Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1884-09-11
ABOUT"IT."

me more heartily than usual.
"Hcre it is said she, pointing to
the child.
"WhatP" | asked. "Why," she eX-
claimed, us she sat down on the floor
by the little fellow, and holding y
cracker before his eyes, half-turned
towards me; "why, You certainly
must know, we read about it in the
paper two or three days ago; is it not
prettyP'
Then | remembered that Il few even
ings previously she had showed II news
paper undcrmy lamp and with her fin
ger on an advertisement had cried,
Here, read that" 1t was the we'll
known "appeal to the benevolent "a
cry of despair from II bleeding heart
Il mother offered her child for adop-
ton to Il wealthy family.
AS handed my wife back the paper
she asked. "What do you think of our
taking it?" My only answer had been
Il shrug of the shoulders.
But, Martha, what does it mcanP"
| exclaimed, now, in atone of diSplcaS-
urc, "You have rcallyP'
Certainly, just as you see. Be
sides, it belongs to me. have settled
for it in cash with the unfortunate
mother, and have added Il promise
that it should he well brought up, and
so it shall bc!n
She took the little head with its light
brown, curly hair between her hands.
''Is il not so, little one? 1t shall have
all that is good" In the delicate, al
most sickly features, of the child there
was no change of expression only
from the little heart shaped mouth cs-
capped deep, strange sigh.
| refraincd from making any objcc-
tion; had we not for years been accus-
toned to act Independently?
Our marriage had not been happy
we had not married for love. The ar
rangcmcnt had been made by our
fathers during the hustle of an hour
on change. Her heart had been torn
from that of another, while in mine
burned silent passion. But circum-
stances were too strong for us, and we
wished to please those who loved us.
At first each was Il dumb rcproach to
the other; then followed sad days of
declared war, until ut length we ar
ranged polite but colorlesS peace.
She was, indeed, pretty; she was
good, she had brilliant intellect, her
friends extolled her rs perfect an
gel" and II really think ! was no
monster. The analysis results in the
most beautiful rainbow colors, and yet
the sun is wanting. We had been mar
ricd six years and had no children.
Perhaps had heaven sent us one
The child, then, belonged only tC
her. As | learned further, that she
had paid the mother seven hundred
dollars, the proceeds of u piece OF
iewclry she had sold, hastily and in
secret, cried out, "Why did you moi
tell me that?"
"Bccausc il would have been toe
late had | waited for your return, and
besides" she replied, 81 wanted 1T
for myself alone" she added, daring
". My horse, my dog; her canary
bird, her gold fish, all that was wei
enough, but that she wished to have
child for herself alonc--that was toe
much! The thought tormcntcd me fol
two days; on the third, when she haC
gone out driving, Il woman requested
admission.
The mother of her child.
Like n shadow she glidcd through
the door, with low, half-Stillcd mur
mur. She must see her darling onc'
more; she could not separate so easily
from him. Immediately | opened my
pockot-book. "Hcre, my good wo
man." | said, handing her roll o
bank-notcs, take this; you received
too little. :"
She broke into bitter tears. "On
should not condemn her. she said
"without knowing ALL" She had an
other child, u poor, helpless cripple
she herself was i'll, and had not mucl
longer to live; what, then, would be
come of the unfortunate childP s.
she thought. | finished for my
self the sentence which her violen
coughing had interrupted. So sh
thought, will sell the well child, that
when | am dead, there may rcmai
some help for the cripple. No!
dared not condemn her.
When my wife returned | related t
her what had happened.
~ gave the poor creature, 1 added
"exactly as much as she received fror
you; the child, therefore, belongs t
us both, please remember in future.
After thinking Il moment, she eN
claimed, "All rightr' and then in
printed on the child's mouth kiss
1t sounded like a sort of challenge.
Our child indeed! Hardly eve
could | get a glimpse of it, and wa
not even consulted about any of tn
changes our home life suffered on il
account. Occasionally, in most in
portant matters, l was asked for sol
of supplementary approval. "W
must have nurse, Otho. Ihave a
ready found one." nodded, withou
word. "We must change the nul
scry; it is too warm on that side of tn
house." Again / assented, silently
, for in the hall l heard the men alread
engaged in making the chang,
There was nothing else for me to d,
and was it not for our childP
: We did not talk much about hin
, Tho poor little fellow had no othe
name than at" One could hear thu
name all day long. "Hush, not S
much noise, 1T is sleeping;" "I
must 20 OUT" ." 1T must have som,
thing to eat;" 1T has hurt itself.
Little by little the entire house b,
I gan to reyolve around our "It," Th
5 nameless neuter provoked me. %
. must have some name!" / exclaime
once.
"Oh, Iquite forgot to ask its motht
i mean the woman-what its nan
was" answered my wife. "She wante
to see it again, but as she does NJ
come, she must be i'll. Well, call
, Max. Max is very pretty name"
, "WhatP" "H'm!" Responded b.
. tween two puifs of my cigar. "Frit
would be very pretty"
1--WE can't change child's nan
/ just to suit tpeople, she replied rath(
: sharply. And she called out throug
the door, .Is Max up yetpn "Yes,
Twas our child.