The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-10-13
THE BORROWED BABY.

Detroit Free Press.
please, 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. l 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 sayings; and
must say they were most judicious,
never giving her sweet things TO make
her sick, or letting her take cold. So,
for the hundredth time, I rolled little
Dudu up and kissing her goodbye, sent
her off TO act her part as borrowed ba-
by.
When John came home to dinner and
found the baby gone again he was just
as angry as he could be-
"Why can't they get a baby of their
| own, and not alway be borrowing ours"
he said Grossly. "rhey could go over to
the asylum and take their pick of ba-
bies"
But not like ours. John" 1 said
quickly.
well, no, of course not; but don't
propose 10 have strangers going halves
them teaching that child any more non
sense of the religious sort, aud they may
as well know it; when they bring her
back this time you may as well settle it
| up once for all"
| l forgot TO say that John and 1 were
both free-thinkers and did not go 10
church or subscribe TO any OF the relig-
ious beliefs TO which We had been edu-
Gated. We had both graduated in
1 n. ~ IL, II
| void of the foolish superstitIons oil any
religious faith, and we intended 10 bring
up our child in the same severely moral
atmosphere. 1t did not at once occur TO
us that ours was .he Strength of youth and
| presumption, or that our ignorance
could pull down in a day what knowl-
edge had been a thousand years building.
We felt that we were sufficient 10 our
selves and our. child.
The baby came home. She was near
ly 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
1 think it isn't II 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, mn'am," said the girl,
because we all loves little Dudu so
much, and she's real sweet. She can
sing Jesus Loves Me- all through and
! not miss Il word.
Superstition I exclaimed angrily
Tell your mistress for me that I do not
: wish my child 10 learn those scnseless
! hymns. do not believe in them, nor
do intend that she shail.''
Not believe them," gasped the
girl. why, you amt heather be
your"
1 dismissed her CURLY, and when
! John came home told him of the mes
, sage had sent.
; THAT is right. little womani / guess
We know enough 20 take care of this
/, little blossom, hey wee Willie Wrinkle
don't wer'
Somehow just then an old forgotten
; text flashed into my mind, My grace is
: sufficient for thee" and it ran up and
down the garnet of my thought all the
a evening. When | put Dudu to bed
! noticed that her hands were hot and heI
r eyes seemed heavy. There was lots Of
diptheria in the place, but she had MOI
been exposed to il in any possible man
. ner, our neighbors who borrowed the
: baby being as afraid of it as we were
6 for that was why no baby Was in theil
home.
Oh, that dreadful time l cannot re
call it nOw-t the days-hardly more thar
a day-of anguish, that awful suffering
i, and the end, the parched lips and the
) fever-bright eyes-the awful realism o
death, and not one hope. one word o
a comfort, only the cruel, dreary, unlight
q ed grave that Yawned for our darlfngl
Just at the last there was moment'
peace II was not On us that her las
|, look fell We turned to see who or wha
= she saw, and there stood our neighbo
over the way, whom she, at least, swee
I darling. had loved as herself, and thel
! she lifted the weary little hand
9 and glad look of recognition was il
the wan face, and we all heard the las
Ia broken words as they fell in awful dis
= Effectiveness from the baby lips: .Desu
loves me, dis know"
Yes, they sung il at the funeral, for "
u buried her with no heather rites, an
some good men prefaced few consolin
:. words with the text, my grace is SUI
:, ficient for thee" but oh the tender me
y ody of the child voices that sang he
q above.
sJesus loves me this / know,
E0r ne R1ifle tells me