Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-11-14
iF,om the London 1imes.1
THE BABY'S BANK.

| iF,om the London 1imes.]
THE BABY'S BANK.
Me- said the engineer. as he close
one valve and opened another, g WASH
always an engineer. 1 wasn't auythiu.
for long time. I had the knowledge
in my head all the while, but it was los
under heap Of rubbage. What fool
men are when they're lett to rhemselve
sometimes! Nov, look at me. Woult
you say was ever tramp?"
A tramp! His white muscular throa
white and wholesome under the Goa
dust-his strong, wen-knitted frame
clear eye, and firm hand denoted maj
Of pluck aud courage-a practical work
er, not the idle, nerveless, relaxed objec
which is denominated tramp, anc
which is blight on the face of nature
No; this man, guiding the good engine
Mohawk, was never tramp, and We
told him so.
"But [ was, gentlemen" he said
coolly sighting long stretch of road owe,
| the backbone of his engine, and letting
her out little for dead level heat, 81
| was not only tramp, but the meanes,
| kind Of one, and I worked harder and
suffered more to get into that condition
than I ever did to reach this" and he
looked proudly at the polished trim.
mings of his flying steed.
"Ill tell you how it was," he said, at
last, as he slowed up to round curve
and then went easily on past the fields,
clad in their summer verdure, past woods
that were panoramic in q flash oil
beauty and away into the open country.
81 was tramp-no matter how I came
to be, or why lost home, friends, self
respect, ard all that makes manhood
but l didn't wear a red ribbon at my
watch-chain then, and my brain was
muddled- there were many more like
me, and went from bad to worse, but
had never broken the laws; wronged
any one but myself, when fell in with
some fellows who thought they had
found tool, and they had. They say
every man has his price, and they Of
fered me mine; it was the price of my
soul, too, and ] agreed to take the money
and do the work.
sit was this-to sneak around and GET
acquainted with the inside of house.
the house of the richest man in the
place, ard to show them the way; they
said I looked most respectable for the
purpose. Gentlemen, you wouldn't
have trusted one of the gang with ten
cent piece, least of all me, as I looked
then, but 1 felt almost proud of the COM
pliment, and that afternoon I was to go
up to the house to look for work or ask
for food, just as it happened to strike
me, when there was no one home but
the women folks, ami look around to see
how we would get in that night, for rob-
bing, and perhaps murder, was what
they meant.
set was just such a pleasant, peaceful
afternoon as this, and all the doors and
windows open, and not soul saw me as
[ lounged in through the garden and up
to the veranda, The gang 1 had fallen
in with had made one mistake they had
kept me sober for the work, not clear.
headed, but sober enough to make me
feel that was doing a mean, dastardly
trick, to make me for the first time in
many day ashamed of my own CON-
pany. But Id gone so far must 20 or.
[ had walked up the steps and into the
house without seeing a soul, and
stepped into long, cool room, and there
l saw on the mantle, in a great gold
framed glass, white face and two red,
blood-shot eyes-my own; but what a
fright they gave me; and then I saw
something else, small iron bank such
as children keep pennies in. It was
made of latticed bars of wrought iron,
and between every bar the CLEAN OF
quarters aud half dollars, and smaller
gold coin. I hadn't a penny to my
name. I was hungry, tired, footsore,
and Disguised with what I had under.
taken. 1t came over me like q flash
that could take this money and get out
of the gang; it would be dishonesty, but
notsuch as they had planned. Ireached
out my hand and stopped. There at my
very feet, on white lace pillow and all
white and fluffy like an angel, lay the
ioveliest baby ever saw in my life /!
She was asleep, but as I looked at her
in startled wonder, she opened her ewes
as wide and as bright as daisies, held up
both pretty hands, laughed like bird
signing, and said, Joe, Joe,' which
wasn't my name at all. I didn't touch
the baby's hand, and I didn't touch the
baby. While I stood there a little pale
woman came out of her room and nearly
tainted when she saw me, and I sat
down there and tod her the whole story;
and asked her to have me sent to Jail for
protection to myself and others. She
sent for her husband, and all the time
we were talking the baby laughed and
cooed, and called me by the name she
gave me, 'Joe;' and the rest of the gang
were waiting at the turn of the road for
me to come back to them.
81 didn't give them up-it wasn't
worth while, when had put the people
they had designed on their guard, and
left the town that night; I didn't 20 to
Jail: the man whose house was to be
robbed gave me some work, but I didn't
reform all in minute, and he never
could have reformed me at all-it was
the baby that aid. She trusted me;
when l felt the old boy getting the bet
ter Of me, went to the baby and she
smiled at me and I grew strong right
oft made man OF me. Inever could
tell what that baby saw in my face to
make her help me in that way, but it
wasn't of this world. She knew she
could save me, and che did it. That
was ten years ago gentlemen, and I am
more of man than I ever was, and it's
her doing"
"She must be quite large girl now, !"
we said, inquiriugly.
"Maybe so! l don't know how that
is; some folks say they don't reckon
them by months and years! I'd like to
feel she's the same sweet, smiling baby,
holding out her hands in that confiding
way, and call me that same name-but
never wanted any one to call me that
same since she said il tho last time. She
was going to sleep never to wake up, the