River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-03-08
MRS. SHEPHERDS BABY.
From the Sew Orleans Times-pemocrat.

of the nearer. A live baby from tn
Kings own land dropped into the lap {
humanity What picture the word
conjured up of fat, dimpled fists, sol
curls and pink toes, all in heap, an
| done up in dainty embroideries. Won
der if they make dresses up there, am
how can they fit such a squirming littl
| thing? Such thoughts ran through tn
brain of Mrs. Ressenlaer's little son
! Frank, as she leaned over the gate an,
talked with her neighbor of the bah.
over the way. Ifthere was anything il
| the world that Frank particularly desires
it was baby; other boys had dear littl,
baby sisters to trot around with cunning
little wagons to pull. A baby in tn,
house, wouldn't it be nice? And th,
very best thing, next to having baby il
his mothers house, was to have it ii
Mrs. Shepherds house, such dear frienC
she was to them ALL And she lived jus
over the way. Every day he went tt
school he passed the house. he could stoI
for a minute any time, and perhaps hs
could borrow the bapy Saturdays
This was bright idea and running ovel
| TO Mrs. Shepherds he met the nurse il
| the hall.
| MAY I see it?'' he asked.
"Tne baby?" smiling down to the lad.
Mother said there was a baby over
here. | came purpose"
"Well. you shall see it, opening the
door of pretty room. Take that little
chair" she said closing the door behind
her.
"But it's the baby" with a trife..of i'm
patience in his voice.
II know" lifting something in her
arms and cuddling it up as though it
was very precious thing.
as it the babv?" he asked.
''The baby;'yes, and such a little dear, :"
her good, motherly face frightened into
smiles.
Franks eyes enlarged. There was rev.
erence mingled with surprise
''Bald- headed! thought it was new,
he said. Make it open its eyes, won't
you?"
sit isasleep; the baby sleeps coed
deal now"
eff you please, I'd like to borrow her
for my mother / will bring her back, y
reaching up his arms for the priceless
creature.
''She's such alittle, squirming thing l
am a little afraid to send her away from
home" said the nurse.
''She does make up such awful faces. |
wonder how she learned to do that, "
lifting his eyes to the motherly face.
WHATS her name, anyway"
"FideIia."
"Whewl big name for such little
wriggling thing. When we have her
Wen call her Della; it's easier"
eyes, Della will oe a pretty name,
and you shall have her one of these
days, smiled the nurse.
''She's not just as thought she would
be; want hair on her head, and
want her to look up and laugh when
draw her in my wagon"
''She'll do that sometime. Run home
now, and tell mother" sad the nurse.
I'D like to kiss her, if you please
holding up his lips. Ugh! what face.
she didn't like it biz"
THAT'S because she's so little, J" laughed
the nurse.
Frank ran home, feeling that he had
now certain claim on Mrs. Shepherds
baby. He could go and see her, and he
could borrow her.
sit won't so much matter if we haven't
baby" he said to his mother. Mrs
Shepherds baby is nice little thing,
and its part mine. Won't you be glad?'
OF course the mother was glad, with
out comprehepding just what it all
meant. Frank was a home child; he
loved his mother. "But there is not
enough of u.s." he would say. Added to
his home qualities he was anartist. Give
him pencil and a sheet of cardboard,
and ship or schooner would soon APP
pear. 1t was wonderful to note the ex-
actness Of the rigging, the masts and
spars and yardarms. People frequently
remarked that his incinations would be
for a sealaring life. He could make a
ship as well as draw one, and one of the
ornaments of his mothers room was a
brig that he had fashioned and hung
with sails, and sent to sea in washtub
Della had her presents, and as soon
as she was big enough to be borrowed,
he had her in his little wagon travelling
up and down the pavement. Once he
took her to the circus, leaving his wagon
outside the tent and taking her In his
arms, greatly to the delight of the child,
who crowed and laughed, and was not
above accepting a stick of candy from
the clown.
1IlG itAb Ndy TJdIk Iltttl HIS GStdDllSu-
ment with a trapeZe attachment, with
out the life-saving net, of which he
never dreamed The last effort was to
walk a tight rope, he came down with a
thud that laid the young man up for a
couple OF weeks, and gave him ample
time tOstudy up another character, viz:
a seaman. This last idea, which was in
reality the first, took..thorough possessio a
of hI IN. Years strengthened it. He
must so to sea. Mrs Rensselaer, was in
tears. 1t was absurd. He must give it
up. He could not take Della
with him, she urged.
He could not be persuaded, however.
The neighbors said be was old enough
to be allowed to follow his inclination IN
the choice of his life work, and thus his
mother was made to yield feeble as
sent. 1t was hard thing to say good
byi Della was ineonsolable, going to
bed without her supper and crying her
self to Sleep The next day she was
omforted by being allowed to sail the
little ship and to fancy that Frank was
the commander.
Years passed. The young seaman.
beating about, had a varied experience
once under punishment for some frIvo-
lous oaense, he was ordered to dizzy
height. 1t was bitter cold and dJlz-
cling rain had made the ropes slippery.
rhe lad fell, fortunately catching a line
and swinging far out over the sea, and
then with vibratory motron selzlng a
brace and once more standing on deck
only to be ordered up again. AT an
other time he was condemned to spend
night in the basket above the cross
tire, s. and would have persisted but Tor
- tt,o,,,xI,tf,,l oopci,Iarntion of the first
lieutenant. At length shipping from Llv-
err Dol to Honduras, a terrible storm dis
abed the steamer so that the men lad
to lake to the boats. OF these but three
reached land, and one of these was
Frank Rensselaer,.
In the early days of California, when
the rivers we're thought to be full Of yell
low gold, it was considered that every
little brooklet, caused by the dripping
of eternal SHOWS, must have its share OF
golden SANDS; and so it was that late In
the spring OF lS- party OF hitherto UNI
known men started for the golden fields
of Placer county. One of these was a
Young man of quiet intelligence and
pleasant social manner, VIII had, accord
ing to own story, suffered shipwreck,
and nearly lost his Ii e. When he talked
of joining the party the Wise ones shook
their heads.
slender" as they dubbed him, lis
no doubt supple, and can climb to the
masthead like squirrel, but the pick Is
different thing"
"Boysl exclaimed tall, broad shout
dered man, who bore the soubriquet OF
Startling, that's no way to do; draw and
I ifSlender gets it he goes" holding ur
fba a, rr9S an quarry one OF which was