The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1885-07-17
miscellaneous.
LITTLE BABY JIM.
The Story of u Little FOndIing's Close
Call From Good III ONE.

Shth FROM u UOON ONO.
Baby jim, of the Founding's Home had a
very narrow escape last week, says the Chi
cago Inter- Ocean. He is red headed and
treckled, but he is lusty enough for farm
hand. When he was about eight months old
n lady who had no children took him to bring
up. There were prettier babies than Jim,
but somehow she took fancy to him. In
spite of his fiery hair there was something in
his face that made him handsome. 1nteli-
gence was in his eyes and people who looked
at his head said he would be heard from in
the world. He was heard from very fire.
quently, and that is what came very near
changing the whole course Of his life.
The husband of the lady who took Jim did
not like him. Jim's voice was not musical
and his red hair did not match the furniture
in the handsome home to which he had been
taken. The wife's attentions to him may
have made the husband jealous, too. Some
thing was the matter with Jim all the time,
and the man of the house got tired of him,
though his wife enjoyed it all What Jim did
was fun to her She rugged him up in new
clothes and fashioned many pretty garments
for him herself.
For a time the husband, who had submit
ted at first in silence said little, but after
u while it became evident that trouble was
brewing in the family. The man was lima
tured, and Baby Jim's illuminated counte-
nance and uproarious voice aggravated him.
There were some harsh words between hus-
band and wife, some tears and reproaches,
followed by day of reflection en- the part of
the wife. Toward evening she made up her
mind Taking Jim in her arms, she sum-
moned her carriage and drove rapidly to the
home, where, with many tears and caresses,
she left him, telling the reason and saying
that she would send his beautiful little ward
robe i'll the morning.
That night when she was picking up the
little garments and toys and packing them
carelessly in small trunk which she had la
beled jim" her husband, who had finished
his cigar inquired:
NV here's jim ?"
Hes gone" she said.
Where"
81 took him back to the Foundlings'
Home, and Pm packing his things up now"
She didn't look up. In fact, her head was
bent lower than seemed necessary. The hus-
band looked thoughtful, turned around on
his heel, whistled little and walked into the
library. He began to feel that he had won a
great victory over baby and woman. but
he could not extract any comfort from the re-
Election. The house seemed quiet, and he
Naif wished he could hear Jim yell and bis
VIE laugh. Jim was not SO much nuisance
afteE all. 1t might be handy to have him in
the family.
The next morning at breakfast he told his
wife that he had no idea that she would send
Jim back to the Home. He may have ex-
pressed wish that she would, and even
commanded it, but he didn't always mean
what he said when he was annoyed by bust
ness cares. If she set SO much store by jim
she had better go and get him. He thought
he could stand it. 1t is very hard for man
to own up.
That breakfast was never finished. The
horses were at the door as quick as they
could be harnessed, and as the wife left the
house SHE exclaimed:
"Oh, what if he should be gone Drive as
fast as you can"
mo danger" said the husband, listening to
the receding wheels. He'll be there"
And 80 he was. He was in line with the
others, taking his Cruel, and yelling, Of
course. The lady explained her erraud, sez
ed him to her breast and made him cry still
louder Then she drove home with him
hugging him close all the way, and that day
when the trunk was unppckcd, she sang &c
loud that even Jims warwhoop, occasionally
raised in defiance, could not be head.
1t was close cali for Baby Jim.