve with narrow
blue ribbon, and this was the inscrip-
ton:
"MR. Tom Please
take my baby. Bessie, and bring her
up to make good. noble woman, as I
think you are capable of doing. r
know you have means to support her.
BE good to my baby, and may God do
by you even rs you do by her. Il
never shall claim her.
"BABY's MOTHER.
In the basket were a goodly number
OF dainty baby clothes. and that was
all, except few plain directsons for
preparing her simple meals. These
were written in the same delicate
chiography as the note. and Tom
treasured them both--for fnrther use. |
"Well," he exclaimed, I'm in forit |