Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-04-27
THE BABY,S AUTOGRAPH.


They gave it to me at Christmas the pretty
new autograph album ! was proud OF 1t !;
the binding was 80 gay, and the white, gilt
edge sheets 80 spotlessly pure. l could hardly
make up my mind who should have the honor
of dedicating that album, or what verse was
grand enough to be inscribed on its pages, and
before had quite decided, baby found it. She
had toddled into the parlor and taken it down
from the table before we missed her, and.was
sitting cross-legged like Turk, with the pre-
cious book in her lap. That would not have
been worth recording, and should not value
my album beyond price now if it were all.
But she had pencil-for she dearly loved to
scribble on bits of paper-and she had made
her mark on the front leaf 1.-THE title page) of
my beautiful book. She had made a dozen
sat, her bright hair tossed over, her little de-
mure mouth pursed up, her blue eyes full of
mischief, half shy, half defiant, and we three
women looking at her.
20, you naughty, naughty babyP' l cried
you've just ruined my new album, you bad
little thing!" ......
''Bless her dear little heart" said my moth
er ''doesn't she make picture 20
"Whip her." said Aunt Harriet, in a vim
dictiye tone. She has no children Of her own
and knows just how to bring up other peoples.
l was angry enough to do it, and had made
one step forward intending to wrest the book
out Of the clasping baby hands, and then
what beat my own child? / was saved that
degradation by my own good mother, who
shook her head at me over Aunt Harriet's
shoulder. .... .t.-,....,.--
How long is it since Christmas /? Counting
by throbs, should say years years! 1t is
only couple Of months, and to-day would
rvsr, so1, hof 7 oiu hQU0
those little hands doing their sweet mis-
chief. Peace, foolish heart "He giveth his
beloved rest'' The baby is gone. But when
I look at the little, short lines, that dedicate
my album-the sweetest, saddest lines to me
that were ever written-soon ended, like her
little life-I am glad that took her in my
arms, kissed the rosebud lips, and put the book
away without one reproving word-glad that
1 caused no angry feelings in the baby heart,
or left memories for myself that would now
have power to wound
That is why all the leaves Of my new album
are blank-pure, spotless, just as the fair page
of her little life was; but you who think these
characters on the dedicating page unmeaning,
have never had the key to them. Mothers can
tell what they are. Angels will be glad over
this record without blot or stain. There is no
handwriting so fine that would exchange it
for the baby's autograph.
AS for us
Our lives are albums written through
With good or i'll, with falseor true
And as the blessed angels turn .s....f J
The pages Of our years, .,-t....
God grant they read the good with smiles
And blot the bad with tears.
- ->-----s'"ff.'.8 '..'.'
STATISTICS OF CRANKs.-There is horri-
BILE fascination about figures for most people,
whether they are simple majorities on election
night, or statistics in crimes and criminals.
The tenth census will show some astonishing
figures on various subjects, but none more
instructive and horribly interesting than the
tabulated statement of dependent persons.
It will be wholesome food for reflection for
publicists, philanthropists and statesmen to
realize the force of knowledge that there are
100000 persons in the United States who are
in the jails, insane asylums, etc. This round
half million does not include the idiots in
Congress and the various State Legislatures,
the paupers on the government pay rolls, or
the hOrdes of thieves and other criminals who
are outside the walls of the penitentiaries
running municipal affairs There are in round
numbers ninety thousand insane, seventy-fye
thousand idiotic, fifty thousand blind, thirty
thousand deaf and dumb and two hundred and
fifty thousand prisoners and paupers. lnas-
much as the statistics of former years on this
subject have been very incomplete there is no
way of approximating the increase during the
last decade, but it would seem very large. The
Census Bureau has confined it's investigation
to the dependent Of all classes named and it's
figures may be considered official. think,
however, it will be conceded that there are
more paupers outside of the public institutions
than in, and more prisoners outside of prison
walls than incarcerated, while the number OF
insane people outside Of the asylums will out.
number the others ten to one. In this city of
cranks and paupers as compared with the
sane and independent, those of the former
classes will number as one to five of the latter.
In fact, it is rare thing in Washington to
find party of five men, one of whom is not
crank or pauper in the real acceptation of the
TERMS Washington Letter to Philadelphia
Times. ..... .n.. ..