The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-02-23

The condensed milk upon which Mrs
Murphy fed her baby was kept at night
upon the window-sill in the nursery,
where the cool air, drawing in under the
opened sash, would envelop the can.
One night when the baby was unusually
troublesome, Mr.. Murphy, faithful and
self-sacriticing father and husband, said
hat he would go to the nursery and
mix the mix for the hungry little
sufferer. The nursery was quite dark,
bnt Mr.. Murphy had often performed
the service before, and he knew just
where to put his hand on the bottle and
spoon and the other things. 1t hap
pened, however, that an open can of
baking powder stood upon the window
sill, near to the can of condensed milk,
and Mr.. Murphy, getting hold of it,
put two spoonfuls of the powder into the
bottle, filed the bottle with hot water,
put on the rubber top and went back to
the bedroom.
When the baby had taken three or
four swallows of the mixture it pushed
the bottle away and began to behave in
most extraordinary manner. After
yelling with that vehemence that is
always astonishing when the sizo of
baby is considered, it turned a couple
of somersaultS, rolled over and over,
clutched the sides Of the crib and con-
Quoted itself generally in snch fashion
as to fill Mr.. and Mrs. Murphy with
intense alarm.
What on earth can be the matter
with Alexander q asked Mr. Murphy,
taking the bottle from his wife, as she
turned her attention VIII lily to the child.
"He acts as if he had commissions"
said Mrs. Murphy.
MIR. Mus> >,hy suggested spice plas-
ter as a possible alleviation of the
child's pain; and Mrs. Murphy was
just remarking that spice plaster was
far too trivial aremedy for such spasms,
when Mr.. Murphy observed the color of
the mixture in the bottle. he removed
the top, and standing behind Mrs.
Murphy applied the bottle to his nose.
At once he proceeded to the nursery
and striking light discovered the
nature of the mistake he had made.
| Quickly he threw the can of baking
powder out of the window, emptied
and washed the bottle, filled it with
milk and returned to the bedroom with
the evidences of his crime, as he i'm
agined, all removed.
In an hour or two the baby grew
quieter, and Mr.. Murphy went to bed,
remorsciul, but glad that he had had
so much presence of mind. Mis-. Muir
ply sat up all night with the injured
Alexander in her arms. Mr.. Murphy
came down to breakfast, feeling, upon
the whole, rather easy in his mind.
Mrs. Murphy greeted him with fierce
look in her eyes.
"You wanted to murder your child,
did you?' she asked, with intense feel
ing.
"Murder my child, darling?" asked
Mr.. Murphy, with an atfectation of sur
prise, while his head began heating
furiously. "Why, what do you meanP"
"Ycu threw away the baking pow
der and cleaned the bottle" said Mrs.
Murphy, with bitter sneer, "but you
forgot the spoonl found some baking
powder in the spoon Ha hs! Be
sure your sin will find you out! If AL.
exander had died you would have been
a murderer! A red d-haIded murderer
And then Mrs. Murphy burst into
tears and flew upstairs. Mr.. Murphy
went down town without his breakfast
and with strong determination to re-
frain hereafter from providing noctur
nal nutriment for Ale1ander..- Our Con
tiHeRt.