The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-25

II shan't take him there"
Then will as soon as I can get my bonnet
on, and as sure as my names Sarah Ann Pay
| son."
You'll know no more how to handle him than
| it he was slippery fish. He'll be upside down
in your hands, the way he'd carry cat himself,
| If he was big enough. And | won't be party
| 60 any such cruelty You've got money enough
him to you-He's sent HIM to you great deal
more tnan if you had gone and had him your
/ self"
4 ''Meg! Margaret You"
! "Yes, aud you'd a sight better spend your
| money a taking care of him than TO be send
ing it out TO the naked little heather 20 grease
| themselves in the sun! Some day the Lord'll
| require account of you, and He'll say:
| Where's the child sent you to bring up in My
| fearP and you'll have to answer: i sent him off
| to the poor-house. and he grew mp a thief, and
was killed In drunken row, and guess he's in
hell And-bis-soul-will be required of you'll"
said Meg. with dreadful distinctness That's
what you'll come to, Miss Sally Payson, and
won't help you on your way to itp
| Miss Sally was thunderstruck one moment,
/ but being woman of decisive action, only a
| moment. Then she started TO her feet, with a
/ wild gesture of determination-''W here's my
/ hat?" she cried, where's my rubbers? Where's
/ my cloakg / never was talked to so before in
/ my life-and me church member--and by help
/ that I've been as good to as a sister-and never
! will be again! And that imps going to the
/ poor house, where he belongs
i ''Then I'm going, too, that's all. If you cant
4 keep him you can't keep me-" said Meg $50
| there'll be two of US a-takin' him. / don't care!
/ When Tn an old woman he'll be takin' me to
| evening meetings and such, the honey, the dear
i lamb Oh he's opening his eyes!" cried Meg. d.
i verified from the point. what bright eyes, star
4 ing right st the lamp without blinking-eves
/ just like two stars in the night, and they're just
i perfect, all complete with lashes."
What did you expect them to be-" growled
/ Miss Sally.
Il din't expect them at all. Oh, Miss Sally,
4 he's a-laughlng, or else he's going TO cry! My
1 goodness he's got hold of my finger. my great.
i rough finger, and he's sucking it for dear life
/ bless his aeart, he's hungry. Oh. what
4 shame. what a shame! What sort of cruel
i creature can mother be that leaves such little
darling on this doorstep2'
i She knew where he'd be we'll Off / suppose"
4 said Miss Sally, grimly.
| 'Looks SO. And amt you 'shamed, turning
i from your door one of the Lords chidren2
i Well. l amt got that to answer for Yes, /
4 shall go where he goes. I've made my mind up.
i He's dear, and always wanted him, and now
/ I've got him. an6-what was we talking about
i when he came into our iivesY To mOrrOw'l be
/ the first great genuine THANKSGIVING day I ever
come acrostw and she lifted the baby to her face,
4 and snuggled and kissed him till he squirmed
i and lifted up his voice, and bawled again in good
4 earnest. "Id orter know better" she exclaimed
| quieting him; but I'm so glad of him don't
!, know how to behave. There. there, there, the
i sweeting. Talk about having nothing to be
i thankful for! To-morrow'll be the longest day
] in my life-.ts begun now. j feel Thanksgiving
/ all through me. and / don't need no turkey to do
i it. And thank goodness know enough to be
4 thankful for that, too. If you don't"
/ But Miss Sally had again subsidized. Thanks
i giving, oh THANKSGIVING" she whispered. ''As
4 if the turkey wouldn't stick in my throat
i Thanks giving for me! Little enough BEFORE
i and now, nothing, nothing, nothing-and the
i one that has lived with me for years, the friend
| of years. that / trusted and leaned on, and ex-
/ Tod hos
| betraying me. forsaking me- and all for the
sake of thing she never until an hour agol
| wish was dead already, that dol"
'Well, Miss Sally Payson." said the obdurate
| Meg, its pretty how-dye-do, If all you was
| keeping me for was to close your eyes at last!
| If you can't close them yourself, its pity
Who's going to close miner
Your baby, there"
''The dear lamb. There--I must heat him
some milk whatever happens and that right
away. He can't get all his nourishment outen
| my finger, sweets it is and you must hold him
while get it'
'.Me2' screamed Miss Sally, starting to her
| feet. and shrinking back and away. "Oh,
| can't! Don't come near mel" she cried. holding
ND both her hands as if the little founding were
| an assaultng party. Don't, say"
There amt nobody else to do it. and you've
got to, said Meg. emphatically. '.and if you let
| him drop you'll have to answer for IT! and she
/ laid the baby on Miss Sallys outstretched and
| forbidding arms before the worthy spinster
could hinder And, as she did so, the baby
reached its little hands for the glasses that lay
| pushed back on her forehead. and eooed and
| kicked, and as she bent scrutinizingy over it
one instant it looked up in her face and laughed,
a lovely, trusting gurgle OF laugh. and before
| she knew what she had done, Miss Sally had
stopped and kissed it. And then she started
| back as If she had touched scorpion, and came
| SO near dropping the child that she caught it in
| such wise that it would have been less than
| human not to have emitted yell. Take it
u, L. nl1lx~
it! I shall break it!" and she stood there holding
it off at arms length, and ready to cry herself
she exclaimed, 'Oh, always said they were
| just like verninw But there being now. AS Meg
| had said. no help for it, she by and by sat down
| before the fire and laid the crying baby on her
| lap, and rnmPled the little Detticoats this
| way and that to get the rosy feet
| to the fire as she had seen Meg do, and dropped
| both her arms at her side and leaned back help
| lessly with the tears running down her face and
| mingling with the tears the little face in her
| lap. "Oh. what have done. what have done
to deserve this" she moaned, while a vision of
tape overcharged for and hooks and eyes that
| involved a swindle, and alpaca braid whose sale
was robbery. swept before her, and she cried
| '.Oh. my sins have found me out. / am being
punished for them ALL But it does seem cruel
right on the edge of Thanksgiving" And had
/ it been the Old Man of the Sea confronting her.
the tears she shed were salt enough to make
| him feel at home.
Into this very trance OF acquescent wretched-
ness and helplessness there came a rap and then
a quick, imperous ring and the door burst open.
and Young woman dashed from the tiny hall to
the tiny parlor crying out, MY baby! oh, my
baby! Where is he2 Tell me where he isl" and
snatched the little object from Miss Sally's
| knees, and covered him with kisses and caresses,
! and deafened him with inarticulate cries and
CALCULATIONS, and flung herself into the opposite
chair and burst into hysteric tears far wilder
than Miss Salys were, but not by any means
| the helpless ones that encouraged and revived
woman began TO wipe away
"There!" the voice of Meg. outside. was heard
to say; here it is, as warm toast"
do sou mean to say" Miss Sally was begin
| ming
''Oh. my Lord! my Lord" cried Meg, entering
the door. and absorbing the situation. And set
ting down the heated milk she sank into a heap
and threw her apron over her head as if it was
the typical sack-eloth, full of ashes. shes
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