The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-08-22

BY LAURA LEIGH.

BY LAUKA LEIGH.
Saturday morning." said I, opening
my eyes. 81 will have to work fast
while baby is asleep, for to-day we are
expecting company from the city tc
spend Sunday with us. Mercy! how
sweet the baby looks; how could I eve1
get angry with it.
"I do declare! Twill not lose my tenn.
per to-day, no matter what!"
With these thoughts in my mind, ]
tiptoed out of the kitchen, but had just
got my hand in the flour to make bread,
when I heard a bump and a scream.
"Oh there!" said I, running. "]
forgot to put baby in his crib, and he
has fallen out of bed !"
Yes, there he was, piled up under the
edge of the bed, and purple in the face
from scream. After shaking, coaxing
and tossing him up and down, I sue.
ceeded in getting him quieted and un-
dertook to put him in his crib; but
that was openly repulsed, and 1 was
compelled to try some other plan. 81
will give him his morning BATH" l
thought, "and then he will be sure to
go asleep again. Anyway, am not
going to get angry" So, after bath
ing and dressing him, I was soon happy
to see him in pleasant sleep. I then
hurried back to my work and just had
my biscuits in the oven when my hus-
band came in.
"Gracious, Dot, haven't you break
fast ready YETI You are not half so
smart as you were when we were first
married"
Seeing him pause for breath, 1 said
'I had no baby to bother me them"
81 don't see how baby can bother,
when he is asleep"
"But he fell out of bed and"
ooh! you neglected putting him in
his crib, did you? But come, hurry
upi have to be at my office at 7, and
it is now almost 6, and a miles drive
to the city,"
We had finished breakfast, and I was
very busy at my dishes when I heard
him halloo from the gate.
81 say, Dot, l have forgotten my
pocket book"
I ran up stairs and got it, and just as
appeared on the porch he said, "Oh
yes! and bring the papers out of the
breast pocket of my gray coat, and do
hurry"
Away I went again making more
noise than I was aware of, l suppose,
and forgetting that I had three little
sleepers still in bed.
T guessed that is ALL" he said stand
ing up in the buggy and twirling his
whip in a restless manner. "Tell that
man, if he comes from n, that he
will find me at the office, and have Abe
turn the COWS in the lower pastures
when he comes in; and say, Dot, could
you mend that gray coat a little, it will
hardly pay to take it to tailor. But
there" said he, hearing a scream, Gan
other one of them has fallen out of bed
and," he added, whipping up his horse,
'you are expecting company to-day,
are you not?'
Company, indeed!" said I, going
into the house. A trio of young ones
to care for, a house full of work to do,
coat to mend, and half-dozen mes
sages to give; but then, am not going
to get angry"
On entering the house I found the
children all awake. l soon had them
washed, dressed, and breakfasted, then
hurried upstairs, but was just in the
midst of my work, when Carl called
out:
ooh, ma; here comes a man."
eyes sure enough, there was man
from N. After talking with him a
few moments he went away, and I start
ed back to my work, but remembered
that I had not given Abe his orders,
and he was now at the barn, if not in
the field. So after telling the children
to be good, hurried to the barn and
found him just going through the gate
to the field. succeeded, however, in
getting him stopped, and after explain
ing and answering questions for half an
hour, such as, "Whata" "What do
you say?" "What does he want them
put down there fora" and some others,
I got him to understand and was just
returning to the house breathless, with
my stock of patience almost exhausted,
when voice from the doorstep: "Just
hurry mamma, for Carl has gone and
spilled every one of your pethurves on
your keen foor, and then ruined and
dot under the sofa wit the lasses a
streamen off his apron" he said shaking
his hand and moving his head as he
followed me into the kitchen.
Yes, there was the preserves, and
there was Carl hid under the sofa in the
parlor. This capped the climax, and
before I was aware I had so completely
lost my temper that I scarcely knew
what was doing. 1t was late in the
afternoon before l had my work done,
and my own toilet made.
The children, for wonder, were act
ing excellently, and l thought I would
rest awhile before mending the coat,
but, before I got fairly seated, ring at
the door was heard and there was a
caller. She made very long call, and
visions of the gray coat were constantly
before my mind and sometimes would
find myself saying "gray" in answer to
some of her many questions. She al
last took herself off, saying she would
come again when she could stay longer.
| Bidding her good dav. ran at once