The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-08-16
BABES IN TIE STORM.
Victor Hugo

no sense; everything i, possible, even saliva
| ton from its dangers. How dill this child
succeed in crossing the abySs lie coul not
have told himself. Hs was not saved from
the swampy shores but he found him 'elf
face to faco with tho tempest. tho winter,
the night.
He looked at the earth, seeking path
Suddenly he stopped.
He had discovered n track, i'll truth,
footprint. 1t was bare foot smaller
than mans, larger than chId's. a
woman had just passed that way The
child set himself to following her steps.
Unfortunately the marks grew les and less
distinct. The fall Of snow was frightfully
dense. Suddenly they ceased. There was
nothing but white sheet over the earth and
a black ono over the sky. The child stopped
and looked in vain.
lie nothing.
A wall was near him. A human cry was
floating in the invisible
AS he hesitated between an in stinct that
urged him to fly and instinct that told
him to stay, he sa in the snow at his foet
sort of n mound of the size of u human body.
At the same moment the voice cried
The child knelt before tho ominence and
began to dig away the snow. Suddenly I'M
der his hands appeared pale face. 1t was
not the face thot cried. Its eyes were SHUT,
but its mouth open and full of snow. The
woman was dead
The child continued to remove the snow.
Suddenly he felt feeble movement; some
thing small was buried there and was NOV
ing. The boy quickly took away the snow
and discovered poor littio body, blue with
cold, still living, naked, the bare bosom
of the dead woman.
1t was little girl
When her face 1t the air she uttered
sobbing cry of distress. The mother was
surely dead not to have heard that sob. The
nudity of those brea Is was pathetic. At
the point of one nipple was white pearl.
1t was a frozen drop Cf milk. Tho forsaken
boy took the infant in his arms, and when
she felt his clasp she ceased her cries. The
purple lips of the nursing pressed the boys
check rs they would a breast. Her mother
had already impaired to her something of
death. Her feet, hands and arms par
lyzad with cold. Tho boy felt this terrble
chill and removing his cloak wrapped the
little girl in it, and now, almost nake1 him.
self, with the little one in his arms he
sumed his journey.
Tho baby, warm once moro, with her
mouth against the boys cheek, slept. 1t
was their first kiss. This little burden was
tho drop that caused his cup of distress to
overflow. He know not what would become
of him. He staggered on slowly, painfully,
guarding against any slip OF misstep, before
the cruel wind that pushed him, seeking a
"a
at many doors as lie passed through the
streets. Nobody opened to him.
Tho lost child, carrying the found child,
no longer walked, but dragged himself At
last he saw candle shining through the
door of n cabin or wagon. As he drew near
he heard a growl, a chain drawn tight, and
suddenly under the door between the wheels
appeared two rows of sharp white teeth. At
the same moment a head passed through
the opening III the door.
"Shut upr' said the head.
The growing ceased.
as somebody there"
The child replied yes"
"Who9r
an
who are you:'
Il am tired" said the child.
"What time is it?'
"Im cold"
1--WE can't all be as happy as lords"
swered the head. 'Go away"
The head disappeared The boy raised
the sleeping baby in his arms, bent his heal
and summoned his strength to continue his
journey.
But the door had opened, and the voice
cried angrily, well why don't you come
ins'
The child then entered the abode of Ursus,
the philosopher. and of Homo, the wolf.
lie had heard them both growl- He put
his bundle down on a chest carefully for
fear of Weakening AMI frightening it. With
feverish haste the old man tore eff the
boys wet garment, gave him others of his
own, pushed him to the stove and set food
before him. The child absor bed in the two
necessities of heat and food was wholly in
sensible to that violence of language so
tempered by charity of action. At this mo-
ment lamentable cry arose from the chest
Valley of Jehosaphatl The bundle is
cryingl What has your bundle to cry forl"
"What's this!' said the man Here's an
other VIII this never ends You see she's
thirsty; she must have drink now"
He tore off the scanty rags i'll which she
was rolled as he had taken off the boys
clothing. He filled bottle with warm
milk, introduced q sponge into it, then took
the bottle into his right hand and in the left
the distracted little bundle that continued
to scream. He put the sponge into her