Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-12-13
HE GOT THE MILK.
How q Rough" Drummer Game
Out Strong"

drummer. isn't bit funny. MAY be
some of you know Hiram K. Strbbins?
He's in feathers, artificial flowers,
ladies notions, hat trimmings and
such. A mOroSe, cross Kind
of man. that don't make friends
outside of the trade. They do say that
when he was young he was real nice
fellow, but bothering with men milli
ners and women in the bonnet busi-
ness, and trying to keep abreast of the
fashions, soured naturally good tenn
per Wen, Hiram B. Stebbins is not a
bit sociable. and a sort of CHAP to be
let alone Never understood a joke in
his life.
I'VE often crossed one another on
the road. but after saying How dye,
that's all the words We exchanged a
year ago | met him. going west from
Dubuque, on a Scalding hot day in
july; thermometer way up III the nine
ties and the car just III a blaze. The
car was full and a great many women
aboard. Just back of me was Il nice
looking young woman dressed in deep
mourning. and she held baby in her
arms, a wee, wee thing. and that child
was wailing pitifully, and the young
woman was crying. ltwas just 4 mite
of a child. puny-looking, and / should
Judge barely six weeks old. Back of
her sat Stebbins. looking as cross and
surly as bear with sore head,
apparently annoyed by the cries Of
that baby. The woman's back being
turned to Hiram he couldn't see she
was crying. OFF started the train, and
the dust and cinders sifted through in
showers. Most everybody seemed
cross. and Hiram uncommonly so.
There was no smoker on the train and
We had to stay in that car. That
baby's crying bothered me as it did
everybody else. Turning around | saw
the young woman take a nursing-bot-
tie out of basket then small earth
enware jug, and she uncorked it 1t
was full of milk. and she began to fill
the nursing bottle. A drop of milk
fell on her hand and she tasted it. then
looked very much distressed She put
back the nursing bottle and the jug
into the basket and didn't feed the
baby.
What on earth shall do' heard
her say. The milk is as sour as vine
gar and will kill the child and she be-
gan to cry again, not loud like the
baby, but the tears just streamed down
her pale cheeks. Then Hiram b. Steb-
bins shook himself up. and leaned for
ward and said to the young woman,
kind of cross like:
Your infant, ma'am?'
".Oh, no, sir. 1t was my poor sis
ter's, and she died week ago-died of
broken heart. because her husband,
this little baby's father, was killed on
railroad few days before baby was
born. It's a delicate child and half
starved. and the hot weather has turned
the milk sour. What am to do? |
am trying to carry the poor little child
some hundreds of miles further on, to
my mother, and if l can't feed it, it
will die before get to the end of my
journey, it's so feeble now Then she
sobbed afresh, and the baby sobbed.
too.
Hiram B. Stebbins didn't say any
thing for fully minute; then he got
up and came to me, and said he, Fam
lily man?' told him wasn't. Then
he sat down and tidgeted; then he got
up suddenly, looked around him and
went into the next car. He passed
through our car. and then through the
whole train. BY and by he came back,
and said he: Not darned one on the
train
Not what'' inquired.
"a woman nursing her baby. Gen.
orally they are ever so plenty, just
when you don't want EN-
And you would have asked
strange woman YOU never saw before
to-to-nurse that child?' / asked as
tonishcd.
Why should I not:? said Stebbins.
simply.
Then the conductor came, and Bill
went for him at once. When does the
train stop-the first place | mean'
asked Stcbhins
" 'Thirty-eight miles from here.
What kind OF a place? asked Steb-
bins. Any refreshments?
None. not a bar even. Wood and
water
No chance of milk"
Mary chance
ANY milk cans on this train''
Not one.
" But there's baby on board this
train that wants milk
:. This amt no baby nor milk train
as knows Of said that conductor, in