The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1881-03-30
MISCELLANY.
THE BoRRo WE'D BABY.

U3'T-t .
que sneaker was rosy-cheeked girl who
lived with the family across the way. 1t was
regular nuisance, this lending the baby al
n.s time. She did not seem to belong to us,
n, aha any more. l suppose we we're all
lt,,i, Jealous because she really did love these
nev neople so much who took SO much pains
with Ierteaching her little cunning ways ano
pretty sayings; and I must say they wer'
most iudicious, never giving her sweet thing
u make her sick. or letting her lake cold
Sc. for the bundredth time. l rolled littl'
padu up aud kissing her good bye, sent hei
off 10 act her part jas a borrowed baby.
When John came home To dinner and founo
the baby gone again he was just as angry AZ
conid be.
Why can't they get baby of their own
aud not always be borrowing ours,' be said
Grossly. g They could go over to the asylum
and lake their pick of babies"
!. But not like ours, .Jahn," said quickly
sWel no, OF couf,e not but don't pro-
pose to have strangers going halves with on
baby. Besides I went have them teaching
that child any more nonsense OF the religious
sort, and they may as well know II I; When
they bring her back this time you may as
well settle it up once for all
forge, to say that John and we're both
free thinkers. aud did not 81 tp church or
subscribe 10 any of the religious beliefs to
which we had brei, educated We had both
graduated in a militant intellectual school.
utterly devoid Of the foolish superstitions of
any religious faith, aud we intended to bring
up our child ia The same severely moral at
mosphere. Il did not once occur to us that
ours was the strength OF youth aud presump-
tom on that onr ignorance could pub down III
a day what Knowledge bad been thousand
years building. We felt that we we're sufi.
Client to ourselves, aud our child.
The baby came home She was nearly
three years old, but, after all, only a baby,
and as | took her from the girl said.
I'VE won't be able 10 lend the baby any
more, Mary her papa and both think that
ii isn't good plan, aud we cannot possibly
do without her; the house is too lonely. Tell
your mistress SO with my compliments"
Pm sorry. ma'am," said the girl, "be-
cause we all love little Dudu SO much, and
she's real sweet She can sing jesus Loves
Me all through, and not miss word
"Superstition exclaimed angliy !;
"tell your mistress for me that do not wish
my child to learn those senseless hymns. /
do not belevein them, nor do | ATTEND that
she shall. :"
!. n OF believe them gasped the
girl. "Why, youain't heatllen, be your "
l dismissed her CURLY, and when John came
home told him OF the message had sent
THAT is right, little woman | guess we
know enough to take care of this little bios
som, hey, wee Willie Winkie, don't we9"
Somehow just then an Old forgotten text
flashed into my mind, 9 Ny grace is sufficient
of my thought all the evening. When | put
Dudu to bed noticed that her hands were
hot aud eyes seemed heavy. There was lots
of oiphtheria in the place, but she had not
been exposed to it in any possible manner our
neighbors who borrowed The baby being as
afraid of it as we were. for that was why no
baby was IN their hume.
Oh, that dreadfal time. cannot recall VI
now the days-hardly more than day--of
anguish the awful suffering and the end, The
paiched lips aud HE iever-bright eyes-the
awful realism OF death, ana uut one hope one
word of comfort, o,Ay the cruel, cieuly uu-
lighted grave that sawiied for our darling
just at the last there WAS momeut's
peace. IL was not ON US that her last louk
fell. We turned to see who or what sue saw,
and there stood our neighbor over the way,
whom she, at least, sweet darling. had loved
as herself, and then she lifted the weary little
hands, aud glad look of recognition was
in the wan face, and we all heard tho last
broken words as they fell 10 awful distinctness
from the baby lips
% Desus loves me- dis knew" tt6st
Yes. they sung IL at her funeral. Tor we
buried her with no heather rites, aud some
good man prefaced lew consoling words
with tho text, My grace rs sufficient for
thee" but oh the tender melody of the
child voices that sung above her:
g Jesus loves me-, this know.
Ntss4 For tne Bible tells me So;
Little 10 him belong,
We are weak but HE is strong"
Aud when it Was all over. aud only the
memory remained OF So much beauty and
sweetness, aud our hearts were going back TO
the dust and ashes OF unbelief, our good
neighbour came like an evangelist, aud giving
as OF her own brave Christian strength, gained
at the foot of the cross, said wisely: :" Be
A. sl... l..l..