The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-07-24

Ike nouth. and shouted savagely;
The child Is mine!-the child u
nsimers
ssYes." said the old man. stepp'ng
back : pace. and forgetting his usual
drawl I'VE should be glad if you
would keep her.
II riH Keep herr' was the fierce an
swer, as the door was slammed in the
VISITORS face. who hustled hurr eddy
down the walk talking TO h mself in
this wise:
us the world coming to an end?
Now, is it. / say?''
Then Nathan went back to an inner
room where in the corner of an old set
tee. the baby lay asleep, bent over it.
and. in = shame-faced way, actually
kissed the little pink-t nted hand. and
abruptly turning away. sought his neg
lected breakfast So the fate OF the
baby was settled.
think there must have been enough
Of fatherly tenderness in the mans
heart for q dozen stalwart sons and
daughters. and the baby got it all. He
hired . stout girl to care for her. but
he cared for her always himself. She
was apparently about eight months old
when Nathan found her, and such
glad and happy baby. who learned soon
to laugh and crow joyfully at the APP
proach of the tail, gaunt figure.
One day the little nlliner. whose
windows were hung with bright and
pretty things, saw Nathan coming
through her gate. When he had got
her door open he said, bluntly:
Can you make clothes for . baby?"
II can get them for you ready
made" said the timid little woman,
who was somewhat afraid of Nathan.
Then do" he said. simply. shoot
ing the small sentences through his
thin lips. Get the best-get plenty
bonnets and outside things. you know,
and wait-the summer boarders who
come here have carriages for their
babies get one" And then he left
her. coming back to say as q SEEM
ing afterthought: I'm pay you.
So. Nathan's baby. dressed like q
little princess, rode through all the
shady lanes and the wide. sunny
streets Of the town. and in the yard Of
the farmhouse. No hand but his ever
touched the dainty carriage. He was
Sometimes he spoke to the
little boys and girls. or stopped to let
them kiss his baby. Then. too, he
busted . certa n Old Book he had
never read Of late, and Sundays he
read it, with his baby on his knee.
He went to the minister and asked to
have her christened. When the query
came: what name?" he said with lit
tie CULVER in his hard 70 ce: Margaret;
it was mothers name |" He carried
her into the old church where his own
feet never went before, and she was
christened Margaret Odell.
/ wonder what the hitherto lonely
mans thoughts were when he sat and
rocked his baby! Tradition had VIII q
pered Of faded daguerreotype Of =
most beautiful woman somewhere in
the house. / wonder II he thought Of
her. and ever imagined the child he
held in his arms as belonging to him.
self and her! Nobody knew.
When the baby first learned to speak.
the gil Who cared for it taught it to
say s.Papa;;" and though he burned
dark red like the color of mahogany
when first he heard it, / think it was IN
intense pleasure.
And Nathan's baby got upon her lit
tie feet and used to toddle after him, or
walk in the yard with her slow. nm
even steps. her little hand holding
tightly to his. She was such = lovely
little child! such . vision to look at!
and suok . glad and happy spirit! Her
hair 1wyn~ nn< n l;tffn r,,r,lxv spn1In,~