The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-01-07
THE BABY'S ESCAPADE.

Once upon time" all on a sum-
mer's day'-a small white bundle
might have been seen half lying on
grassy bank, in certain garden in the
northern part of Germany. We all
know that appearances is deccitful;'
but this small white bundle certainly
looked nothing more nor less than u
baby's pillow good deal trimmed with
lace and embroidery, on which was tied
with two or three straps of scarlet rib
bon, German fashion, something that
looked very like baby. | looked very
like baby, and it cried very like a
baby. l suppose you would have called
it a baby.
1t was a pretty little thing, whatever
you would have called it. The small
pink face shone forth from daintilv
embroidered cap. 1t had two great
eyes as blue as pimpernels, a pair of the
sweetest dimples in the world and
perfect little rosebud of mouth, that
could open into full-blown rose at the
shortest notice, as you will see before
this story is done.
1t was all alone in the garden. do
not know whether the baby knew she
was alone in the garden or not, but she
seemed very happy and contented She
sat perfectly still, much engaged, appa-
rently, in watching some long willow
branches that went swaying back and
forth in the lazy breeze. ... ....
Cav! cav! cawr' screamed
hoarse black crow overhead. There
was g whir-r-r' in the air, and down
swooped the crow, lighting-now where
do you think? RICH: On top of that
baby. ...
shan always maintain that she be-
haved very well under the circum-
stances. She did not so much as open
her lips till the bold creature began
pecking at the scarlet ribbons. You can
hardly blame her for giving such
scream then that the unwelcome visitor
flew off in hurry.
A stork that happened 10 be passing
heard the connection, and felt obliged
to stop and s6y. what was the matter
She also flew ar3wn to the garden, and
it was not long Before she too spied the
little white bundle sitting there under
the trees. .
The baby had stopped crying by this
time, and, all being quiet Mrs. Stork
stepped cautiously forward. every min
ute stepping nearer and nearer, till at
last she could look straight down into
the pair of blue eyes.
Gravely the stork surveyed the baby,
and gravely the baby surveyed the stork.
Neither seemed to know quite what to
make of the situation, although soon it
began to dawn upon Madame Longlegs
that maybe she had the best of it, and
giving her head toss, her wings a gen.
tie flap, and opening wide her bill, she
said softly to herself:
Murray! this is lucky day for you,
Mother Storkr'
Casting another glance at the baby,
who still did not offer to resent all this
familiarity on the part of stranger.
Mrs Stork, like Master Crow, next con-
cluded to try taste of those gay rib
bOns.
The pimpernels shut up in twinkling.
The rosebud kept opening wider and
wider. And alas the harder the baby
cried this time, the more delighted the
visitor seemed to grow. -.
"Ahem! it's real baby and no mis-
take" whispered the stork, dancing on
one leg in high glee, and making noise
enough with her wings to have been a
dozen of her sisters and brothers. .'Hur-
ray! hurrayr'
The sound of voices could now be
heard in the distance. If the children
only needn't have dawdled for oncel If
the butterflies hadn't led them such a
chase through the hower-beds! If-if-
if But then there would have been
no story to tell.
And as usual the children did dawdle.
They run from one rosebush to another
in pursuit of a yellow butterfly; they
held buttercups under their chins to see
whether they liked butter or not; they
stopped for a peep of their silly little
faces in the clear waters of the fountain;
and meanwhile Mrs. Stork had been
| She had snatched up the little white
bundle, and serenely sailed off through
| the bright summer sky.
my babyl my baby! why. that
wicked, t1icted creatures got my babyw
was the agoniZed cry that rose from the
garden.
If Mother Stork heard, she did not
heed. On she flew with her burden,
never resting once till she came to her
own home-nest on top. of high barn in
a village ever so many miles away.
As for the three young storks, they
were very much uttered, indeed, at the
| sight of such an unexpected guest. The
first thing they did was 10 hop out of the
nest as fast as they could; and having
arranged themselves gracefully on one
leg in a semi-eircle, they gazed soleNnly
down at their mammals big prize, while