The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1882-01-12

then she stopped and got her shoulder
under, and rose little by little, and al
last succeeded in standing the great lid
upright-and what wonderful place il
was inside! Almost big enough for a
playhouse.
There were great drawers and little
drawers, and boxes with covers. and
boxes inside these. and places like the
.berths she saw in the steamer when she
was taken to bid Susy good-by, and an
open space among them all. with a fur
robe, new fur robe for the sleigh,
folded and lying on the bottom.
Matty had not half exhausted the de-
light of her discoveries when the baSy.
who was getting sleepy, and was quite
tired OF his rubber doll and rattle. be-
gan to fret. She ran to get him and
brought him out into the hall; and it
occurred TO her that a seat on that fur
robe would be capital thing for the
baby while she pursued her pleasure.
And no sooner said than done; she
climbed in herself, lifted the baby over
and set him down; smoothing the fur
and saying :. Poor pussyn to It. y $
The baby did just as she did, and
patted the fur and said s.Pussh," and
cuddled down his little sleepy head
upon it and let Matty go on opening
this tiny box, and pulling out that tiny
drawer. till all at once the grocer
boys quick ring at the area bell
startled her SO that she jumped, and,
hurriedly scrambling out, she hit the
great lid and down it fell and shut fast.
MQffu
But she thought it wouldn't hurt the
baby for a minute, if he would keep
still while she opened it again; and she
called out that sister was there, and
listened to hear him cry, but heard
nothingg-for the baby had gone fast
asleep on the soft fur, and even the
dropping of the lid had not walked him.
SO Matty stopped again to her task of
opening the chest, and tugged and
tugged, and pushed with her shoulders
and pulled with her hands, and wished
with all her heart she had let the chest
alone.
"Oh. he'll be smotheredp' she ex-
claimed. Hell be smotheredr, And
she burst out crying and ran to find her
mother, screaming: 1.-The baby! Oh,
the baby!"
just outside the vestibule her foot
slipped on the frozen dripping from an
icicle overhead, and she fell from ton
to bottom OF the steps and lay on the
sidewalk senseless. SYss
Mrs. Watrous, who had been kept
much longer than she wished by Cousin
Kate, came running up, only to meet
her husband at the door, hurryinc for
the doctor. For he had turned the cor
ner Just in season to see Matty fall and
to pick her up, himself almost turned
to stone with terror. And then Mrs.
Watrous few into the house, to find one
child UNCONSCIOUS and the other child
gonei and she tainted dead away her.
self.
You can imagine what a moment It
was for Mr.. Watrous when he came
back with the doctor--his wife coming
out of her swoon only to scream for her
baby, and Matty still stunned with the
tall. And this was the happy Christ
mas Eve he had promised himself!
There was nothing broken, the doc
Ivr said, at last; he only feared con-.
,ussion of the brain now, but possibly
hey might avoid that only Mrs.
Watrous must control herself and bend
I'll her strength to Matty's recovery:
md then it was evident that Matty
Knew what had happened to the baby.
ie said, and the sooner Mary could
peak. the sooner they should know,
90. Nobody thought Of the chest; no.
'ody looked at it; nobody saw it.
But while the doctor and Cousin Kate
who had come running over to see
he reception of the chest, and foundit
u forgotten-were busy with Matty.
dr.. Watrous had called neighbor,
md had searched the house from roof
0 basement, every room, every closet,
ven the cellar; and then he had run to
he nearest police-station with the ba-
'y's photograph, to call outthe force in
public search.
His wife sat there like a statue when
le came back. Cousin Kate was DOING
she could have done; for
VII a this fearful calamity overtaking
10Th her children at once, Mrs. Wat
GUS was SO overcome that she could
ardly move; she could only sit still
nd feel an unspeakable longing for
1atty to open her sweet eyes, to omen
or dear lips, and whisper just one word
bout the baby. But no; Matty Law
tone-still. 3shs ~.
1t was certainly an awful hour; one
hid perhaps dying; the other child
,st; the neighborhood in wild alarm:
1e police bringing two lost children to
ne door, for whom other parents were
equal sorrow-and all in the middle
it the Christmas bells rang out from
le church tower not far away.
Then Matty opened her great dark
yes wide, as if just waking from a
nap. There's the chinier'
ne said. See if the baby will %
ANIMAL! as it all rushed over her. sthe
aby! the chest! the new chestr' And
ne fell back again into the arms of the
octor, who instantly began to pour q
>rdial down her throat.
In another minute her father had
sshed down stairs and had pressed the
lsty old spring Of the great chest, and !
ssed up the lid, and there, cuddled
OWN alllrosy and warm in the white
r OF the robe, lay the baby, as sound I
leep as II he were in bis little crib
r the moth-holes in the red leather
at was stretched under the open work
p had given him plenty Of air to
With what ~ !