Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-07-17
Then Nathan Odell opened his clasp.

"Ihe child - mlne!-tha child is
mine"
Eyes" said the old man, stepping
back a pace. and forgetting his usual
drawl. 1--WE should be glad if you
would keep her"
81 wiU Keep her" was the fierce an
swer, as the door was slammed in the
visitors face. who hustled hurriedly
down the walk talking to himself in
this wise:
'.Is the world coming to an end?
Now, is it, l sayp"
Then Nathan went back to an inner
DOR where in the corner of an old set
tee, the bah.y lay asleep, bent over it,
and, in a shame-faced way, actually
kissed the little pink-tinted hand, and
abruptly turning away, sought his neg
lected breakfast. So the fate of the
baby was settled.
l think there must have been enough
of father.y tenderness in the mans
heart for a dozen stalwart sons and
daughters, and the baby got it all. He
hired u 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 a
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 milliner, 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 a baby?"
~ coN %l~~, &C.,, l-
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 a seem
ing afterthought: ''I'll 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
changing. Sometimes he spoke to the
little boys and girls, or stopped to let
them kiss his baby. Then, too, he
busted a certain 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 c%hristened. When the query
''What name?" he said with q lit
tie CULVER in his hard voice: "Margaret;
it was mothers name" He carried
hny, W. %l,1 old 1l,,-.l ,,l1..o -. -.-.
feet never went before, and she was
christened margaret Odell."
l wonder what the hitherto lonely
mans thoughts were when he sat and
rocked his baby! Tradition had wh:s-
percd of a faded d~aguerreotype of a
most beautiful woman somewhere in
the house. 1 wonder if he thought of
her, and evcr 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 girl who cared for it taught it to
say Papa" and though he turned a
dark red like the color of mahogany
when first he heard it, / think it was an
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, I'M
even steps, her little hand holding
tightly to his. She was such a lovely
little child! such a vision to look at!
and such a glad and happy spirit! Her
hair grew out in little curly golden
rings, and she loved her queer protector
with all her little heart. He always called
her Margaret.
1t was in the early spring when he
found her; all through the summer,
autumn and winter, she gladdened and
softened his heart. When spring came
again she SCENE d to lose perfect health,
but later en- she was the same glad lit
tie child as usual. When the summer
came she began again to falter, to grow
thin and pale, Nathan had two of the
great doctors from the city to see her.
She had no childish ailment, they said;
they did not name her disease, but
when they left him Nathan knew his
fate. Later on, all knew that Nathan's
baby was slowly dying.
He neglected his work. and held the
little wasting body in his arms day
after day, dong all that could be done,
till one day in late June the blue-eyes
opened for the last time, and looked
with love into the face that had been
always gentle and good to her, then
closed again. while the breath came
shorter and shorter, then ceased-and
Nathan's baby was dead.
On the day she was buried, he called
in all who wished to come, and for the
first time the old house was filled to
o~verllowing, The white casket, cover
ed with flowers, was such as the chill
dren of millionaires have, and no
swecter dead face was ever seer than
the n that rested on. it's white velvet
lining. The voice of prayer was heard
for the first time within those walls,
and the minister repeated over the
small, still. body: 'Sutfer the little
children to comeunto me-" Then Ma
than shut the little casket. and with a
stern, fearless face, took it in his arms,
and leaving the assembled company,
bore it to the loveliest spot in the or
chard, where the soft turf had been
pressed by the baby feet, and lowered
it to the flowcr-strewn bed his own
hand had made ready, and went away.
Kind hands buried it for him; and life
went or as before.
No, not as before. One evening in