Middletown transcript., 1881-04-01
never tear open the old ranking wound
or laugh over the night we politely
gave the main track to Venus while we
stood patiently on the siding"
THEBORROWED BABY-A TOUCH.
ING STORY.

ING STORY.
'sPlease, ma'am, I've come to borrow
the baby"
The speaker was rosy checked girl
who lived with the family across the
way. 1t was a regular nuisance, this
lending the baby all the time. She did
not seem to belong to us at all any
more. I suppose we were all little
jealous, because she really did love
these new people SO much, and they
took so much pains with her, teaching
her little cunning ways and pretty say
ings; and I must say they were most
judicious, never giving her sweet things
to make her sick, nor letting her take
cold. So, for the hundredth time, l
rolled little Dudu up and, kissing her
goodbye, sent her off to act her part as
a borrowed baby.
When John came home to dinner and
found the baby gone again, he was just
as angry as he could be.
'sWhy can't they get baby of their
own, and not always be borrowing
ours" he said GROSSLY. "They could
go over to the asylum and take their
pick of babies.''
''But not like ours, John,'' l said
quickly.
'Well, no, Of course not but don't
propose to have strangers going halves
with our baby. Besides, I won't have
them teaching that child any more nom
sense of the religious sort, and they
may as well know it. When they bring
her back this time you may as well
settle it up at once for ALL"
I forgot to say that John and were
both Free Thinkers, and did not go to
church or subscribe to any of the relig-
ious beliefs to which we had been edu-
Gated. We had both graduated in
brilliant intellectual school, utterly de-
void of the foolish superstition of any
religious faith, and we intended to
bring up our child in the same severely
moral atmosphere. 1t did not once oc-
cur to us that ours was the strength of
youth and presumption.
The baby came home. She was nearly
three years old, but, after all, only
baby, and as took her from the girl l
said:
s'We won't be able to lend the baby
any more, Mary her papa and I both
think it isn't a good plan, and we can
not possibly do without her the house
is too lonely. Tell your mistress SO,
with my compliments.
''I'm sorry, MAN," said the girl,
E'because we all loves little Dudo so
much, and she's real sweet. She can
sing Jesus Loves Me- all through, and
not miss word
Superstition p L exclaimed angrily.
.T6f yUuT mistress fUT II1t that I /
don't wish my child to learn those sense
less hymns. do not believe in them,
nor do intend that she shall.''
Mot believe them, - gasped the
girl. "Why, you amt heathen, be
you ?''
l dismissed her curtly, and when
John came home | told him of the mes
sage had sent.
''That is right, little woman Iguess
we know enough to take care of this
little blossom, hey we Willie Winkie,
don't we ?"
Somehow just then an old forgotten
text dashed into my mind. ''My grace
is sufficient for thee,' and it ran up
and down the garret of my thought all
the evening. When l put Dudu to bed
I noticed that her hands were hot and
her eyes seemed heavy. There were
lots of diphtheria in the place, but she
had not been exposed to it in any posi-
Die manner, our neighbors who bor-
rowed the baby being as afraid of it as
we were, for that was why no baby was
in their home.
Oh, that dreadful time. l can not
recall it now-the day-hardly more
han day-of anguish the awful suf-
;ering and the end ; the parched lips
md the fever bright eyes-the awful
'ealism of death, and not one hope, one
word of comfort, only the cruel, dreary,
lnlighted grave that yawned for our
larling. ,
just at the last there was a moments
'eace. 1t was not on us that her last
Ook fell. We turned to see who or
What she saw, and there stood our
leighbor over the way, whom she, at '
east, sweet darling, had loved as her
elf, and then she lifted the weary little
ands, and glad look of recognition d
1as in the wan face, and we all heard Z
he last broken words as they fell in .
wful distinctnesS from the baby lips =
Desus loves me, dis l know.n >
Yes, they sung it at her funernal, for ,
e buried her with no heather rites, ?
nd some good man prefaced a few ?
words with the text, ''My .
race is SO sufficient for thee :" but oh! n
le tender melody of the child's voice al
lat sung above her: 9
Jesus loves me, this know, OF
For the Bible tells me so; A.
Little ones to Him belong u'
We are weak and He is strong" Of
And when it was all over, and only gi
emory remained of so much beauty r
I'd sweetness, and our hearts were q,
ling back to the dust and ashes of to
lbelief, our good neighbor came like sh
/ evangelist, and giving US of her own in
ave Christian strength gained at the 81
OF of the cross, said wisely: Be con- til
mt; God has only borrowed the baby" cl
Er. 81
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